Honda updates its midsize sedan for the 2013 model year, modernizing the technology to compete with cars such as the Toyota Camry and Ford Fusion. Honda offers the Accord in LX, EX, EX-L, Sport, and Touring trim levels. There are also two engine and three transmission choices.
A specific Honda design language is difficult to find on the new Accord. The new car gets a chrome strip underlining the small grille. Headlight casings are rounded and bubble out from the front fenders slightly.
The rounded roofline accommodates front and rear passengers. Honda reduced the length of the Accord sedan by 3.6 inches, but did not lose any cabin area.
The engines in the new Accord employ Honda's new Earth Dreams technology initiative to improve efficiency. The 2.4-liter uses direct injection to boost power and fuel economy over the prior generation's 2.4-liter four-cylinder.
The 3.5-liter V-6 engine gets Honda's i-VTEC technology, which controls the valve timing and lift, but not direct injection. This engine also shows greater horsepower and fuel economy over the older 3.5-liter V-6.
Navigation is available in the EX-L and Touring trims. The navigation system uses a hard drive to store its maps, and looks similar to those currently found in Acura models.
The maps show much better resolution than those in older Honda models, in particular making text for street names easier to read. The maps also show traffic information.
Among the audio sources, some high-trim Accord models will have Aha, a service that uses the driver's phone to deliver podcasts and music from the Internet. The service also turns Twitter and Facebook feeds into audio.
