2016 Honda Accord as seen during its unveiling in California July 23, 2015.Darren McGee/The Globe and Mail
The vehicle
Silicon Valley is home to the Google car, Apple, Facebook and countless other millennial-friendly tech firms. So it was only fitting that Honda unveiled its mid-cycle refresh for the Accord Thursday at its newly expanded Silicon Valley research and development facility. The 2016 version of the mid-size sedan and coupe is heavy on bells and whistles and is "the most technologically advanced Accord we've introduced to date," said Honda spokesman Sage Marie. Last year, "it was outright the best-selling car in California and also the No. 1 selling car to customers under 35, so it's important to attract the car to millennials." What better place to start than at the millennial mecca?
Signature feature
The front and rear fascia is new, the hood has been redesigned, and the Accord now features 19-inch wheels, all working together to give it a more aggressive look. Mix in new LED headlights, LED taillights and LED fog lights along with a new, "more expressive" grille and presto! — "Honda's signature look," as Marie called it, is ready to roll.
What else is new
Tech, tech and more tech. For starters, there's Honda Sensing, a multi-faceted collection of safety and driver assist technologies. "We hope to cut in half the number of collisions involving our vehicles by 2030," said Frank Paluch, president of Honda research and development Americas. "And completely eliminate collisions by 2050." A lofty goal. And with pre-collision braking systems, lane-keeping assist, lane departure warning and adaptive cruise control, it's a good start.
What do millennials love more than their smartphones? Answer: Nothing. But a car with smartphone capabilities would be the next best thing for the selfie generation. The new Accord is the first Honda vehicle to be equipped with both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, providing drivers access to many smartphone features and apps through a seven-inch touchscreen on the dashboard.
Under the hood
Honda officials said changes here would be minimal and, as such, the Accord will still feature a 2.4-litre four-cylinder engine mated to either a six-speed manual or a CVT transmission and a 3.5-litre V-6 paired with either a six-speed manual or a six-speed automatic transmission.
When can we buy it and for how much
Honda says the Accord will be in dealer showrooms by autumn, but pricing details are nowhere to be found. The 2015 Accord sedan starts at $24,050.
Cool quotient
3.5 stars (out of 5)
Honda's bread-and-butter sedan is getting the boost it needs to beat back its rivals.
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Darren McGee