To the left, to the left
Honda's latest Accord probably turns to the right as well, but we'll have to wait till next month to be sure - By Lee Nian Tjoe
ACCORDING TO HONDA: The new Accord goes through its paces on the oval track that unfortunately permitted only left turns. -- PHOTO: HONDA
TOCHIGI, JAPAN - WHEN Torque columnist Andre Lam came back from a test drive of Ferrari's 430 Scuderia a couple of weeks ago, he declared that the car could 'walk on water'.
I have just come back from trying out the new Honda Accord, and I can confidently say that the car can 'turn left'.
Honda deems it fit to carry out the test drive in its Tochigi facility, on a high-speed oval circuit with steep banks. Just like the tracks seen in Days Of Thunder or Cars.
There are definite benefits to doing a test drive in such a location. Like, you never have to stop to ask for directions. All you do is keep turning left.
But it also means that there is no opportunity to try out the car's satellite navigation, which is fine by us since the cars bound for Singapore will not have such a feature.
The new Accord is big. It is so big it dwarfs its predecessor. It is even bigger than Toyota's standard-bearing Camry.
Besides its size, the new Accord is designed to turn heads. If its chiselled facade and strong shoulders don't get your attention, its chunky behind most certainly will.
It has a grand cabin - roomy accommodation peppered with wood accents and a faux metallic finish, set in nicely textured plastics.
The ergonomics are not perfect though. Its clutter of buttons on the centre console for the air-conditioning and hi-fi do need getting used to.
You don't need long to get accustomed to the wealth of space though. You can lounge in the rear seats and enjoy the music.
On the perfectly paved oval track, it appears the new car has better noise insulation. But we won't know for sure until we get to drive it on real roads with real traffic.
On the smooth track, which happens to be wet during the test drive, the Accord is impressive. Its steering, whether pointing straight ahead or to the left, has affirming heft. (I reckon it will venture to the right with similar aplomb.)
The car's generous wheelbase and relatively taut suspension give it good footing during lane changes too.
The Accord will be available with three different engines, all mated to five-speed automatic gearboxes. It starts off with a new 156bhp 2-litre unit. Unlike before, this is a single cam unit and it has been tuned to make more power than the current DOHC one.
Next up is the 180bhp 2.4-litre. But the most interesting one, from a technological viewpoint, is the flagship 3.5-litre V6.
Other than boasting 280bhp of grunt, the engine features Honda's second generation Variable Cylinder Management (VCM), which allows the engine to fire six, four or three cylinders to maximise economy when cruising or move from push to shove when necessary.
The VCM feature is seamless. The only sign of it working is a green 'eco' lamp on the tachometer, which comes on when not all the cylinders are firing.
The lamp lights up when the car is cruising at 120kmh on the track. But with a flex of the right foot, it goes off. The 3.5 does 200kmh with relative ease. It can do more, if not for the rain.
The 3.5 is equipped with ample goodies. It has steering wheel-mounted paddles for manual gear changes. Both front seats have powered adjustments and the car wears bigger wheels (18-inch) and has two exhaust pipes.
Admittedly, it is unlikely to be a mass seller in capacity-conscious Singapore. But Honda reckons it should be able to sell at least 10 a month. We shall see when the car arrives next month.
If it turns right as competently as it does left, it should do well.
The writer is editor of Torque, a monthly published by SPH Magazines.
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HONDA ACCORD V6
Price: Under SGD$100,000 for 2-litre with COE (est)
Engine: 3,471cc 24-valve V6
Transmission: Five-speed automatic with manual select
Power: 280bhp at 6,200rpm
Torque: 342Nm at 5,000rpm
0-100kmh: 8.6 seconds
Top speed: 235kmh
Fuel consumption: 12.3 litres/ 100km (city)
Agent: Kah Motors
At this price, KM will be killing themselves!
