{"id":52359,"date":"2012-08-08T08:33:27","date_gmt":"2012-08-08T12:33:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.thedetroitbureau.com\/?p=52359"},"modified":"2012-08-08T08:33:27","modified_gmt":"2012-08-08T12:33:27","slug":"first-look-2013-honda-accord-sedan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/2012\/08\/first-look-2013-honda-accord-sedan\/","title":{"rendered":"First Look: 2013 Honda Accord Sedan"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Honda releases the first images of the production 2013 Accord sedan.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

After an unexpectedly long wait, Honda is finally giving the world a first look at the completely updated, 2013 Accord sedan.<\/p>\n

Until now, Honda had provided only a hint of what was coming in the form of a coupe concept that debuted all the way back in January at the Detroit Auto Show — generating mixed reviews for its relatively conservative looks largely unchanged from the previous coupe.<\/p>\n

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Your Inside Source!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The production sedan revealed today \u201cdoesn\u2019t scream and shout,\u201d said Honda\u2019s U.S. product chief Vicki Poponi, though she also insisted the 2013 Honda Accord is \u201cthe most sculpted and the most dynamic Accord yet,\u201d following Honda\u2019s design dictum, \u201cman maximum, machine minimum.\u201d<\/p>\n

The design is sleeker and less extreme than some past updates, with a more coupe-like roofline that reflects today\u2019s industry vogue. The maker also claims the 2013 Honda Accord will be notably more fuel-efficient than the model it replaces.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

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Honda's new Accord is 3 inches shorter but roomier than the outgoing model.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The nose of the new model is distinguished by a bolder grille than the current sedan, with stronger creases framing the hood. A character line flows through the upper body and into a tapered rear with which Honda intends to convey a sense of muscularity. The maker has put a premium on fuel-saving aerodynamics with such details as a near-flush windshield, flush wipers and a partially sealed underbody.<\/p>\n

The new Accord is a surprising three inches shorter than the outgoing model but Honda engineers have gotten creative and found ways to add a full cubic foot to the trunk and have increased cabin space, as well.<\/p>\n

The maker will feature what it describes as \u201cpremium\u201d details, such as LED headlights, taillamps and Daytime Running Lights.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
The concept version of the 2013 Honda Accord Coupe debuted in Detroit last January.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Meanwhile, Honda will use the 2013 Accord to begin the roll-out of an all-new powertrain line-up.\u00a0 The four-cylinder version of the sedan will feature Honda\u2019s new CVT transmission \u2013 one which Honda assures will not suffer from the sort of rubber band-like feeling displayed by many competing continuously variable transmissions.\u00a0 The new Accord will also be available with a V-6, a powertrain many competing midsize sedans have been dropping.<\/p>\n

The traditional best-seller for the Japanese maker, few vehicles are more important in the Honda line-up \u2013 nor more at risk at a time when the midsize market is seeing more competition than ever in the U.S. market.\u00a0 Toyota launched an all-new version of its best-selling Camry in 2012 and among the all-new models already in, or soon coming, to showrooms for 2013 are the Nissan Altima, Chevrolet Malibu and Ford Fusion.<\/p>\n

But Honda hopes to launch the 2013 Accord at just the right moment to take advantage of the momentum it has been gaining as it rebuilds in the wake of Japan\u2019s earthquake-led product shortages.\u00a0 The maker has steadily begun gaining traction, the Honda brand\u2019s sales gaining 45.3%, year-over-year, in July. And the outgoing Accord was up more than 70% at a time in its lifecycle when most products typically taper off.<\/p>\n

Of course, July numbers were compared to the disastrous sales of a year ago when Honda factories were all but shut down due to parts shortages caused by the March 11, 2011 earthquake and tsunami.<\/p>\n

The new Accord will likely be key to keeping that momentum.\u00a0 The question is whether Honda has avoided some of the pitfalls that have generated so much negative press for the most recent update of its smaller Civic line.\u00a0 Just this week, influential Consumer Reports magazine once again trashed the Civic by listing it as one of \u201cFive Popular Cars to Avoid.\u201d<\/p>\n

(<\/em>Click Here<\/span><\/a>for that report.)<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Notably, Honda is not offering a look at the interior of the new Accord.\u00a0 That could be telling as a key criticism of the Civic was the readily apparent corner-cutting the maker had taken.\u00a0 Honda officials promise they have not repeated that mistake but whether they\u2019ve gone far enough apparently won\u2019t be revealed until later this summer when journalists get a first ride in the 2013 Honda Accord.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

After an unexpectedly long wait, Honda is finally giving the world a first look at the completely updated, 2013 Accord sedan. The new midsize model is slightly smaller but roomier and more fuel-efficient than the outgoing model. But after taking hits for its recent Civic redesign, has Honda stretched far enough? TheDetroitBureau.com takes a look at the new 2013 Honda Accord.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":52360,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"make":[],"post-state":[],"category_old":[151],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52359"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=52359"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52359\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/52360"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=52359"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=52359"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=52359"},{"taxonomy":"make","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/make?post=52359"},{"taxonomy":"post-state","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/post-state?post=52359"},{"taxonomy":"category_old","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/category_old?post=52359"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}