Friday, 14 September 2007
2008 Honda Accord pushes midsize passenger car segment to “large” territory
It’s no secret in the automotive industry that as vehicles progress from generation to generation, they tend to get larger, heavier and more complex. We see this pattern across various segments – passenger cars, pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles. But are there certain vehicles and certain thresholds worthy of more analysis than others? Based on recent critiques over at TrueDelta and MSNBC, the answer seems to be yes, at least regarding the 2008 Honda Accord.
The Accord has grown larger steadily since its introduction in the mid 1970s, but for the first time the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency classifies the Accord as a “large car” due to its 120 cubic feet of interior space. At 194.1 to 194.3 inches in length, the Accord sedan is even larger than Honda/Acura’s flagship model, the Acura RL (measuring 193.6 inches long). It’s not like Honda’s competitors are dwarfed by the new Accord; the new Toyota Camry measures 189.2 inches long while the Nissan Altima sedan measures 189.8 inches. But neither hits that magic 120 cu-ft capacity, allowing them both to maintain the midsize classification. And four to five inches of length is by no means a negligible difference.
Where does Honda (and the entire industry) go from here? The answer would appear to be “up,” but hold on one second. Look at the 2008 Accord’s fuel economy figures: the best it does is 22/31 city/highway miles-per-gallon when equipped with the 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine and five-speed manual transmission. Last year’s four-cylinder/manual Accord rated at 26 city and 34 highway mpg, and when adjusted for the new 2008 testing procedure comes out at 23/31 city/highway mpg. While impressive that mileage was nearly preserved despite increases in size, weight and power, when will consumers demand more out of mainstream passenger sedans? Perhaps that threshold is far more significant.
Sources: TrueDelta, MSNBC and Honda, Toyota and Nissan manufacturer/media sites
Image: Honda news [2008 Honda Accord sedan]