Welcome to Autoxchange - Driven: The importance of maintaining accord...

DRIVEN

The meaning of the word accord, as described in the dictionary, is 'to be in agreement or harmony.' And in keeping with its name, the 16,000 Accord owners in India, and 16 million from around the world, would largely agree that they've got their moneys worth.

The Accord, first introduced in 1976, was a breakthrough model not only for Honda, but also for the Japanese auto industry as a whole. It was the first Japanese car to be manufactured in the world's largest market, the US, from 1982 onwards. It then went on to become the best selling Japanese car in that country for the next 15 years.

The Accord is one of the few models that played an instrumental role in creating the reputation that the Japanese enjoy today, which is manufacturers of cutting edge and extremely reliable quality automobiles.


	So you can imagine just how much is riding on its shoulders. Whenever Honda launch an all-new model, they simply have to get it absolutely right from Day 1 itself. The 8th generation Accord is completely unrecognizable as a descendant of the 1976 model. While the first Accord was a small and basic car, each successive generation grew larger and more comfortable thereafter. The new Accord is a full blown luxury car, at least in terms of size. It's larger in practically every dimension to the previous generation, and considerably bigger than its global sparring partner, the Toyota Camry. There's enough leg room in the back to rival a Mercedes S Class.

	Not only has the Accord grown larger, but more distinctive as well. With this redesign, it's gone from being discreet and understated to purposeful and aggressive. It has a bold new face with a square jaw and pulled back headlights – it almost looks as though it's angling for a fight. Looks apart, with thirty plus years of experience, you simply expect the new car to be very good indeed – so let's find out if it delivers.

Text: Dhruv Behl
Images: Anamit Sen