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By Brian Afuang
THE message couldn’t have been more crystal
clear: In staging a test-drive activity for the new
eighth-generation Accord (launched locally as a 2008 model), Honda
Cars Phils. fittingly went unabashedly upscale from accommodations
to altitudinal destinations. The Accord is, after all, the
carmaker’s flagship sedan, a model that bristles with style,
performance and high technology and is targeted at the affluent set.
Anything less than lofty would have been, well, a letdown.
With an event that started with a product
presentation over dinner and an overnight first-class stay at a posh
Makati Hotel, the swanky reception was tempered by the latest
Accord’s showpiece technological merit that cuts the car’s
emissions and fuel consumption.
Honda calls it the VCM 643, and it provides a
sobering—if not comforting—thought that profligate ways simply
stop when people need to cough out almost P55 for every liter of
premium unleaded at the pumps.
Firing on all cylinders—sometimes
It’s the top-model Accord’s power plant that
gets the VCM 643, or Variable Cylinder Management system. As its
name suggests, the technology cuts the number of cylinders the
engine operates on as determined by load and other factors. With
this system, the Accord’s Euro4-compliant 3.5-liter V6 motor can
function on six, four or three cylinders at any given time.
Other carmakers have tried this technology in
the past and failed, like General Motors did with a Cadillac model
in the early ‘80s. Computers at the time simply weren’t remotely
as sophisticated or reliable as they are today, and the variable
cylinder management technology relies heavily on smart electronics
for it to function properly.
Needless to say, Honda’s version is a vastly
improved one, with the engine switching its active number of
cylinders seamlessly and quite unnoticeably. Press hard on the
top-model Accord’s drive-by-wire throttle and all six cylinders
report for duty to produce 271 horsepower at 6,200rpm and 340
Newton-meter of torque at 5,000rpm. When conditions call for less
stressful work from the engine, only four cylinders fire up, the two
others shutting down ignition. When a lot less torque is called for,
the engine operates on only three cylinders. And through all these
schizophrenic switching, the Accord’s computer engine management
wizardry ensures flawless—you could even say,
clandestine—operation.
Now you would think, given the traffic
conditions in the Metro and other places in the Philippines, that
the VCM 643 will switch to four- or three-cylinder mode about as
rarely as a government official doing something that’s actually
beneficial to the country—which is almost never. But surprisingly,
the VCM fires on the lesser number of cylinders every chance it gets
so long as you don’t have a lead foot and constantly flooring the
go-pedal. Judicious driving, even in tortuous stop-and-go city
traffic, results in impressive mileage readings.
Aboard an Accord 3.5 V6 in Honda’s driving
event, our route took us from the hellhole that’s Makati morning
rush-hour traffic, down EDSA to NLEX, then out to Angeles, Pampanga,
for an early lunch. From there, it’s back to the expressway, out
to the provincial highway of Tarlac before peeling off for some back
roads driving, then taking the twisties of Marcos Highway en route
to Baguio. With no conscious efforts at economy-drive tricks, we
achieved a measured 8 kilometers-per-liter. The two other Accords
got 9kpl and 10kpl. That’s with three to four passengers on board,
plus two nights worth of luggage from each.
Tech pieces for the real world
The new top-model Accord, of course, isn’t all
VCM 643. Combined with it are the i-VTEC variable valve timing
system; a new steering unit that has variable gear ratios; and a new
gearshift management control that determines the best shift points
while reducing vibrations when the transmission swaps cogs. Add to
these paddle shifters mounted on the sides of the steering wheel.
In terms of safety features, the car is equipped
with vehicle stability assist with traction control, six airbags
that determine the position of passengers (the 3.5 V6 adds side
curtains), active head restraints, ABS, and a body structure
that’s designed to absorb the impact in a collision.
Now how do all these translate into real-world
driving?
The new Accord typically remains a Honda, which
is to say it’s quick on its feet, agile and a delight to drive. In
city traffic, the car pampers you with all manner of onboard cushy
features—fine leather, tasteful materials, top-notch audio and
climate controls. Out on the open highway, you would be amazed at
how refined its ride is, its engine ticking serenely, its cabin
insulating you from the din and clatter of the world outside.
In the twisties, the car comes alive, its
steering constantly informing you of the pavement conditions and the
car’s response to it. The double wishbone and multilink suspension
keep the car relatively flat when cornering, a pleasant compromise
between comfort and control. The brakes grab without drama even in
ABS-inducing stops as we found out when landslide debris on Marcos
Highway materialize from around a tight bend.
Acceleration, however, is not as forceful as I
had expected—or was made to expect. A Honda exec claimed the
Accord is like a big Civic SiR, but personally, the car’s
seat-of-the-pants rush isn’t nearly as grin-inducing as that of
the iconic SiR’s. Making matters worse is a transmission brain
that’s reluctant to downshift so the engine would rev higher, and
thus, call in more horsepower.
Come to think of it, the paddle shifters are
slow to respond to orders for an upshift too, although they are
quite useful in holding a gear when going downhill.
High-class package
What’s difficult to fault is the Accord’s
cabin space, which can only be described as “cavernous.” Even
when sitting behind a tall driver, the legroom in the back remains
first-class, an equally tall passenger able to cross his legs in
utmost comfort. Headroom in the front and back seats are exemplary
too, despite the car’s sloping roofline.
To tick off the Accord’s list of interior
appointments, the car has large Optitron meters; a premium audio
system that boasts of a pair of tweeters in front and a subwoofer at
the back, plus a USB port for MP3 connectivity; air-conditioning
vents for the back seat; sundry storage bins and cabin lights; a
power-operated sunshade screen in the rear window; and the 3.5 V6
model gets a sunroof.
Clearly, with the Accord, moderation has never
been so stylish.
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Honda also offers the 2.4-liter DOHC i-VTEC
variant that gets most of the V6 model’s features. The major
equipment the lesser variant lacks is the VCM 643. The 3.5 V6 sells
for P1.995 million, the 2.4L for P1.645 million.
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