Few vehicles over the past three decades have garnered as much respect
in India as the Honda Accord. It hasn’t achieved this by being
sporty, glamorous or sexy. Instead, it has, for every year, offered
what most people want out of their daily transportation. Take an
Accord for a test-drive, and you’ll find it comfortable, roomy,
intelligently engineered and easy to drive. Research it, and you’ll
find it backed by a solid reputation for reliability, a strong resale
value and an emphasis on safety.
It
is true that competing sedans or coupes hold certain advantages over
the Accord. Some are faster, others are more prestigious or less
expensive. What’s special about the Honda Accord, though, is its
completeness. It scores well in all of the categories that people
expect a family-oriented sedan or coupe to cover, not just a few. When
examined from a holistic standpoint, it’s easy to see why this Honda
car has become an automotive icon.
Honda’s idea of luxury is improving by leaps and bounds,
and you know that the V6 Accord is special before you even
step inside it’s leather upholstered cabin.
The doors open and close with a satisfyingly solid thud,
and easing yourself into the driver’s seat, complete with
good under thigh and lower back support, is a doddle. On the
’Luxury’ designated model that we tested, driver and front
passengers got lumbar adjust, plus electric adjustment of
seat height, tilt and travel and the steering wheel is adjustable
by tilt and reach as well.
Driver and front passenger are well looked after by the Accord.
Cushy leather pews combine with good head and shoulder room
for a most comfortable effect, and the beige-coloured leather
upholstery and light-coloured interior fabrics and plastics
gives the interior an open and decidedly airy feel.
Storage compartments are numerous. Up front, for instance,
under the adjustable centre armrest there is a dual-level
box big enough to hold CDs or a digital camera and accessories,
while a smaller click-open compartment in the centre console,
underneath the stereo, will hold the garage remote or a handful
of redskin lollies.
The same fuss-free centre console used on the Euro makes
an appearance in the bigger-bodied Accord, and it works a
treat. It’s easily one of the best factory-fitted stereos
I’ve used. The faux wood panelling isn’t too bad to look at
nor touch, and together with a simplified instrument cluster
the Accord comes across as a very suave and sophisticated
vehicle.
Steering wheel buttons for cruise and audio control are easy
to use and make the driver’s life much easier and safer, while
the six-stack CD player belts out good levels of treble and
mid-levels of bass(there’s tweeters, but no woofer) through
four front and two rear speakers.
In the rear, the picture isn’t as rosy as up front, (with
less leg room), but it’s not far off with a supportive rear
bench offering a good level of comfort for this type of car.
The rear seat backrest also folds down to augment the boot’s
446-litres of space, but not in the traditional 60:40 split
There’s also an armrest that folds down for rear seat passengers,
and behind this is a small portal where the dog’s head can
peep through, or you could poke the ends of the skis through
it if you wanted to.
Other Standard features for the V6 Accord Luxury include
cruise control, power everything, 8-way electric drivers seat
adjust, dual zone climate control air-con, leather steering
wheel, electric sunroof, illuminated vanity mirrors and four
airbags(dual front and front-side/thorax).
Honda has displayed a very good eye for detail in the Accord’s
interior, and everything works well. While it does have a
few fancy extras, there’s nothing used just for the sake of
it, and everything is laid out intuitively. Ergonomically
speaking, the Accord is a triumph.
When you buy an Accord V6, you’re getting a compliant ride,
a well-equipped interior, a car with all the mod cons, plenty
of restrained style and Honda’s trademark reliability.