Updated 8.11.15
The Accord Sport is where it’s at for anyone who loves driving. The Sport trim level adds the Coupe’s suspension tune and powertrain tweaks to the standard bodystyle with impressive results.
We have a mega pack of new photos to share, primarily of this fire-engine-red Accord Sport cruising around some scenic mountain roads. On this mid-priced example, the lack of the new LED lamps on the loaded Touring line speaks to the low entry prices of the Sport overall.
Versus the much more luxury-focused other variants, the Sport is by far the most entertaining steer. The Sport appears to be a four-cylinder exclusive this year, between the LX and EX. Much of this tuning and style also appears on the V6 Touring at the top of the line.
Even without those premium new LED low and highbeams (which are a Touring exclusive), the Accord Sport wears much more unique style than before and packs standard 19-inch wheels and LED fogs. The Coupe-derived shape of the nose looks sharp with a sculpted, Aston-like curved bumper edge a favorite detail.
Useful helpful and easy-to-master cabin tech is one of the major changes inside all Accords for 2016: as shown by these animated demonstrations of the new Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integrations.
2016 Honda Accord – Apple CarPlay – Animated Demonstration
2016 Honda Accord – Android Auto – Animated Demonstration
2016 Honda Accord Sport
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The 2016 Accord refresh is out and looking fantastic!
Shown here on the loaded V6 Touring trim, the 2016 Accord is quite a looker with its new 19-inch alloys, standard LED taillights and a very fresh face up front. Packing LED foglights and LED DRLs on Sport or Touring trims, these special Acura-like lighting designs will really set the loaded Accord apart on the roads.
The Touring flagship trim is now available on the Coupe, which also packs LED headlamps for the first time.
The engines specs are not yet out, but the 2.4-liter four-cylinder and 3.5-liter V6 are set to deliver more more power and quicker sprint times — likely down to around 5.7-seconds to 60-mph. If that time proves true, the Accord V6 will be the quickest mid-size sedan and coupe on the market — just slightly quicker than the 5.9s Malibu Turbo and 5.8s Chrysler 200C V6.
The tweaks to the Accord come just in time to keep fresh and share style with the upcoming 10th-generation Civic coming this Fall as a 2016 model, as well as upping the Accord’s competitiveness in the top plateau of the mid-size sales mountain. Even without the sexy dark wheels and LED headlights, the 2016 Accord and its more defined, chiseled face should cut a nice silhouette on the roads.
Extra competition from the refreshed Camry and Mazda6 are not lost on Honda — which has also updated the cabin of all 2016 Accords.
New tech includes a standard 7-inch display audio touchscreen for EX trims and above, and the integration of Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, as shown below. Honda claims this is the first application of both systems in one car, but they are mistaken. This double-threat of wireless mobile apps, maps and media integration is currently available on the Hyundai Sonata and a few others, too.
No word yet on pricing, or the presence of the Accord Hybrid in the new range. Watch this space for all the latest updates ahead of the 2016 Accord’s expected showroom arrival the first week of October.
2016 Honda Accord
Honda Introduces the Highest Tech Accord Yet in High Tech’s U.S. Hub—Silicon Valley
Jul 23, 2015 – MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.
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Upgraded 2016 Accord features one of the first applications of both Apple CarPlay® and Android Auto™ in a volume-produced vehicle
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More dynamic styling, including first 19-inch wheels on Accord
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Honda Sensing™ safety and driver-assistive tech available on all trims
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New 7-inch Display Audio touchscreen interface
Honda introduced a refreshed 2016 Accord loaded with advanced technology in Silicon Valley today, the first time the company has launched a new vehicle in the U.S. tech hub. Coming to market in August, the 2016 Accord will be the first Honda model and among the first high-volume cars in the marketplace to feature both Apple CarPlay® and Android Auto™. These and other major upgrades to technology and features make it the most high-tech Accord ever.
The 2016 Accord Sedan and Coupe receive dynamic new styling, a new Display Audio touchscreen interface, and Honda Sensing™, the most comprehensive suite of safety and driver-assistive technologies in the midsize car class. The 2016 Accord also adds HD Radio®, heated rear seats, front and rear parking sensors, and a number of other new features and technology to be revealed in coming weeks. Details on the Accord Hybrid will be announced at a later date.
“Where else to introduce the most technologically advanced midsize sedan, the 2016 Accord, than in Silicon Valley,” said John Mendel, executive vice president of the Automobile Division, American Honda Motor Co., Inc. “Customers want their vehicles to be more intelligently integrated with their smartphone-powered lives, and we are committed to delivering that experience starting with Accord, retail car buyers’ most popular vehicle the past two years.”
Exterior and Interior design
The 2016 Accord gets a major facelift with sportier, more sophisticated styling, front and rear. In front is a more sharply creased and intricately structured bumper fascia with outside edges that tuck into intake-like meshed areas that house new LED fog lights (Sport trim and above). A new aluminum hood features sharper character lines that meet up with a brighter, more expressive front grille. In the rear, the Accord gets restyled LED taillights and a similarly aggressive rear bumper fascia redesign.
While all models feature restyled wheels, the Accord Sedan (Sport and Touring trim) and Coupe (Touring, new for Coupe) get new, larger 19-inch wheels and tires. The Touring sedan also gets a new rear deck spoiler. All models, Coupe and Sedan, feature the expanded use of LED lighting – LED taillights for all models, LED headlights for the new Touring Coupe, and LED daytime running lights (DRLs) for Sport and above trims.
Honda Sensing™
All 2016 Accords also can now be equipped with Honda Sensing™, among the most comprehensive suite of advanced safety and driver-assistive technologies in the class. Honda Sensing includes a Collision Mitigation Braking System™ (CMBS™) with Forward Collision Warning (FCW), Lane Keeping Assist (LKAS), Road Departure Mitigation (RDM) with Lane Departure Warning (LDW) and Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC), and is available as a standalone option on all trims with the exception of Touring, where Honda Sensing is included as standard equipment.
Also, all 2016 Accords feature a standard Multi-Angle Rearview Camera and Expanded View Driver’s Mirror and, for the first time, new auto high-beam headlights (Touring trim) that enhance nighttime visibility and driving convenience by defaulting to the high-beam setting and automatically switching to low beams when an oncoming vehicle is detected.
Display Audio with Apple CarPlay® and Android Auto™
The Accord audio and digital experience also is significantly upgraded with the application of a 7-inch Display Audio touchscreen interface featuring Apple CarPlay® and Android Auto™, on EX and above trims, as well as available HondaLink™ Assist (e911) and HD Radio. The intuitive and easy-to-use capacitive touchscreen lets users swipe, tap and pinch—just like on a tablet or smartphone—to control the vehicle’s audio system, display settings and other advanced features.
Apple CarPlay® and Android Auto™ are designed to support seamless smart phone integration and offer a multitude of new functions and features.
Apple CarPlay® takes the things you want to do with your iPhone while driving and puts them right on your car’s built-in display. You can get directions, make calls, send and receive messages, and listen to music right from the touchscreen or by voice via Siri. Supported apps include Phone, Messages, Maps, Music and compatible third party apps. Apple CarPlay® is compatible with iOS 8.4 or later and iPhone 5 or later.
Android Auto™ was designed to give drivers a simple, intuitive way through touch and voice to minimize the potential for distraction so the driver can stay focused on the road. Compatible with Android 5.0 and higher, Android Auto features Google Maps, Google Now, messaging, music and numerous popular apps.
To take full advantage of these new systems and features, the 2016 Accord’s new 7-inch Display Audio touchscreen is paired with an upper 7.7-inch high-resolution display screen and steering wheel-mounted controls. The upper screen can display audio settings, turn-by-turn directions, time and trip information, LaneWatch™ and Rearview Camera displays, incoming calls, SMS text messages when stopped, and parking sensor alerts.
Upgraded Features
The Accord value proposition is further bolstered by new standard and available features: Accord EX and above trims (Sedan and Coupe) with automatic transmission get remote engine start, 7-inch Display Audio touchscreen and HD Radio. SiriusXM satellite radio and Homelink remote, previously on EX-L and Touring, are now standard on EX and above trims. Sport and above trims in the sedan lineup also get a new 60/40 split and folding rear seat, previously a one-piece folding design. The Accord Sedan in Touring trim gets heated rear seats, front and rear parking sensors and new rain-sensing windshield wipers.
Advanced Powertrains
The Accord will continue to be offered with two advanced Honda engines: a direct-injected (DI) 2.4-liter inline i-VTEC™ 4-cylinder and a 3.5-liter VTEC™ V-6 that is the most powerful engine offered in a Honda sedan to date. Available transmissions include a sporty and fuel-efficient continuously variable transmission (CVT) for the 4-cylinder engines, unique 6-speed manuals for the 4-cylinder and V-6 engines, and a 6-speed automatic for V-6 models.
About Honda
Honda offers a complete lineup of Honda cars, trucks and service through a network of more than 1,000 Honda dealerships within the United States. Eight Honda auto plants in North America have the capacity to produce 1.92 million automobiles each year using domestic and globally sourced parts. In 2014, more than 97 percent of the Honda and Acura automobiles sold in the U.S. were produced in North America.
Tom Burkart is the founder and managing editor of Car-Revs-Daily.com, an innovative and rapidly-expanding automotive news magazine.
He holds a Journalism JBA degree from the University of Wisconsin – Madison. Tom currently resides in Charleston, South Carolina with his two amazing dogs, Drake and Tank.
Mr. Burkart is available for all questions and concerns by email Tom(at)car-revs-daily.com.