All-new 8th Generation Accord in Honda showrooms now!

By Dr Long

After having hired (as in hire-purchase) three previous generations of Accord i.e. the SM4, CF9 and the 7th generation Accord, naturally I was excited to see what Honda Malaysia has to offer with its locally built (assembled) 8th gen model.

Here is a pictorial summary of what I observed at a local Honda dealer just this morning:
(Note: there was no 3.5 V6 model on display at the showroom.)

Click on all images to enlargeModulo-kitted Accord 2.4 VTi-L as tester unit. Note grille is of cleaner design and likely more desirable to many.

Side profile more expansive than 7th gen predecessor. Lines fussier but lends more solidity to form.

Headlamps curvy and large, less traingular now. Best seen in 3-D to appreciate bulging lens cover. HID (Xenon) items only for 2.4 VTi-L and 3.5 V6.

Whoever says the 8th gen Civic has taken over the Accord in terms of size, presence and prestige?

16" alloys for the entry-level 2.0 i-VTEC Accord. Goodyear Excellence rubber replaces NCT5.

Larger alloys (17") look more convincing on the 2.4 model now, unlike before (similar sized 16" but more cluttered design for the previous 2.4).

2.4 DOHC i-VTEC (K24A) carried over from the 7th gen Accord. Power output hiked to 180ps @ 6500rpm and torque now boosted to 222Nm @ 4300rpm.

Looking messy here is the 'new' SOHC 2.0L i-VTEC engine from the new CR-V. Power output is acceptable on-paper with figures of 156ps@ 6300rpm while torque is 189Nm @ 4300rpm. Likely tuned for economy than outright sweetness on the rev, unlike the DOHC K20A it replaces.


Full grey trim for the interior of the Accord 2.4. Leather seats standard.

Dashboard double-tiered like the 8th gen Civic but gets regular instruments cluster with twin analog dials.

Leather-wrapped gear lever with faux-metal base and fake wood surround. 5 speed A/T carried over from 7th gen Accord, standard even on the 2.0 VTi. Still truimphs over Camry 2.0's 4-speeder!

Lots of switches to play with here. Honda reputed for its tactile switches, knobs and operating stalks. No GPS Sat-Nav yet even though centre LCD panel displays A/C and audio control parameters.

Ah! Finally rear A/C vents are here. After 7 generations of skipping the Accord genome!

Chunky outer door handle in chrome looks and feels the part of an executive saloon!
Entirely different story told by the inner door opening (painted-plastic) handles though.

Boot space pear-shaped at its base. Obstrusive rear wheels and suspension humps eats up usable luggage space.

Modulo grille a worth-paying option, can be purchased singly (list price: RM920).

Two-tone with beige cloth upholstery for the 2.0 Accord. Dash top appears deceptively soft touch. NOT SO! What's happening Honda? Going back to the days of the CF9 Accord? Door opening levers made of light-weight cheapo spray-painted plastic, much like Civic. A mismatch for a sedan of this class!

Steering design a bit too Volvo-ish to me. Has Honda cured the ills of idling steering vibrations of its 7th gen Accord (more so 2.0 and 2.4 models)?

8th gen Civic or 8th gen Accord? Take your pick...

Standard spec 2.0 VTi Accord. Single tail pipe look a little lonely with the lower apron sculpted for twin.

More presence from the 8th gen Accord from this angle...no?


Confirmed prices for the all-new Accord (on-the-road with insurance) are:

2.0VTi RM141,800
2.4 VTi-L RM171,800
3.5 V6 RM249,800

2008 Honda Accord spotted in Bangkok, Thailand

Picture by: Peter Lee

This will likely be the new (ASEAN) 8th generation Honda Accord coming soon to Malaysia this Q1 2008. It appears that the hexagonal 3-D grille will remain, as is the toned-down headlamps (as compared to the current 7th gen Accord). However, much of the current Accord styling elements are still deja-vu in front, as evident from the front fenders plus the associated wheel arches' bulge and border. The pedestrian-crash friendly hood bulge also lives on, albeit having been pared- down for a slimmer profile.

Having said that, For Wheels correspondent Peter concluded that the new Accord is much alligned to the current 5-series - at least aesthetically - from the sides and rear. He reckoned that the whole design package gels quite convincingly and definitely looks the part of a more luxurious executive sedan, compared to the outgoing 7th gen Accord.

All three variants of the new Accord is expected to be introduced by Honda Malaysia soon i.e. 2.0 i-VTEC, 2.4 i-VTEC and 3.5 V6 i-VTEC - with the flagship likely to be imported (CBU) in limited numbers.

Related posts:

http://for-wheels.blogspot.com/2007/08/2008-all-new-honda-accord.html

http://for-wheels.blogspot.com/2008/01/honda-inspire-accord-modulo-concept.html

Honda Inspire (Accord) Modulo Concept

Here’s food for thought (Inspire-ation?) for future 2008 all-new Honda Accord owners: a dressed-up Japan Domestic Market (JDM) Inspire 3.5 i-VTEC V6, reportedly good for 280bhp.

Known as the Inspire Modulo Concept, this Honda large-sized executive features heavily sculpted bumpers, more aggressive-looking headlamps and bleached-out LED tail-lights. Thicker tri-louvred grille with bolder chrome highlights and seven-spoke smoked-alloy rims also add to the visual sweetening. Its interior has leather stitched trims encompassing the gearknob and even the handbrake lever.

Interestingly, the Inspire comes with rear A/C vents (apart from the easily after-market accessorise LCD monitors). Will we see this elusive climate control item in our garden varieties of - 2.0L and/or 2.4L Thai-sourced – 8th generation Accord in Malaysia?

The 8th generation Accord is due soon - anytime now in Q1 2008 - to be marketed officially by Honda Malaysia.

Related post:

http://for-wheels.blogspot.com/2007/08/2008-all-new-honda-accord.html

The 8th generation "Accord" that was not conceived

The above is one artist impression - circulating on the net circa 2006 - of the next generation Honda Accord that (unfortunately?) didn't turn out to be remotely close to the actual 8th generation Accord (pictured below) expected due in Malaysia sometime Q1 2008.

Related post:

http://for-wheels.blogspot.com/2007/08/2008-all-new-honda-accord.html

2008 All-New Honda Accord

Click on images to enlarge
Since its 1976 debut, the Honda Accord has spanned seven generations with the current one launched in 2003 in Malaysia. Now the eighth generation is due for worldwide release as a 2008 model. Depicted here is the US iteration of Honda’s popular mid-sized executive and possibly this is the model slated for ASEAN market, if previous trends are to be observed and adhered to.

The JDM or Euro-Accord has not made its appearance yet. Interestingly, this US Accord is claimed to have moved up from Mid-sized sedan classification to Large size (US EPA).





At this point in time, it remains to be seen whether we will be getting the 177bhp 2.4L i-VTEC engine or the hotter 190bhp version of the same K24A powerplant. The 5-speed automatic transmission remains the same, with no extra cog in sight for this new generation Accord. The top-of-the-line Accord now is powered by a 3.5L i-VTEC V6 pushing out 268bhp. Strangely, such a powerful motor is still mated to a standard 5 A/T ‘box.

In addition, the rear passengers seem to have been neglected – yet again - with regards to standard rear A/C vents. For-Wheels hope that by the time this 8th gen Accord gets localised for the ASEAN market (Thai-made and sourced), it gains this class-standard A/C feature.

Honda Accord generations time-line:
1st generation - 1976 to 1981

2nd generation - 1982 to 1985

3rd generation - 1986 to 1989

4th generation - 1990 to 1993

5th generation - 1994 to 1997

6th generation - 1998 to 2002

7th generation - 2003 to 2007

8th generation - 2008 >

The all-new Accord will go on sale across USA by mid-September 2007. Expect this successor to be seen in Malaysia only sometime H2 2008...or would it make it to our shores earlier?

2008 All-New Honda Accord Sedan

MotorTrend.com has reported that the all-new 8th generation Honda Accord will make its U.S. debut sometime August 2007.
Clearer and larger full-sized spy photos can be viewed at:
http://www.motortrend.com/future/spied_vehicles/112_0705_2008_honda_accord_sedan/

As compared to the spy pictures above, a lot of the design cues of the sedan can be traced to the Accord coupe as pictured below:

As expected, there are no indications whether this model will replace the current 7th gen Accord in Malaysia. However, from the trends observed for the 6th and 7th gen Accords, it is likely that this US model will be the next successor for the current facelifted Accord locally. The pertinent question now is when...H2 2008 or early 2009?