HiTech Review Network

Although it might be a distant memory now, the summer of 2009 was quite eventful for Honda and the Honda Accord in particular. In June 2009, the company got back into second place overall, in the JD Power survey, making it the fourth consecutive year that Honda had been in the top three.

Just over a month later, the Which Car survey voted the 2008 Honda Accord the most reliable with a score of 99 per cent with the Honda Jazz coming in second. In fact four of the top ten positions were taken by Honda vehicles, which says a lot.

But back to the Honda Accord; when the latest generation was launched in 2008, it was declared that there wouldn't be a Type-R version. However, even though there was to be no red-badged Honda Accord, nobody said that a Type-S was out of the question. And so it was that in June 2009 the Honda Accord Type-S was launched, with its much sportier appearance and attitude and equipped with more power and goodies.

The Honda Accord Type-S comes in saloon and Tourer formats and uses the same 2.2 i-DTEC, diesel engine that is available throughout the rest of the range. The difference is that it boasts 30PS more power. The 2008 i-DTEC unit was itself an improvement on the much-acclaimed super-smooth, i-CTDi. As well as being part of the "hate something-change something" campaign, the i-DTEC was also tweaked to comply with the Euro5 regulations that were about to come into force in September 2009, while simultaneously increasing the power output by 10PS.

In short, the standard Honda Accord 2.2 diesel produces 150PS at 4,000rpm and 350Nm of torque between 2,000- and 2,750rpm and for the Honda Accord Type-S version, with its revisions to the turbo-charger and cylinder head, the relative figures are 180PS and 380Nm at the same engine speeds.

At 8.8 seconds, the saloon version of the Honda Accord Type-S is almost a second quicker than its standard counterpart in the 0-62mph sprint and has a top speed of 136mph, which is 5mph faster. The fuel consumption figures remain comparable with returns of 48.7mpg for the Honda Accord Type-S over the combined cycle against 50.4mpg, while the relative CO2 emissions are rated at 154- and 148g/km.

The Honda Accord Type-S saloon will set you back £27,965 (2010 prices), which is £1,200 more than the EX GT, on which it is based. If you want the additional peace of mind that ADAS affords, then add a further £1,790.

ADAS is Honda's Advanced Driver Assist System comprising Collision Mitigation Braking System (CMBS), Lane Keeping Assist System (LKAS) and Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC).

It is the first time that ADAS has been available across the Accord range and the first time that CMBS has been made available in this market.

These technologies have been covered in our Honda Accord Tourer Review but here's a brief description. CMBS uses radar sensors to warn of an imminent collision. At first this is by way of an audio-visual alert followed by a tug on the seatbelt and light braking if these alerts are not heeded. If this doesn't prompt a response the system further tensions the seatbelt and brakes harder. The system will not stop the car hence the word 'Mitigation' in the title and, unless avoiding action is taken, the collision might still occur.

Lane Keeping Assist System (LKAS) has cameras in the upper front windscreen that monitor the lane the car is in. If it detects that the car is drifting into an adjacent lane, that is to say without prior indication or definite steering input from the driver, it assumes that the driver has fallen asleep at the wheel and emits a beep. Again, if there is no response, the car will gently steer itself back on course.

The system operates between speeds of 45-112mph and, as none of these gadgets are, it is not foolproof and therefore no excuse to sit back and do nothing. Furthermore, if the system detects that the driver has taken his or her hands off the steering wheel, it will switch itself off altogether.

Adaptive Cruise Control has a function that automatically adjusts the speed of the car to maintain the set distance between the Honda Accord and the vehicle in front, using beeps and warnings along the way. The driver can choose what that distance is but there are pre-sets within the system.

These measures aside, the Honda Accord gained an overall 5-star rating in the 2009 Euro NCAP safety tests. As well as Trailer Stability Assist, the whole range is fitted with Vehicle Stability Assist or VSA. It helps to maintain control during cornering. It has a form of traction control built in that detects wheelspin under acceleration and applies a mix of torque and braking to the spinning wheel to retain grip.

The system also reduces the engine output slightly and while it works well on loose surfaces, unless the special 18-inch Type-S wheels are fitted with suitable tyres or snow-chains, it can't be expected to and doesn't work in snow and ice, as I found out during the test week, that happened to coincide with the first snowfall of the season. But then, there are very few cars that can cope with those conditions.

Even when the roads are clear and dry, the Honda Accord Type-S has a tendency to torque-steer under hard acceleration and can be a tad skittish at times. Customers who are drawn by the Type-S label will expect and relish these minor behavioural outbursts but the unsuspecting might not appreciate the fun.

The widening of the track for extra stability came in as part of the new generation package in 2008. The intention was to combine this with handling characteristics that would rival the likes of the BMW 3 Series and it worked. The smooth but agile drive qualities will appeal to all but especially to the company car drivers, at whom the Honda Accord and Honda Accord Type-S is aimed.

Although, the Honda Accord was the first car in which Honda combined a diesel engine with an automatic gearbox, the Honda Accord Type-S is only available with a 6-speed manual gearbox, as befits its sporty attitude. Generally, the changes are swift and crisp but I have to admit to sometimes having a problem moving from first to second gear.

Company car drivers tend to spend more time in their cars than other motorists but everyone will appreciate the leather upholstery, the heated seats with memory positions and lumbar support for the driver. The large screen for the DVD satellite navigation with integrated Bluetooth and voice recognition also shows audio controls for the 6CD/RDS Premium audio system as well as acting as the monitor for the rear parking camera, both of which are standard.

The features list continues with automatic wiper and headlights, rake and reach-adjustable steering column, front and rear parking sensors, armrest between the front and rear seats, smoked headlights to go with the GT Aerodynamic body kit and much more.

There is plenty of legroom front and rear and a real sense of executive travel as you breathe in the smell of the leather. The Honda Accord’s rear seats have a 60:40 split and fold function although there is enough boot capacity to carry four golf bags. In numerical terms that is 467-litres.

The Honda Accord Type-S is not short on airbags either; there are two dual airbags at the front, two at the side as well as front and rear curtain airbags. So all the bases are covered and all boxes are ticked. The Honda Accord is a good looking car. The Honda Accord Type-S with its two special colours (Premium White Pearl and Basque Red) is just that bit sportier, for the more adventurous execs out there.

Honda Accord Road Test Conclusion
Performance
Ride and Handling
Ease of Use
Safety and Security
Comfort and Refinement
Interior Styling
Exterior Styling
In Car Entertainment & Navigation
Build Quality
Value for Money
Overall	66%

Source:  carpages.co.uk