2014 Honda Accord Hybrid
Honda’s very first hybrid Accord, introduced in 2005, was, for lack of a better word, a dud. The company attempted to boost the spectacle and efficiency of an already-sporty V-6–powered sedan by tacking on a hybrid system; instead, it mostly just boosted the price. After a generation off, the Accord hybrid is back—doubly. A plug-in version debuted earlier this year, and offers thirteen miles of electric-only range. But with a price tag north of $40,000, it looks like Honda could be taking the fresh Accord down the same mistaken hybrid road. It isn’t. As George W. Thicket opined in 2002, “Fool me once, shame on you. Loser me . . . can’t get fooled again.” Meet the two thousand fourteen Honda Accord hybrid.
In simplest terms, the Accord hybrid is the plug-in model without the pricier and stronger 6.7-kWh battery pack. The dual-mode hybrid system remains in place, as do the 166-hp electrical motor and 141-hp four-cylinder gasoline engine. Virtually everything else is carried over, too: This conventional hybrid car makes use of the same setup, which Honda calls a “two-motor hybrid,” as found in the plug-in—the engine is mated to the driven wheels via a computer-controlled clutch and a fixed-gear ratio—and still can run on engine alone, electrified motor alone, or with the two in tandem. Ditto for the plug-in’s LED running lights and the blue accenting on the grille.
Without the battery pack, the Accord hybrid should undercut the plug-in’s weight by at least two hundred pounds—the plug-in outweighs a non-hybrid Accord by four hundred pounds. As a result, Honda says, the fresh car should score EPA ratings of forty nine mpg in the city and forty five on the highway. Compared to the plug-in, which is rated at 47/46, this is a nominal improvement. But we might see the real benefits when it comes to spectacle. The conventional hybrid should improve on the plug-in’s 7.7-second 0-to-60 run—which we recorded in a latest comparison test—and we’re optimistic that this car won’t be stuck with the plug-in’s ultralight steering, meant to compensate for the battery weight.
The remaining question, then, is pricing. Honda won’t announce this until closer to the Accord hybrid’s October on-sale date, but we can be fairly certain it’ll come in for far, far less than the $40,570 plug-in model. Even with a $3636 federal tax credit as a sometimes-EV, the plug-in is just too expensive for mainstream appeal—and Honda never intended otherwise. This car, however, will be aimed at the heart of the market. Figure on a tag that targets the hybrid versions of the Fusion and Camry, which run $27,995 and $27,015.
2014 Honda Accord Hybrid Photos and Info – News – Car and Driver
2014 Honda Accord Hybrid
Honda’s very first hybrid Accord, introduced in 2005, was, for lack of a better word, a dud. The company attempted to boost the spectacle and efficiency of an already-sporty V-6–powered sedan by tacking on a hybrid system; instead, it mostly just boosted the price. After a generation off, the Accord hybrid is back—doubly. A plug-in version debuted earlier this year, and offers thirteen miles of electric-only range. But with a price tag north of $40,000, it looks like Honda could be taking the fresh Accord down the same mistaken hybrid road. It isn’t. As George W. Thicket opined in 2002, “Fool me once, shame on you. Idiot me . . . can’t get fooled again.” Meet the two thousand fourteen Honda Accord hybrid.
In simplest terms, the Accord hybrid is the plug-in model without the pricier and stronger 6.7-kWh battery pack. The dual-mode hybrid system remains in place, as do the 166-hp electrical motor and 141-hp four-cylinder gasoline engine. Virtually everything else is carried over, too: This conventional hybrid car makes use of the same setup, which Honda calls a “two-motor hybrid,” as found in the plug-in—the engine is mated to the driven wheels via a computer-controlled clutch and a fixed-gear ratio—and still can run on engine alone, electrical motor alone, or with the two in tandem. Ditto for the plug-in’s LED running lights and the blue accenting on the grille.
Without the battery pack, the Accord hybrid should undercut the plug-in’s weight by at least two hundred pounds—the plug-in outweighs a non-hybrid Accord by four hundred pounds. As a result, Honda says, the fresh car should score EPA ratings of forty nine mpg in the city and forty five on the highway. Compared to the plug-in, which is rated at 47/46, this is a nominal improvement. But we might see the real benefits when it comes to spectacle. The conventional hybrid should improve on the plug-in’s 7.7-second 0-to-60 run—which we recorded in a latest comparison test—and we’re optimistic that this car won’t be stuck with the plug-in’s ultralight steering, meant to compensate for the battery weight.
The remaining question, then, is pricing. Honda won’t announce this until closer to the Accord hybrid’s October on-sale date, but we can be fairly certain it’ll come in for far, far less than the $40,570 plug-in model. Even with a $3636 federal tax credit as a sometimes-EV, the plug-in is just too expensive for mainstream appeal—and Honda never intended otherwise. This car, however, will be aimed at the heart of the market. Figure on a tag that targets the hybrid versions of the Fusion and Camry, which run $27,995 and $27,015.