Honda’s flagship sedan, the Accord, in its seventh generation avatar has been refined, lengthened, widened, made more powerful, turned into an even more spirited and pleasure inducing car to drive and ride in - and best of all, it is coming to India next year. Adil Jal Darukhanawala has the lowdown on the latest D-segment powerhouse which seems to also have another new ingredient in quantifiable measure: soul!

Dashboard looks decidedly more upmarket and contemporary with steering-mounted switchgear for lights and turn signals. Rotary knobs for air con on centre panel are distinctive while leather upholstery will be standard on the top line versions. Our American colleagues inform us that the new seventh generation Accord is roomier and better turned out with more leg, elbow and head room the rear seat occupants, taking it truly into a different class from previous Accords.		For India, Honda will offer the new Accord with a 2.4-litre four-cylinder dohc engine with iVTEC which shall not only provide more power and torque but also better refinement and driveability.

Just as one might not be too kicked about the exterior, the interior is all new and superbly redone. Starting out with a completely new floorpan with a 2740.6mm wheelbase (up from the previous car’s 2715mm), the new Accord is not only slightly longer (4813mm as against 4810mm) but also wider (1816.1mm a against 1785mm). This has helped the packaging engineers to make for a roomier cabin with which they have now gone further forward in terms of luxurious fittings and ergonomics. The dashboard is new and a few things stand out including the new multi-functional steering wheel with switches for the cruise control, audio and air con; the LED instrumentation and a great new range of trim (both in fabric and leather) that should go a long way to tickle the fancy of all those well heeled nouveau riche who were seduced by the Sonata over the Accord in India.

On the structural front, while the floorpan has been revised notably with the wheelbase being lengthened, the suspension remains faithful to that of its predecessor but with revised geometry. Add to that a stiffer body shell and the new Accord displays a new found dynamic athleticism when on the move. The base car comes with P-rated 15-inch rubber but there are versions which also are offered with 16in and 17in tyres. Expect the 15 inchers to make their way on the bound-for-India Accord.

All Accords will now be built only in the US and Japan, and even the European versions are now to be made in Japan instead of Swindon in the UK. In the engine department, there will be a base 2.4-litre version for the US market with a 240bhp high spec 3.0-litre V6 being the top end model. For Europe there will be both these engines and also a 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine as the base model. Both the inline fours feature Honda’s unique iVTEC which packs in electronically controlled variable valve timing gear. These clockwise rotating four-cylinder engines also sport twin balancer shafts which iron out the harsh secondary vibes while the twin overhead cams are now actuated by a silent chain. It is expected that the Accord for India will have the 2.4-litre mill good for 160bhp and 221Nm of torque. Honda offers the new Accord with a choice of five-speed manual or automatic transmissions while an even sportier Coupe version can be ordered with a six-speed manual. Expect Honda Siel to offer the 5-speeders.

The new Accord represents a major shift in Honda’s aspirations to bring its flagship sedan on par with comparative Euro models while retaining much of its hallmark strengths. On first impression it seems that Honda has got much of it right but needs to yet work on that style aspect. First drive impressions next month.