By : Joshua Lee
October 8, 2022
Do you remember when sedans were popular? With most buyers flocking towards crossovers these days, we tend to forget that there are some midsize sedans worth looking at. The Honda Accord is one of those vehicles that has a reputation for being reliable and popular for families. Would adding a hybrid powertrain to the Accord boost its popularity even more?
Honda Canada has given us the 2022 Honda Accord Hybrid Touring for the week to see if this rings true. Starting with the engine, Honda uses its naturally aspirated 2.0L four-cylinder engine and dual electric motors which gives the Accord 212 horsepower and 232 lb-ft of torque. Even without a turbo, the Accord is quick when accelerating. Steering is nice and responsive with minimal body roll, and you get a very smooth quiet ride with its adaptive damper system. There are three driving modes; ECON helps to improve fuel efficiency, Sport sharpens throttle response, and EV to operate only with the electric motor but doesn’t provide significant electric range. The hybrid system is a joy to operate with no stress from the driver as the vehicle quietly optimizes itself with both electric and gas power sources as you’re driving. The Accord also features steering wheel deceleration paddle selectors that maximizes energy regeneration which helps charge the battery.
The Accord Hybrid Touring is a good-looking car with a restyled front end, LED headlights, active shutter grille, blue H-mark logos and Hybrid badging, chrome door handles, and 19” aluminium wheels. We like the fastback styling and low stance as it makes the Accord more aerodynamic and sleeker. We also appreciate the big windows providing great visibility when driving.
Interior comfort is top notch. The cabin is incredibly spacious, and we like how straight forward all the controls are. Perforated leather seating surfaces and an artificial wood trim amps up the luxury feel. The front seats are very comfortable to sit in with the standard feature of it being heated and ventilated. There is ample legroom and headroom for all passengers making this a great road trip car. Active Noise Cancellation and its easy-to-use adaptive cruise control provides a relaxing drive wherever you go.
The standard 8” touchscreen is quick to use, working seamlessly with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and provides great image quality from the back up camera. Honda gives you a Power Flow monitor that lets you observe the energy flow between the engine and the electric motor. The only gripe we have about the Accord is its 452-watt 10 speaker with subwoofer premium audio system as it’s not as impactful as other sound systems we’ve experienced.
The Honda Accord is also packed with safety features such as: automatic emergency braking with collision mitigation, lane departure warning, lane keeping assist, blind spot detection, and forward collision warning. The Touring trim adds low speed braking control which will apply the brakes if it detects objects in front or behind the vehicle of speeds from 2-10km/h.
Fuel economy for the Accord Hybrid is 5.0L/100KM city/highway/combined. Since we have the Touring, the 19” wheels affect that by giving it 5.3/5.7/5.5L/100KM city/highway/combined; it’s not too bad as we matched the combined rating during the week.
The Honda Accord Hybrid starts at $37,370 while our Platinum White Pearl Touring model is priced at $44,090. In its tenth generation, Honda has given us a very reliable and sturdy vehicle. The Accord Hybrid proves that you don’t necessarily need to get a crossover as this midsize sedan provides better handling, a lower centre of gravity, impressive interior space, and a sporty exterior design. Adding in the hybrid powertrain makes this vehicle even better; you get excellent fuel economy, and we were astonished at how low the L/100KM got as we drove normally. The best thing is that you won’t be able to tell the difference from its gas-powered counterpart except with its badging. The Accord Hybrid Touring is packaged well and is affordable should you be considering a hybrid vehicle. However, competitors like the Hyundai Sonata Hybrid provides better tech features and a lower price. Thankfully, Honda is planning a model refresh coming next year and we’re keen to know what they’re going to do with it.
Related Content:
2022 Honda Civic Touring
2022 Mazda3 Sport GT