Lion Heart

It gives me great pleasure to introduce to you the new Honda Accord... Wait a minute—wasn’t this sedan launched last year? It’s easy to forget such things when hearing the sweet sound of the Japanese flagship’s engine. This year’s Accord has a new feature—the 3.5-litre V6 lion heart. That’s 275bhp of raw power. And here’s the rub—this car is faster than most of the Benzes and BMWs available in India. That’s right—this Honda is one “Speedy Gonzales”.

This luxury vehicle in its 2008 avatar always looked more like a madein-Europe car, thanks to Honda giving a boot to the meandering lines, the dull headlight design and the dumpy rear end. The angular design of the car is a big improvement in the styling department and leaves a strong impression.

Touches of chrome around the window line and front grille are tasteful, while smaller touches like character lines on the bonnet also add to the car’s distinguished profile.

The Accord is a typical chauffeurdriven car that provides oodles of space for those in the back seat. But with the introduction of the V6, the rich and daring can jump into the driver’s seat and do a Michael Schumacher on deserted roads.

Specifications Model: Honda Accord V6 Engine: 3.5-litre, V6 Max power: 275bhp Max torque: 339Nm Gearbox: 5-speed automatic 0-100 kmph: 8.0 seconds Top speed: 240 kmph (limited) Price: Rs 24.8 lakh (ex-showroom)

However, keeping in mind these cautionary times, Honda has retained the same 5-speed automatic gearbox from the Accord 2.4-litre, which slows things down a fair bit. So, you can’t just step on the gas and expect the sedan to rocket forwards. There is no initial thrust from the Accord as the gear ratios are too tall, so it takes a long time to get into its fast and furious groove. But once it’s in the zone, few cars come close.

Since many CEOs use this luxury for daily commuting, let’s step inside the car. The centre console looks like a NASA control panel—too many buttons if you ask me, but so well placed that it does not look cluttered. The beigeblack dual colour cabin is perfect for a therapeutic break after a long hard day’s work. The chances that an Accord owner will be sitting in the rear is so high that the Japanese car maker has provided music system controls only on the back seat’s armrest. And when it comes to safety, have no fear as the car is loaded with 6-airbags.

Honda claims that the 3.5-litre Accord can hit the 240 kmph mark but I wasn’t able to test this out since a hatchback hogged the lane in front of me—typical. In any case, at that speed, heads are sure to turn. The V6 is priced at Rs 24.8 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi) and I dare say it is worth every paisa. It might not have the best initial pick-up and may lack in the handling department, but at that price this chauffeurdriven car can successfully transform into one fast wannabe sports saloon. Only make sure it is you behind the wheel and not your loyal chauffeur.