2018 Honda Accord Goes Official with 1.5 and 2.0 Turbo Engines

Thanks to a preview past month, we already knew what to expect in the tech department. This is a big step forward, but one that's been previewed by the CR-V and Civic.

The base unit for the 2018 Accord is a 1.5-liter four-cylinder turbo making 192 horsepower and 192 lb-ft (260 Nm) of torque. It can be connected to either a six-speed manual or a CVT, depending on the trim level.

Sports sedan? Yes, one which has a combination of manual and 2.0-liter turbo making 252 horsepower and 273 lb-ft (369 Nm) of torque. These numbers are similar or superior to a Golf GTI or Focus ST, but fall short of the Type R. However, most buyers will go for the new 10-speed automatic which Honda developed to take advantage of the low-end torque.

It's worth pointing out that the older models with the 2.4 and 3.5-liter engines had similar outputs (the V6 even had more power). So the real battle will be fought on the MPG front.

Honda won't reveal the exact specs yet, but the Accord Hybrid uses a 2.0-liter four-cylinder running on the Atkinson cycle plus two electric motors. Crucially, trunk space has grown by 3.2 cubic feet over the previous model.

All the significant proportions of the car have been massaged around a new platform. It rides on a 2.16-inch (55 millimeters) longer wheelbase, but it's unnoticeably shorter overall. And just like the Camry, it's a bit lower and wider, so it looks sportier. Honda now uses aluminum construction to shed between 110 to 176 pounds (50 to 80 kilograms) while boosting torsional rigidity.

Standard Honda Sensing means the IIHS won't have anything to complain about. It bundles not only the needed auto emergency braking but also lane departure warning, and adaptive cruise control. But our favorite feature is the knobs controlling the infotainment system. Redundancy never felt so good!