2012 Detroit Auto Show: Honda Accord Coupe Concept

It's not offensive or awful. I guess it works. But it's the sedan that matters. All Accord Coupes have looked decent. There hasn't been an 'attractive' Accord Sedan since the 1994-1997 generation.

Kudos for offering manual transaxles (at least on the coupe). Will the same hold for the sedan (at least with the 4-cylinder)? And if available on the 4-cylinder model will it be base model only? Or can I get it on the likely-to-be-offered EX-L?

Nice to see they're adding some modern tech to their customers (upgraded audio, Bluetooth -- stuff standard on some competitors now) but I wonder if they are they still going to 'protect Acura' and not offer upgrades like Xenon headlights.

Waiting for the four door...

(As an aside: holy crap, Edmunds, your site is slow this week. You can claim 'high traffic' perhaps, but none of the other automotive websites have the same problem. Time for some upgrades?)

Are they for real? It looks barely different from what they are currently selling.

Well, at least the engines are new.

Oh boy. More uninspired FWD cars from the artist formally known as Honda. Luckily, they added the ubiquitous angular exhaust tips inside the bumper. That's a relief. I'm sure all the non-auto-enthusiast women will enjoy going to Starbucks in this thing.

So I guess Honda is losing interest in building automobiles?

A nice evolution of the current Accord Coupe. Knowing Honda though, those funky lights, modern rims and other small details will all but disappear in the final production version. We have already seen them take a good looking Civic concept, remove all those small details that made it great looking and release a snoozemobile with 16 inch rims.

Here the thing. If Honda would just come out and say this is a midcycle refresh of the current model 's then this would end all of this dissapointment with the expectation that they have brand new models.
I'm certain the platform is the same as the current Accord platform.There are new tail lights, new head lights, a new grill, and similar new side scoops that we have seen on the Civic Coupe. I've compared the overall shape to photos of the current Accord. They look almost identical. Honda must be really short on funds to develop an entire new design. I cannot believe that their designers actually chose to call these brand new designs. I'm sure coporate forced their hand. If this is all they can come up with and did not have corporate pressure then they should be looking for new jobs.

More than any other manufacturer, Honda was severely affected by the Tsumnami and later by historic floods in Thailand. In one respect, it is remarkable that they can deliver any new product. They still have not shipped any of the LX grades on the new CR-V to the US as they struggle to regain productivity after the devastation. Economically, the value of yen is eroding prfit margins. Lesser car companies would fare far worse. The 2013 Accord Coupe is attractive but has always been more appealing than the sedan. However, it lacks the swweeping and dramatic visual improvement of the new Fusion, and less recently of the Optima and Sonata. Also, the Fusion just made the "new" Camry appear 3 years older in an instant. My only dissapointment with Honda is failing to reply to the older Civic Hybrid customers whose batteries failed prematurely. Legitimate or not, all customers deserve formal replies from automakers. Of course, Honda reacted the same may that the majority of othe automakers would (which is ignore the customer). That is sad for Honda and any other auto manufacturer in the industry who aspires to such poor customer service.

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Mini23, it's called EVOLUTION! The last Accord coupe was a pretty damn good package so Honda simply chose to refine it and add all new powertains, higher performance levels and upgraded features. Many cars have done this as the 911, 3 Series and many others have been doing this for years. What's the difference?

In terms of styling, yes both generations look similar but they share no sheet metal. The lines are close but they're not the same. In regards to the platform, it's based on the current platform but the track has increased and the wheel base has been decreased. With less bulk/size the fun to drive character should return to the Accord line.

At least it didn't get worse than its predecessor. I hope it offers more content, including HIDs, and an LSD for EX+ manuals, four or six.

It's an improvement, but that's not saying much considering Honda hit rock bottom with their recent slew of $hitty designs.

Hopefully they'll keep the bumpers... I doubt it, but it'd be nice. I much prefer the sedan to the coupe, and the use of a CVT could turn around and bit em in the ass.

Good thing I'm not a Honda fan, I'd be disappointed--again.

"Are they for real? It looks barely different from what they are currently selling."

+100

As for the "new" powertrains or 6 speed automatic or a CVT, welcome to 2006, when the Camry, the Altima, had 6 speed autos, had a CVT, had bluetooth.

6 years later, yeah, a freaking eternity, Honda flaunts it will have bluetooth standard on an all new 2013 vehicle? Or a 6 speed auto? Give me a break.

Just like I read recently at Motor Trend, Hyundai used to be the copy-cat and Honda the pioneer.
Now is backwards. Honda offering what Hyundai offered 2 years ago on the Sonata. Nice.

What seems interesting is the new hybrid powertrain. We`ll see.

hondacura4-Porsche has been doing subtle styling updates for as long as it has had the 911(let alone 356). This has not been Honda's practice until this new model range of Civics and Accords. All of a sudden they have gone for updated styling rather then all new styling. I'm not saying the Accord Coupe is ugly. However it is dissapointing that while most manufactorers go for a more radical new look.(Ford,Hyundai,Chevy etc), Honda has adopted a conservative approach. The new Ford Fusion is radically different then the 2011 Fusion. Even Toyota's new Camry, while not at all attractive, looks
significantly different then the 2011 version. The fact is that the greenhouse on this new Accord Coupe is very much the same as the 2011. The Civic has been universally paned by most publications for
calling the Civic brand new. One can only assume that Honda has been hurt financially by it's Korean competators and the downturn in the car market 3 yrs ago to afford a brand new design. Bare in mind this Accord Coupe is the concept. You can easily see that the production version will be watered down from this. I've not been a fan of the current 2011 Accord sedans styling. It looks bloated and frumpy. Previous versions were much more attractive(ditto Coupe). I don't think it boads too well for the sedan at this point. There is a lot of competition on the market place now that was not the same 10 yrs ago. Unlike Porsche, who is in a unique marketing and price position, Honda cannot afford to build bland anymore. Toyota is starting to get this as it's chairman states that he wants to create cars that stir passion. The competition is starting pass Honda by. They need better design's.

It's funny, I thought the new Ford Fusion's headlights reminded me of the headlights on the current Honda Accord coupe, but now this concept's whole front-end reminds me of the current Lincoln MKS.

That looks more like Honda gave a custom shop the keys to a 2012 coupe and told them to "not go too crazy." Where's the newness? I guess they gave all the good designers to Acura to work on the NSX, because even the new RDX doesn't look all that different to me - and I am one of those people who can tell what year model a car is just by noticing the incremental differences from year to year.

@mini23:oh please man. Honda has been doing incremental changes since forever. They have 2 or 3 generation that look similar, and then one redesign that looks totally different.

The new camry looks different from the old one? Please. Its marginally different. Better, but not 'OMG THATS a camry?'

In fact...toyota has been doing what you just accused honda of doing FOR AGES. The current corolla is on a platform thats almost 10 years old.

Can we expect to see you on toyota articles bashing them for this SAME practice? Or are you just picking on honda?

Mini23, Hondas have ALWAYS been styled conservatively, so I don't know why people are expecting anything drastically different.

The new coupe is smaller in length, and it has a bit less front overhang which helps with vehicle proportions. It's a bit more aggressive but not overly so. In terms of design I do t think Honda should go to the extreme as they don't have too. In past years Honda attracted people with innovation, engineering and durability. Unlike some recent competitors (Hyundai/Kia), Honda didn't have to resort to bold styling to attract people to the showrooms. I'm in no way suggesting that Honda is perfect as the current Civic and other products weren't up to par and the fact that Honda hasn't challenged themselves in a whilein terms of drivetrains (until now) in recent years.

With the Camry, Toyota was trying to upstage Hyundai. The Camry still has a familiar profile and it's styling is just as conservative as Hondas.

Can't wait to trade my 2000 Accord coupe ex v6!!! Gonna be a big upgrade for me. V6 6MT

@eldaino2 you are such a Honda homer. Take off the binders and see, man. Honda is playing catch up and hoping the masses dont notice.

-Rod

Looks like a solid evolution of the current Honda... much like the evolution from 02 to 03. Noticeable changes, but nothing worth shouting over. I just wonder how the sedan will look like.

"As for the "new" powertrains or 6 speed automatic or a CVT, welcome to 2006, when the Camry, the Altima, had 6 speed autos, had a CVT, had bluetooth."

"Just like I read recently at Motor Trend, Hyundai used to be the copy-cat and Honda the pioneer.
Now is backwards. Honda offering what Hyundai offered 2 years ago on the Sonata. Nice."

For the record, Honda has offered CVT's in other vehicles just not the Accord. I'll admit however that Honda was seriously late with a 6AT but many comparison tests have confirmed that the former 5AT was more responsive vs other brands 6AT's while delivering the same or even better fuel economy. With that said it's not about who offered what first but how well it's executed.

In terms of Hyundai, what have they pioneered? yes Hyundai has vastly improved its lineup and offered technologies that werent offered in various segments BUT at the end of the day the Hyundais really didn't do any better vs the competition without the technologies. For example, the current Sonata. Hyundai touted this car would be the most efficient in it's class yet in real world comparisons the Accord was STILL more efficient and had equalor better performance with its ancient 5AT yet the Accord didnt offer direct injection, a variable intake manifold or dual VVT. Again execution is key. Why offer these technologies if the end result isn't better vs the competition? The same could be said for the Elantra vs Civic.

@rod_stewart: oh please. Thats all you have to add? You want a gold star?
The public has noticed...and ive publically shared my disappointment with honda on these forums plenty of times, so i dont know what you are trying to get at.

But when someone calls honda, or any automaker out, for doing something others have done for years as if its some travesty only when honda does it (or any other manufacturer) im going to call bullshit. Why does that bother you? Is that somehow unfair?

And to then complain about a lack of new design to turn around and use the new camry as your 'example' is silly...as long as you have eyes at least. Maybe if mini23 complained about the accords styling compared to, say, the radical redesign of the sonata, which looks nothing like its predecessor, id entertain his rant more.

But then there is still the issue that honda only does radical redesigns occasionally...its been that way for YEARS. Does the public not notice that? Ok maybe they dont, but we are 'car guys' here....we should know better.

Honda playing catch up? Certainly seems that way. They are facing alot of pressure from other automakers not being shitty anymore.

But im happy they didnt jump on the d.i. bandwagon immediately.
Do you own a direct injected car? Do you know what its like living with one? What its like living with one after thousands of miles on the clock? Low cost to own and long term reliability are honda hallmarks (fact, not fanboyism) and they werent going to give that up just to be first to the table with better low end torque. (and doesnt the current accord get mileage on par with the sonata, optima and even new camry with 'old tech'?)

If they were taking their sweet time so folks could have the peace of mind that a direct injected honda motor would be just as reliable in the long term with little to no carbon buildup AND be just as cheap to service as a non d.i. Engine.... Im all for the playing catch up

@rod_stewart: oh please. Thats all you have to add? You want a gold star?
The public has noticed...and ive publically shared my disappointment with honda on these forums plenty of times, so i dont know what you are trying to get at.

But when someone calls honda, or any automaker out, for doing something others have done for years as if its some travesty only when honda does it (or any other manufacturer) im going to call bullshit. Why does that bother you? Is that somehow unfair?

And to then complain about a lack of new design to turn around and use the new camry as your 'example' is silly...as long as you have eyes at least. Maybe if mini23 complained about the accords styling compared to, say, the radical redesign of the sonata, which looks nothing like its predecessor, id entertain his rant more.

But then there is still the issue that honda only does radical redesigns occasionally...its been that way for YEARS. Does the public not notice that? Ok maybe they dont, but we are 'car guys' here....we should know better.

Honda playing catch up? Certainly seems that way. They are facing alot of pressure from other automakers not being shitty anymore.

But im happy they didnt jump on the d.i. bandwagon immediately.
Do you own a direct injected car? Do you know what its like living with one? What its like living with one after thousands of miles on the clock? Low cost to own and long term reliability are honda hallmarks (fact, not fanboyism) and they werent going to give that up just to be first to the table with better low end torque. (and doesnt the current accord get mileage on par with the sonata, optima and even new camry with 'old tech'?)

If they were taking their sweet time so folks could have the peace of mind that a direct injected honda motor would be just as reliable in the long term with little to no carbon buildup AND be just as cheap to service as a non d.i. Engine.... Im all for the playing catch up

Holy double post batman. I hate using this site on a cell

Looks great and the new engines will certainly set it apart. Honda is an engine company afterall.

As Xzibit, would say......your brand new 2013 Accord just got "PIMPED!" Then all the lights go away, and all you're left with is "BLEH".....LOL.

The only things that will be toned down will be the bumpers, wheels size and brakes. Other than that it will be the same. All manufacturers do this.

Is it just me, or does it look like the Hyundai Genesis CAD files have been hacked?????

@dvc5: I think it's just you. This looks basically the same as the last generation Accord. Which has been out for much longer.

To all the Honda haters/doubters out there these are quotes from another major automotive publication who was invited to Japan by Honda to sample several of the upcoming Honda EarthDreams drivetrains that will be available here and in other markets:

Acura TSX DI 2.4l/CVT
"Before you start screaming about Honda’s adoption of CVT automatics in much of its line-up, allow us to explain something to you. We have driven every CVT on the market today and there is not one annoying “CVT-like” attribute to this transmission. If Honda hadn’t told us it was a CVT we never would have known as the new G-Design shift system, wide ratio range, and co-operative control system all give the driver the feeling of piloting a car with actual gears and not just one long belt. It also improves fuel economy, has lightning fast shift times, and could quite possibly be the best autobox on the market today. Honda didn’t come out with the first CVT, they just perfected it.
The power readings for this new 2.4 liter 4-cylinder which we drove in a Euro-spec Honda Accord (our Acura TSX) seem ridiculously low (181 horsepower/177 lb. feet of torque) given how forcefully powerful this engine feels. You still get the same delicious VTEC howl as the cam phasing changes as the revs rise and there is none of that annoying direct-inject “ticking” noise typically heard while idling. 
This 2.4 liter 4-cylinder engine gained speed so quickly that it made us wonder if in fact there would ever be a need for anyone to get a 6-cylinder in the TSX again if they introduce this engine in that model. It was smooth, powerful, and howled like a banshee under full throttle yet purred like a pussycat at idle. All in all, it's a wonderful engine and transmission that we hope to see spread all across the Honda/Acura line-up."

Acura TSX 1.6l turbo diesel/6MT:
"You can imagine that we were skeptical of a 1.6 liter diesel engine being able to move a model like an Acura TSX with any sort of authority but boy were we surprised. Also, given the low weight of the engine up front, this sedan felt more nimble and agile around the corners than we expected it to. Yes, a diesel engine doesn’t rev as high as your usual Honda motor but this engine proves this car company can build any kind of powerplant it wants and will build the world’s best. It’s a shame Honda won’t be bringing it to the United States. It’s so good that pretty much every journalist there at one time or another was overheard whining about it to a Honda representative. Not that such behavoir is typical of the profession or anything. 

Acura eSH-awd:
The SH-AWD Advance technology will most likely find its way to certain Acura models and comes with a standard 3.5 liter 310 horsepower/265 lb. feet of torque 6-cylinder with a 7-speed dual clutch automatic with a built-in electric battery. Two electric motors control the power delivery to left and right rear wheels and the negative torque from the unused wheel powers the generator attached to the transmission. Once full traction is re-established, the electric motors attached to both wheels aid acceleration for V8 like performance with what is promised to be 4-cylinder like levels of efficiency.
We can say that after driving this vehicle that it was easily the fastest production Honda we’ve ever driven and their assertion of SH-AWD Advance giving a “handling on rails feeling” felt very true. We entered a slalom course at a rate of speed that may have been a touch faster than was wise, but somehow the vehicle powered through each turn with steadfast stability and tenacious grip. Time for the competition to rethink their all-wheel drive systems."

Honda Accord Plug-in Hybrid:
"The Accord Plug-in Hybrid we drove worked seamlessly even though it was still a prototype and has a 50 mile range electric battery that serves as the main propulsion system until it runs out of juice. The gas engine will turn on under heavy acceleration for added passing power but this changeover is imperceptible and rarely happens as the electric system serves up plenty of pep for most driving situations. The one odd thing is how utterly silent the car is when it is in pure EV mode."

Things are definately looking good for Honda and Acura!

Another quote about the diesel:

"Honda also took this opportunity to torture North American journalists with its brilliant new 1.6 liter all aluminum diesel engine which is the lightest motor in its class and shames VW’s 2.0 liter diesel from a power and refinement perspective. Honda claims that the market for such an engine in the U.S. would be too small as diesel costs more than regular gas in most parts of the country."

@hondacura4: awesome quotes, what publication was it?
Shame about the diesel

Eldaino2, Autobytel!