The 2018 Honda Accord was introduced in the summer earlier this year, but Honda decided to be tight-lipped about the Hybrid model. Luckily, the pre-production version of the Hybrid has been put to the test, and we have the first impressions. The new vehicle is expected to hit the market in 2018, and it is entirely identical to the standard version of the car. According to American Honda Motor’s Senior Vice President and General Manager, the difference is only in the hybrid badges.
And he is correct. There are no differences between the two models, and the driving dynamics remained the same. It would be foolish to expect everything to be identical and of course, the hybrid is a lot quieter compared to its counterpart. If you loved the Accord’s handling, you will love what the greener version brings, while there are four different levels of brake regeneration.
We are talking about the pre-production model here, so some minor changes are still on the table, whereas Honda is quiet about the specifics, which is normal. However, they were eager to tell us that a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine good for 143 hp and 129 lb-ft of torque would be under the hood and the part of the powertrain. This unit will be combined with an electric motor that delivers 181 hp and 232 lb-ft of torque, whereas a lithium-ion battery will be used. The maximum combined output of the 2018 Honda Hybrid will be 212 hp.
Even though the 2017 Accord Hybrid has the same specs, the drivetrain is not carried over as the Japanese manufacturer claims that the hybrid system offers “improved power delivery” as well as better thermal efficiency. Also, thanks to the powertrain, 60/40 split folding rear seats are sported while 16.7 cubic feet is the how much room is available in the trunk.
We have said that the design will remain intact compared to the regular Accord, but some unique touches separate the two models apart. These are the aforementioned badges, while the tachometer on the instrument cluster is replaced by a Power/Charge display. Moreover, Honda decided to adorn the Hybrid with special 17-inch alloys and authentic HUD screen. Fuel economy figures and pricing remain a mystery, but we can expect the new 2018 Accord Hybrid to be less expensive than the previous model which kicked off at $29,605.
