Honda Accord V6 (old)

The new chiseled look is a huge improvement over the soft contours and generic lines of the older model. The thick nose and larger dimensions make it look more grown up, but it's the edginess in the styling that really characterises the new Accord.

The trapezoidal grille, the sharply-cut and raked headlights and the flared fenders with the wheels puffing out of them make the older Accord look puny in comparison. A prominent crease that extends across the sides adds to the new Accord's muscular stance and taut looks but it's the rear that Honda, after years of tryinh, has finally got right.

On the outside, there’s little to distinguish it from the 2.4 — the 17-inch wheels, the twin-exhaust pipes and the V6 badge are the difference. It’s available in this Inspire variant and a regular variant that deletes the skirts and that ritzy grille. 
 

The interiors are similar to the old V6, the biggest change being the extra wood trim on the steering wheel and the dashboard. The multi-layered dashboard flows into the door-pads in one seamless sweep. The steering wheel, with its metal spokes, looks quite techie and the shifter is a sleeker unit as well. The centre console has the same V-shape of the older car but the layout is completely different. However, the sea of buttons that surround the big solitary knob can be quite daunting. 

Five large-sized adults can sit comfortable in a way no other car in this class can match. The front seats are huge and wide, with generous support, but in some places there is too much of it. Lumbar support, irrespective of the setting, is a touch too firm and the seats would have been perfect it this was softer. The rear seats are phenomenally comfy and outdo even the E-class.

Not only are there masses of head and legroom but the seating position is superb. Equipment levels are similar (the V6 notably gets a Vehicle Stability Assist program), so in effect, you pay extra for that brilliant engine.

The all-aluminium, 3.5-litre, i-VTEC V6 is the largest and most powerful engine that Honda has ever offered in a passenger car. With 271bhp and 34.5kgm on tap, there are few cars in India that can keep up with it in a straight line.

Just like the Old V6, the new Accord feels like a Rottweiler on a short leash, always snapping at the heels of slower traffic, but it’s missing some of that immediacy in throttle response that the old car had. Still, the car lunges forward at the slightest tap on the throttle and your right foot has to do a constant dance between the throttle and brake pedal to control the surge. Here, at these low speeds, you’ll appreciate the extra urge that makes quick overtaking easy.

The V6’s mid-range is bulldog strong and there’s no shortage of that lusty top-end performance that Honda engines are renowned for. It’ll breach the 100kph mark in a believable 8.6 seconds and blow past the 200kph mark like a rocket ship.

The power delivery is linear, the tug is strong and the engine is smooth; there’s everything you would want from a powerful engine. Performance, especially at medium speeds, shoves you into the seat and you really have to be gentle with the throttle to drive it smoothly. It’s huge fun, hugely addictive and you’ll need the abstinence of a monk to not rev it to the redline every chance you get.
With prices starting at Rs 28.54 lakh for the base V6, this is a car that is an expensive buy. Surprisingly, it’s not all that expensive to run. We got 6.7kpl in the city and a stunning 12.2kpl on the highway.

You’ll appreciate the space, the soft and absorbent ride, the light, variable ratio steering and the refined engine – things that the typical Accord owner demands. But then again, the V6 is not for the typical Accord owner.

If anything, the performance is too strong. This Honda motor, as usual, is generations ahead of the chassis it is mounted in. There’s just too much performance on tap for this chassis to handle. The massive accelerating, cornering and braking forces easily overwhelm the chassis and suspension and, as a result, the car seldom feels secure and totally at ease with the pace.

The problem lies in the soft suspension, which seems to be set up for the American market where the Accord is hugely popular. For this reason, it’s a bit of a boat around corners. Push hard and the nose washes wide when you attack a turn. Still, considering that a full 270bhp is going to the front wheels, there’s not much torque-steer to battle with when you put the power down.

It does come to a stop in a respectable 26 metres but we found that after repeated hard use of the brakes, the brake pedal starts juddering. Honda says it is because of the sudden rise in temperatures that makes the discs heat up unevenly. The juddering disappears when the brakes cool down, so it’s only a temporary irritant.