- US production began in 1982, 13 million churned out by Ohio plant.
- Senior executive says future Accords will emphasize “their sporty side.”
- Recent Honda fastback hybrid concept could offer clues to next model.
Half a century after it arrived in America as a humble two-door hatchback, the Honda Accord is celebrating a milestone few nameplates can match. The midsize legend turns 50 this month, and while Honda is busy looking back at 11 generations of success, it’s also dropping hints about where the Accord might be headed next.
To mark the birthday, Honda gathered every generation of Accord for a family photo and released a commemorative video. In it, Gary Robinson, Honda’s Vice President of Auto Strategy, suggested future Accords could exaggerate traits that enthusiasts love.
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“I think you’re going to see an increased emphasis on the sporty side as we move forward,” Robinson said, adding that the Accord can continue to be something “really exciting” in the future.
That might be welcome news for fans who still remember some of the Accord’s greatest hits. Over the years, we’ve seen everything from pop-up-headlight styling on the third-generation models with sophisticated double-wishbone suspension to V6 coupes with six-speed manuals and, more recently, turbocharged Sport variants that punched well above their family-car brief.
But the Accord’s story began in June 1976 with a front-wheel-drive hatchback powered by a 68 hp (69 PS) CVCC four-cylinder engine. That doesn’t sound like much today, but when many V8-powered American cars struggled to produce twice that output while carrying far more weight and drinking three times as much fuel, the little Honda felt surprisingly lively. It also helped pioneer cleaner emissions technology without requiring a catalytic converter.
From Hatchback To Hybrid Sedan
Since then, the Accord has grown from compact hatchback to sophisticated midsize sedan while introducing innovations ranging from VTEC to hybrid powertrains, and turbocharged four-cylinder engines that make more horsepower than some of the older V6s.
For its first six years on the US market, all Accords were imported from Japan. But then it became the first Japanese-branded vehicle built in America when production began in Ohio in 1982. More than 13 million have since been assembled in the US, and total sales are expected to pass 15 million this month.
So what do we know about the future besides it being “sportier”? Honda recently previewed a sharp-looking fastback hybrid concept that many observers suspect could influence the next Accord’s design direction. Which generation is your favorite Accord?
