Geneva '08 Preview: Honda unmasks the Euro Accord
by John Neff on Feb 11th 2008 at 11:33AM 
click above for more high-res images of the 2009 Honda Accord for Europe
Not long after Honda showed off a single image of the new 2009 Acura TSX for the U.S. market, its doppelgänger was unveiled today as the 2009 Honda Accord and Accord Touring (wagon) for Europe. Set to debut at the 2008 Geneva Motor Show in early March, the new Euro Accord and its sporty wagon variant look much like our new TSX, save for a cleaner face with a traditional grille in place of the shield treatment given to Acura's new sport sedan. We particularly like the character line that bisects each door handle and meets the flared out front fender. Out back we see a new rear end that should be identical to the hind quarters of the new TSX.
The Euro Accord will be offered with three high-tech engines, all of which are compliant with stricter Euro 5 emissions regulations. The first is the second-gen i-DTEC diesel producing around 148 horsepower and 258 pound feet of torque at just 2,000 rpm. This will be the same motor that Honda introduces as its first diesel for the U.S. market in the Acura TSX, and we can't wait. Europeans also get their choice of a 2.0L i-VTEC producing 154 horsepower and a 2.4L four-cylinder producing nearly 200 hp and 172 foot pounds of torque. All three engines can be mated to a 6-speed manual, while the gas engines get optional 5-speed automatics, as well.
The interior is also all new and combines the elegant design and expensive materials that we expect in a Honda with the button overload of more expensive luxury cars. The gauges are now of the "floating" backlit variety and flank an addition LCD screen that augments the deeply recessed nav system atop the center console.
The new European Accord looks sharp, is filled with new technology and will go on sale in Europe before we get the new 2009 Acura TSX.
[Source: Honda]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Andy 11:37AM (2/11/2008)
Yum.
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MemphisNET 11:39AM (2/11/2008)
Never going to happen, but I'd love the wagon. (Canadian-only TSX Wag please?) :D
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John R 11:46AM (2/11/2008)
Good God. This looks sooo much better than both the new TSX and the new Accord. Amazing how the U.S. gets neither.
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psarhjinian 12:14PM (2/11/2008)
How can it look better than the new TSX? It essentially is the new TSX, just with a different badge on the nose and a wagon option.
Do you mean the current TSX? That looks pretty much like the current EDM Accord, which this is replacing.
John R 12:26PM (2/11/2008)
I mean the 2009 TSX with jacked up grill.
Jay 11:48AM (2/11/2008)
crap, they get the non fugly grille treatment...
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Ron 11:49AM (2/11/2008)
The more I see of Honda's new vehicles, the more I realize they're human and vulnerable just like the rest of the car companies.
Nothing they've come out with in the last several months has wowed many people.
They may be giants, but they're not 12 feet tall - they're only 9 feet tall.
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psarhjinian 12:24PM (2/11/2008)
I don't think this car is supposed to wow people. The current TSX doesn't wow, either, until you drive and say "Wow, what a fundamentally excellent car."
The wow factor with the TSX (and TL, MDX, RSX and NSX) isn't any one particular area, it's that the whole car is really well done. There are more powerful or better handling cars, but they make compromises (space, price, power, etc) somewhere. Generally, this has been Acura's main selling point, and it's unfortunate that they're drifting away from that with cars like the RDX and RL.
You used to get a similar feel from the Accord before Honda started screwing up the ergonomics. I really think Honda is starting to overextend themselves. For every moment of brilliance (Fit), they have an equal moment of duh (RL) that seems to come not from a lack of attention to detail.
liamlunchtray 12:11PM (2/11/2008)
Man, I would do anything for an Accord Wagon with a diesel and a 6spd manual.
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Robert O 12:09PM (2/11/2008)
Yes. The new U.S. Accord looks like the Chrysler Seabring. . . .
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X3S2000 12:12PM (2/11/2008)
"Nothing they've come out with in the last several months has wowed many people."
Neither will the soon-to-be-released Pilot. Have you seen this Liberty look-alike?
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DDL 12:29PM (2/11/2008)
The wagon is hot. If I bought the TSX, I'd be tempted to get a European grille.
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Ligor 12:32PM (2/11/2008)
well done i'd say
not the best at anything, but if they do bring that wagon stateside with the SH-AWD and the RDx's turbo 4 with 250HP - they might have a competior to the A4 2.0 Turbo, which the Acura will smoke in straight line and handling, not to mention VW reliability
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Ligor 12:33PM (2/11/2008)
go get your eyes checked
i think you might be dreaming with your eyes open
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Xcountryflyer 12:41PM (2/11/2008)
It looks like the US Accord team was told to stay the heck away. This car is much tidier looking than the generic amalgamation that we got.
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DCragtop 12:45PM (2/11/2008)
Great...another Grey spot on a grey wall.
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Scott 1:05PM (2/11/2008)
So what's the "wow" of a TSX over an Accord EX V6?
Accord wins on price, mileage, power, space... What does the TSX win on? Badge appeal?
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psarhjinian 1:11PM (2/11/2008)
Handling, ergonomics and some feature content. Personally, I'd trade the extra power in the Accord for the TSX's handling and slightly nicer amenities.
But yes, it's a close race between the two.
Franz 1:05PM (2/11/2008)
At least Americans now know where they can get replacement grilles for their TSX's.
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Derek 7:48PM (2/11/2008)
Zane, probably close to a foot of length and a few hundred pounds of bloat?