SA Road Tests

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This is the home of automobile road tests in South Africa. We drive South African cars, SUVs and LCVs under South African conditions. It also just happens that most of the vehicles we drive are world cars as well, so what you read here probably applies to the models you can get at home.
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We reach détente with the 2012 version of Honda’s Accord 2.2 litre i-DTEC Executive

Pics by hsa@motorpics

Pulls like a bullet train

Published in The Witness Motoring on Wednesday January 4, 2012

Fresh from its unveiling at the Geneva Motor Show, Honda’s updated and facelifted new Accords arrived in South Africa during May this year (2011). Cosmetic work included freshened headlights, clear lenses for the front indicators, a light chrome flash above the rear licence plate and red treatment for tail lamps and reversing lamp surround to match the fog lamps.

Subtle changes inside include dark silver panels with brightwork on door handles and hand brake, while grey stitching introduces a touch of contrast to the black leather seats. A multinational engineering team reworked damper settings so it maintains its poise while getting a move on, but smooths out bumps convincingly as well.

While they were about it, they reduced NVH levels by putting higher density foam under the bonnet and in the dashboard, improving underfloor noise insulation and adding sound deadening shields on the diesel particulate filter and exhaust manifold cover. Rear window glass was thickened by 29 percent to make back seat passengers’ live more comfortable.

That’s all very well, but life is getting expensive, what with rising fuel prices, CO2 taxes and all, so they went to work on the aerodynamics as well. Underbody dynamic aids include a larger front airdam, an extended underfloor and a rear subframe cover.

Low-friction wheel bearings were introduced all ‘round while automatics benefitted from reduction of frictional losses and optimisation of gear ratios. Of particular interest for this test is that both versions of the 2.2-litre diesel engine received special attention by way of reduced internal frictional losses. “Both versions?” Glad you’re paying attention; the six-speed manual driver has been treated to an added 22 kW of power and 30 Nm of torque. Despite the extra power, quoted fuel economy is just 5,8 l/100 km for a CO2 number of 151 gm/km.

Our test car was a manual-shifting diesel that’s available only in second-most luxurious Executive trim. To get the top-ranking Exclusive model, you have to buy a 2.4-litre petrol burner. It’s just over half a second quicker up to 100 km/h, but it will cost you in fuel, requiring an additional 3 litres every 100 kilometres. Difficult choice, yes?

While on the subject of differences in equipment levels, there isn’t much; the sole extra feature offered by the Exclusive model is Honda’s ADAS advanced driver assistance system with adaptive cruise control, collision mitigation braking system and lane-keeping assistance. Cynics might point out that staying awake and looking where you are going, has been an important part of the driving process for over 100 years. It’s just a thought.

So what’s it like to live with? All the braking aids and stability control features, including trailer anti-sway, are present. So are ISOFix anchorages for child seats and manual kiddie-locks. The boot is big at 471 litres although it’s not as conveniently rectangular as most of its competitors, the lid opens at a press of a button on the key fob and the rear seat backs fold down in the usual one-third, two-thirds manner.

Releases are in the boot rather than on the seats themselves, so you might need a little help putting them down if they have not been tipped in a while. It loads from just above knee height for this tester and it’s only about 15 cm deep, so there should be no problems wrestling your luggage out again on the other side. Four lashing rings are provided to secure any loads that may be prone to sliding and the spare is a spacesaver.

The SA standard tall passenger gave rear seat space eight points for headroom, only seven for foot space when the front seats are at their lowest settings and knee room was given a ‘nine.’ Repeater vents are provided in the back of the centre console for passengers’ comfort and storage is courtesy of seatback pockets and door bins capable of holding litre bottles. Getting back out again can be awkward, as the sills are quite deep and the doorways rather narrow. As expected of a premium family car, three belts and a trio of head restraints are provided.

Both front seats adjust electrically fore and aft, up and down and for recline angle. The driver’s chair boasts manual lumbar adjustment and two memory settings. The only problem is that the system defaults automatically to memory number one each time the car is restarted, so tall people might find life unbearable if forced to share with a really short person who has hogged the first memory. It’s easy enough to key in new settings though.

The Accord is well equipped with standard dual-channel air conditioning, a six-CD and digital radio sound system with ten speakers, a powered sunroof, trip computer, cruise control, all the usual tricks with windows and mirrors, parking assistance front and rear, and a full house of satellite controls on the steering wheel.

It may have a “Dad’s car” image, but this particular Accord behaves like a naughty teenager if you let it. Steering is nicely weighted, it steers and handles well and it pulls like a bullet train, with 100 km/h coming up in 8,7 seconds and steaming on to a maximum of 220. 

This is a nice car that goes very well and is decently put together, but it’s romping in a playroom with some really heavy hitters costing the same or a little less. The folk at Honda might do well to sharpen pencils a little.

The numbers
Price: R396 200
Engine: 2199 cc, four-cylinder turbodiesel
Power: 132 kW at 4000 rpm
Torque: 380 Nm at 2000 rpm
Zero to 100 km/h: 8,7 seconds
Maximum speed: 220 km/h
Real life fuel consumption: 7,7 l/100 km
Tank: 65 litres
Fuel: 50-ppm diesel
Warranty: 3 years/100 000 km
Service plan: 5 years/90 000 km at 15 000 km intervals




What we do

This is a one-man show, which means that road test cars entrusted to me are driven only by me. Some reviewers hand test cars over to their partners to use as day-to-day transport and barely experience them for themselves.

What this means to you is that every car reviewed is given my own personal evaluation and receives my own seat of the pants judgement - no second hand input here.
Every car goes through real world testing; on city streets littered with potholes, speed bumps and rumble strips, on freeways and if its profile demands, dirt roads as well.

My articles appear every Wednesday in the motoring pages of The Witness, South Africa's oldest continuously running newspaper, and occasionally on Saturdays in Weekend Witness as well. I drive eight to ten vehicles most months of the year (press cars are withdrawn over the festive season - wonder why?) so not everything gets published in the paper. Those that are, get a tagline but the rest is virgin, unpublished and unedited by the political-correctness police. Hope you like what you see, because there are no commercial interests at work here. As quite a few readers have found, I answer every serious enquiry from my home email address, with my phone numbers attached, so I do actually exist.

I am based in Pietermaritzburg, KZN, South Africa. This is the central hub of the KZN Midlands farming community; the place farmers go to buy their supplies and equipment, truck their goods to market, send their kids to school and go to kick back and relax.
So occasionally a cow, a goat or a horse may add a little local colour by finding its way into the story or one of the pictures. It's all part of the ambience!

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