#HONDA 2018 Honda Accord NACOTY Award Acceptance Speech

First introduced to American car buyers in 1976, the Honda Accord is the second-longest-running automotive nameplate in Honda's history, after the Honda Civic. Accord has become a household name over nine generations and 42 model years, and since its introduction, American car buyers have purchased more Accords than any other passenger car, with total U.S. sales exceeding 13 million vehicles. The current, ninth-generation, Accord has been the top retail-selling midsize car in America for the past six years (2011-2016).
The Accord was the first automobile from a Japanese automaker to be manufactured in America and has been in continuous production at the company's Marysville, Ohio auto plant since November 1, 1982, using domestic and globally-sourced parts. Total U.S. Accord production exceeds 11 million units. In 1987, Honda Accord became the first U.S-made automobile from a Japanese automaker to be exported overseas (Accord Sedan to Taiwan).
Honda Accord has also played an important role in advancing low-emissions vehicle technology in America and was the first Honda automobile to meet California's ULEV,SULEV and SULEV30 emission standards. Accord was Honda's third hybrid (2005 Accord V6 Hybrid) and first plug-in hybrid (2014 Accord Plug-In Hybrid).
The New Accord
The 2018 Accord is the 10th generation of Honda's perennially best-selling midsize sedan. All new from the ground up, the new Accord is built on a new platform with a lower, wider stance, a lighter and more rigid unibody structure; a lighter and more sophisticated chassis; three advanced new power units, including Honda Accord's first-ever turbocharged engines, a new 10-speed automatic transmission and a third-generation two-motor hybrid system.
In recreating Accord for its 10th generation, Honda designers and engineers sought to convey "absolute confidence" in every element of design and performance. Building on the bedrock character of Accord - its outstanding quality, fuel efficiency, packaging and sophisticated driving dynamics - they have imbued the 10th-generation Accord with a new level of emotional appeal and premium quality; an Accord that defies its mainstream midsize sedan status, providing even more refined and engaging performance, a more spacious and upscale interior, and the latest generation of advanced Honda safety, connected-car and driver-assistive technologies.
In summary, the most dramatically styled, premium and fun-to-drive Honda Accord yet.
Packaging and Design
In reimagining Accord, designers first established the fundamental packaging strategy. Consistent with the "Man Maximum-Machine Minimum (MM)" design philosophy that underpins all Honda designs, the team shrunk the Accord's footprint while expanding its interior space, at the same time creating more premium and athletic proportions and stance. The move to 4-cylinder engines across the lineup is a key component of this approach, allowing a shorter engine bay while also reducing weight and improving dynamic performance.
The new Accord has a longer wheelbase (+2.16 inches), a lower overall height (-0.59 in.) and wider body (+0.39 in.), wider wheel tracks (+0.20 in. front, +0.79 in. rear), a shortened overall length (-0.39 in.) and a lower, sportier seating position (-1.0 in. front, -0.79 in. rear). A sweeping greenhouse, positioned farther back on the body, completes the new stance and proportion of the next-generation Honda Accord. The combined effect of these changes is a more premium look, highlighted by shorter overhangs, a bold front fascia, a long and low hood, and a visual center of gravity moved closer to the rear wheels.
Viewed head-on, the new Accord's greenhouse also angles in more sharply from the window sills to the roof, further emphasizing the wide lower body, while inside the cabin the seats have been moved slightly inward, which contributes to improved hip, shoulder and head room while enhancing occupants' freedom of movement. Also, the longer wheelbase allowed designers to move the second-row seats substantially rearward, giving Accord 1.9 inches of added rear legroom. Overall passenger volume is increased by 2.5 cubic feet (LX trim) and trunk space, at 16.7 cubic feet on all models and trims, is up 0.9 cubic feet on 1.5-liter and 2.0-liter models and 3.2 cubic feet on the Accord Hybrid, aided by the repackaging of the hybrid battery pack beneath the rear seats.
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