The usual order of things in the auto industry dictates that conventional, high-volume cars come first and niche products like hybrids come a distant second if they come at all.
Honda is bucking the trend by preparing to roll out a plug-in-hybrid version of its redesigned Accord sedan early next year, just a few months after the bread-and-butter gasoline-powered model goes on sale. A standard hybrid will follow next summer. The moves reflect the growing importance of hybrids in the U.S. market — and Honda’s desire to trump the Prius hybrids built by its nemesis Toyota Motors Corp.
Driver’s Seat took a test-drive in a pre-production Accord plug-in this week.
I have yet to drive the regular Accord, so the plug-in was my first experience with the redesigned model. Because the car ran for just over 12 miles on electric power alone, I had an opportunity to test its “NVH,” which is autospeak for noise, vibration and harshness. These are all bad things in the car business — some of which have plagued Honda for years.
Noise from mechanical systems, wind and tires is a common complaint from Honda drivers. Compared with the top-selling Toyota Camry, the Accord has always been a bit buzzy. It drives some motorists to distraction — and, presumably, to other brands.
What stood out with the plug-in was its near-silent running in local driving and on the highway. Even without the engine masking other sounds, I didn’t notice the usual racket from wind or tires. Indeed, the car was so quiet that the engine caused a major disturbance when it kicked in. This suggests other versions will also be quieter than before.
Still, compared with other hybrids, plug-in or not, the Accord felt smoother and more solid, with the overall feel of a more-expensive car. Most of my drives were fairly short and didn’t require much use of the gasoline engines, which also kicks in for heavy acceleration. So my fuel economy was well over 100 miles per gallon for every outing.
Honda’s new hybrid system
This Accord plug-in could be a breakthrough among non-Prius hybrids. Honda has not released a price yet, but if it isn’t too steep the plug-in could convince many drivers to take the leap into hybrids.
Source: WSJ
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