All-new 2013 Honda Accord Coupe Earns Highest Safety Ratings in Midsize Class 2013 Accord Coupe joins Accord Sedan in earning 5-Star Overall Vehicle Score from NHTSA; all Accord models now boast top overall NHTSA and IIHS safety ratings

[source:  American Honda]
The completely redesigned 2013 Honda Accord Coupe has earned the highest available safety rating – a 5-Star¹ Overall Vehicle Score from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
The 2013 Accord Coupe is the only vehicle in its class to earn a NHTSA 5-star Overall Vehicle Score and Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) TOP SAFETY PICK+ rating with GOOD ratings in all test modes. For model year 2013, all tested Honda models have earned a TOP SAFETY PICK or TOP SAFETY PICK+ rating from the IIHS (only the Civic Coupe, FCX Clarity and Fit EV have not been tested).

"The Honda comprehensive approach to vehicle safety is validated by these top-level safety ratings," said Art St. Cyr, vice president of product planning and logistics at American Honda. "The 2013 Honda Accord truly excels in all areas, delivering the best overall safety ratings, while also providing exhilarating performance, outstanding comfort and top-class fuel economy."
The Accord Coupe earned the 5-star Overall Vehicle Score by garnering a 5-star rating in each seating position in the New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) frontal, side-barrier, and side-pole crash test categories, as well as a 5-star rollover rating. The 2013 Coupe joins the Honda Accord Sedan in earning an Overall 5-Star Safety Rating under NHTSA's testing.

In addition to its NCAP 5-Star Overall Vehicle Score designation, the 2013 Honda Accord Sedan is the only car in its class to earn a GOOD rating in all IIHS test modes, including the Institute's aggressive, new small overlap frontal crash test. Under the IIHS' testing program, the new small overlap frontal crash test—sometimes called a "narrow offset" test—is designed to replicate what happens when the front corner of a vehicle collides with another vehicle or an object such as a tree or utility pole at high speed.

Beginning with the 2013 Honda Accord, Honda is applying the second generation of the Honda Advanced Compatibility Engineering™ (ACE™ II) body structure to its models. This reinforced frontal structure further enhances frontal crash energy management through a wider range of offset and oblique collision modes.

Introducing the newly designed 2013 Honda Accord

Honda Motor Co. today unveiled an Accord Coupe Concept that foreshadows the styling of the production car set to arrive this year against stiffening competition.
The concept, shown at the Detroit auto show, sports a creased beltline, muscular rear fender and aggressive lower fog lights. Powertrain improvements will be a key selling point for the 2013 Accord, Honda says.
After the Accord's 17 percent drop in U.S. sales last year, Honda is counting on the next Accord to take on freshly redesigned mid-sized rivals, including the Toyota Camry, Nissan Altima, Hyundai Sonata, Ford Fusion and Chevrolet Malibu.
The coupe will be the same size as the current model. But the sedan will have a smaller footprint than today's version, with a shorter wheelbase and lower curb weight for better handling and enhanced fuel economy.
Interior space will stay the same, Honda pledges.
The timing of the sedan's U.S. launch hasn't been released.
The Accord's U.S. sales decline last year, to 235,625, stemmed largely from supply shortages following Japan's March 11 earthquake.
That dropped it to fourth place in the segment, behind the Camry, Fusion and Altima. The Camry held onto its No. 1 spot despite dropping 6 percent to 308,510 units, also because of supply shortages after the earthquake.
Honda needs a strong showing from the Accord after its redesigned Civic small car received a chilly reception last year for what critics said was a cheap-looking interior.
American Honda's total U.S. sales fell 7 percent in a market that increased 10 percent.
New powertrains
The Accord will feature three new drivetrains.
The first will feature the initial U.S. use of the next-generation, direct-injection engine that Honda unveiled in late November at the Tokyo Motor Show. The so-called Earth Dreams engine, a 2.4-liter, 16-valve, DOHC i-VTEC four banger, will be combined with a new continuously variable transmission.
The engine delivers 181 hp and better fuel economy than the Accord's current base powerplant, an inline four. Honda did not release fuel-economy figures but said the engine aims to achieve class-leading mileage.
The second drivetrain will consist of a re-engineered 3.5-liter, 24-valve, SOHC i-VTEC V-6 engine paired with either a new six-speed automatic transmission or an existing six-speed manual. The automatic will achieve better fuel economy and horsepower than the outgoing model, Honda says.
The final variant is the first use of Honda's two-motor, plug-in hybrid system. In all-electric mode, the system's lithium ion battery and motor can power the car for up to 15 miles of city driving at speeds as high as 62 mph. The battery can be fully recharged in four hours using a 120-volt outlet or in 90 minutes with a 240-volt charger, Honda says.
For longer drives, the hybrid operates in gasoline-electric mode, drawing from a 2.0-liter, four-cylinder, Atkinson-cycle engine combined with a CVT. For high-speed cruising, the car can run in gasoline-only mode with the engine directly powering the front wheels.
The Accord Plug-in Hybrid will go on sale in the winter of 2012, Honda says.
Honda canceled the previous Accord hybrid at the end of its 2007 model year.
Safety features
Honda says the next Accord also will sport several new safety features.
It will have Honda's first lane-departure warning system and first forward-crash warning technology. Both use cameras mounted behind the windshield to alert drivers of dangers.
It also will get Honda's first use of its LaneWatch blind spot display, which uses a camera mounted on the passenger mirror to keep tabs on that side of the car.
A multiangle rearview camera also will come standard.
Other new standard features in the next Accord:
• Bluetooth hands-free phone interface.
• Full color information display.
• An SMS texting function that reads messages aloud.


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