What Is It?
Honda Sports 4
What's Special About It?
After giving the new-generation Civic a rakish look, Honda seems to be proposing something similar for the Accord with the Sports 4 concept. The stated idea behind this design exercise is to give "the exhilaration of sports-car performance" to passengers as well as the driver. The bigger goal could well be to prepare the public's eye for an Accord with more edge.
We're all for it.
The Sports 4's face has concept-car whimsy in the headlamp treatment and neon-light lower-intake trim, but the familiar five-sided grille is there, in the right proportion despite some heavy adornment. Running back from the grille are crease lines so pronounced they draw the hood into a concave form. Wheel arches use a variation on the suddenly ubiquitous bulges-and-edges treatment (RX-8, S-Class, etc.) and there are generous expanses of uncluttered sheet metal.
The roof execution proposes a massive glass panel, beneath which four power shades allow each occupant to choose his or her preferred degree of sunshine.
Inside, four individual bucket seats and a dramatic sweep of the instrument panel create a modern, high-performance feel. The use of traditional metal, wood and leather materials in striking new forms adds to the impression. An "intelligent night vision system" pops up from the dash when engaged.
Powertrain information was conspicuously absent from the press briefing. Honda said only that Super Handling AWD — the torque-biasing all-wheel-drive system that Honda intends to spread from the Acura RL down throughout its luxury line — provides fine stability, control and cornering performance. We hear talk of a five-speed automatic with sequential-manual shifting, but otherwise, the Sports 4 offers no clues as to engine and transmission offerings we might expect in the next Accord.
What's Edmunds' Take?
If the next-generation Accord does indeed follow the keenly sculpted direction of the Sports 4, it will mark a long overdue departure from Accord designs apparently intended to, above all, give no offense. We will appreciate the change. — Kevin Smith
Honda Sports 4
What's Special About It?
After giving the new-generation Civic a rakish look, Honda seems to be proposing something similar for the Accord with the Sports 4 concept. The stated idea behind this design exercise is to give "the exhilaration of sports-car performance" to passengers as well as the driver. The bigger goal could well be to prepare the public's eye for an Accord with more edge.
We're all for it.
The Sports 4's face has concept-car whimsy in the headlamp treatment and neon-light lower-intake trim, but the familiar five-sided grille is there, in the right proportion despite some heavy adornment. Running back from the grille are crease lines so pronounced they draw the hood into a concave form. Wheel arches use a variation on the suddenly ubiquitous bulges-and-edges treatment (RX-8, S-Class, etc.) and there are generous expanses of uncluttered sheet metal.
The roof execution proposes a massive glass panel, beneath which four power shades allow each occupant to choose his or her preferred degree of sunshine.
Inside, four individual bucket seats and a dramatic sweep of the instrument panel create a modern, high-performance feel. The use of traditional metal, wood and leather materials in striking new forms adds to the impression. An "intelligent night vision system" pops up from the dash when engaged.
Powertrain information was conspicuously absent from the press briefing. Honda said only that Super Handling AWD — the torque-biasing all-wheel-drive system that Honda intends to spread from the Acura RL down throughout its luxury line — provides fine stability, control and cornering performance. We hear talk of a five-speed automatic with sequential-manual shifting, but otherwise, the Sports 4 offers no clues as to engine and transmission offerings we might expect in the next Accord.
What's Edmunds' Take?
If the next-generation Accord does indeed follow the keenly sculpted direction of the Sports 4, it will mark a long overdue departure from Accord designs apparently intended to, above all, give no offense. We will appreciate the change. — Kevin Smith
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