VIEW ALL 2016 HONDA ACCORD SEDAN SPY PHOTOS

What It Is: Exclusive spy photos of the latest version of Honda’s perennial Car and Driver 10Best Cars–winning family sedan, caught completely undisguised and in multiple trim levels: four-cylinder Sport, V-6, and V-6 Touring. The hybrid and plug-in-hybrid models weren’t in attendance, so we’re not sure what updates they will receive for 2016.

Why It Matters: While the increasing popularity of crossovers has taken a bite out of the sales of traditional passenger cars, the spacious and swell-handling Accord is still hugely important to Honda—and a huge seller overall. This refresh addresses at least one of the Accord’s major shortcomings: dull styling. The 2016 Accord also likely will get significant powertrain updates, particularly in V-6 guise, ensuring that the six-cylinder models are efficient and relevant in an age of ever-stricter fuel-economy standards.

BRIAN WILLIAMS

Platform: The Accord likely won’t get much more than some cursory stiffening measures to its structure and slight suspension tweaks for 2016, but it doesn’t really need more than that. Lending a more athletic look to each of the models seen here are new grilles, bumpers, decklid garnishes, headlamps, and taillamps—including multi-element, Acura-style LED headlamps on the Touring model that prove that the sexy lights on the Honda Civic Coupe concept shown last month at the New York auto show were no fluke. Here’s hoping they appear on the production 2016 Civic, as well. The Accord’s wheel designs are also new, and we particularly like the big five-spoke pieces seen in some of the shots.

Powertrain: Expect the Accord V-6 to adopt direct fuel injection and offer the new nine-speed automatic transmission that’s found in the 2016 Pilot crossover’s upper (Touring and Elite) trim levels. In the Pilot, the direct-injected six-cylinder pumps out 280 horsepower and 262 lb-ft of torque. Were those numbers to carry over here, it would offer only a slight bump in output (2 hp, 10 lb-ft) over the current V-6, but the engine likely will have improved responses across the rev range while also delivering a modest gain in fuel economy.

BRIAN WILLIAMS

It’s probably inevitable that Honda will slide its new turbo four-cylinder into the Accord in coming years—as Acura will in the ILX—but we expect the current base engine, the direct-injected 2.4-liter “Earth Dreams” four-cylinder, will continue and that it’ll be paired with a CVT in automatic versions. (Honda also mates this engine to an excellent eight-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox in the Acura TLX, but the carmaker may wish to keep that transmission exclusive to that luxury car, if only to give buyers some reason to choose it over the Accord. But it would make a great option for Accord Sport models.) We sincerely hope that our favorite Accord powertrain—the four-cylinder teamed with Honda’s slick six-speed manual—remains on the docket.

Competition: Chevrolet Malibu, Ford Fusion, Mazda 6, Nissan Altima, Toyota Camry, Volkswagen Passat.

Estimated Arrival and Price: The 2016 Honda Accord will appear in showrooms this fall. Prices are likely to remain close to those of the 2015 models, which start at $22,925 for the Accord LX manual and rise to $34,450 for the Touring V-6.

VIEW ALL 2016 HONDA ACCORD SEDAN SPY PHOTOS

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