2013 Honda Accord V6 Coupe: First Drive

By: Hassan Siddiqi

February 10,2013

2 min read

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2013 Honda Accord Coupe

Dubai, UAE - The first drive event of 2013 Honda Accord organized by Al Futtaim Honda gave us an opportunity to drive the 3.5L V6 Accord Coupe for a full day. We said our thank you's and checked out early morning from Fujairah Rotana Spa and Resort to give us a full day's drive from Fujairah back to Dubai. We also chose the longer coastal route to give us ample time to test this new coupe touted as the answer to Toyota 86 and Nissan 370z.

First Impressions

Driving Performance

While the 2.4L is ok for everyday driving, it is really the V6 engine that stands out for it's acceleration, stability and road grip. In our experience of driving the new Coupe for over 3 hours, we observed superior on road stability at speeds of 180-200 km / h! Furthermore, there is improved handling compared to last year's model and better zippiness on over-taking new cars. Definitely leaves Toyota 86 panting for breath.

On the flip side, road noise is something that needs to be tackled in the next update. We observed above average road noise which is cool if you're doing some short sporty drives but on longer routes may prove to be a distraction to say the least. Also the cruise control is not active cruise control, meaning the car does not slow down automatically if another car comes close up front. We recommend adding active cruise control in the next update as well. Finally the fuel economy observed at 8L/100km is good but not best in class. We have captured our drive feedback in a small video clip here:

Interior

Interior trim finishing is comparable to 2013 Nissan Altima which was best-in-class up until now when Accord has matched it. The interior rear leg room is a bit cramped but bearable for younger passengers. The boot space is reasonably large and above average compared to other sport coupes. One up on practicality! The seats are very comfortable and all major tech updates can be found here, including the Lane Watch video camera which no other model has in this segment.

Initial Verdict

The 3.5L V6 Coupe is an exciting update to the Honda family with a lot of potential. Starting at just over 100,000 AED, the model will give a tough time to sports coupes such as Peugeot RCZ (more trunk space, RCZ has no extra space for spare tires!) Toyota 86 (more interior room) and Nissan 370z (close call) not just in terms of drive performance but also in terms of interior practicality, comfort and most importantly resale value for which Honda is known for.