The battle for the top spot: Honda's eighth-generation Accord VS Toyota Camry (picture) (1)
2007-11-29 09:53:33 Auto Explore Large, Medium and Small View comments
At the just-opened fifth Guangzhou International Auto Show, the star model that attracted the most attention was naturally the eighth-generation Guangzhou Honda Accord, which will be launched in China soon. The eighth-generation Accord has attracted much attention from the world, not only because of its outstanding and dazzling design that subverts tradition, but also because of questions about who is better among its two rivals, the Toyota Camry.
After the Camry was made in China, it snatched the name of the mid-level front plate from the current Accord. Honda was also prepared for this, so the vertical replacement of the Accord model was inevitable, which led to this mid-level front plate battle. It’s getting more and more intense. Let’s take a look at the strength of these two masters from Japan!
The new Accord has an obvious competitive advantage as its body size increases
The eighth-generation Accord has made a huge breakthrough in body size and interior space, with length, width and height reaching 4945/1845/1480mm respectively. , the body length is nearly 10cm longer than the current Accord, and the width and height are also slightly increased. The wheelbase has also been further increased to 2800mm, which is 62mm longer than the current Accord.
Compared with the Camry (4825/1820/1485mm), which is currently unbeatable in the domestic mid-size car market, the new Accord is 5mm shorter in height, longer and wider than the Camry, and the wheelbase is even longer than the Camry. 2775mm is 25mm longer. In addition, the front and rear track width of the new Accord is 1590/1585mm, which also exceeds the Camry's 1575/1560mm. The increased body width not only makes the interior passenger space more spacious, but also the lower body also improves the vehicle's driving stability.
The spacious body and interior space, especially the rear space, are the performance standards that mid-level cars have always pursued. In terms of size, the classification of the eighth-generation Accord has changed from "medium" to "large" in the United States. Its size and space surpass all competitors in the same level, and it has obvious advantages.
The new Accord is powerful and powerful, while the Camry is average and plain
The changes in the appearance of the new Accord have had obvious effects. Since the day of its release, its body shape has been favored by the world. It has been widely praised, and many people even think that this styling is comparable to the BMW 5 Series.
The current Accord adopts a body shape composed of simple lines and edges. Although it is sharp and dynamic, it lacks the momentum it deserves. The eighth-generation Accord is completely different. Although it still focuses on simple lines, it introduces many unique and fresh designs. For example, the front air intake grille has changed from a simple trapezoid to a hexagon, and the chrome-plated frame looks very layered, making the front face of the new Accord look aggressive and imposing.
The shape of the headlights has also changed from the current triangle to a quadrilateral, which adapts well to the overall shape of the front face. The shape of this integrated headlight has become a classic shape of today's cars, and it looks both dynamic and fashionable, yet calm and atmospheric, and can win the favor of consumers with different tastes.
The side shape of the car body is more outstanding, the waistline extending straight back is steeper, and the forward feeling is obvious, highlighting the sharp and powerful personality. The C-pillar of the rear window is cleverly folded forward, further increasing the headroom in the rear seats. The polygonal combination taillights have obvious functions and a stronger overall feel.
Compared with the powerful new styling of the eighth-generation Accord, its main competitor, the Camry, has become too mediocre or even mediocre. Although the Camry's round and full body and exquisite detailed design make people look comfortable, and this style has captured the hearts of many consumers in China, the outstanding appearance design of the New Accord should attract more people's attention.
The interior style is mature and steady, and the humanized design is in place
The interior style of the eighth-generation Accord is mature and steady, with a wider center console panel that has a more layered feel, and the air-conditioning and audio The layout of the system control buttons reflects the consistent fine style of Japanese cars.
The LCD screen has also been moved from its original position above the air-conditioning outlet to facilitate drivers and passengers to read vehicle information. The interior of the domestic Accord should have a sportier multi-functional steering wheel shape, and the new Accord does not follow the popular trend in using a large amount of peach wood decoration near the center console and shift lever, but uses more bright aluminum trim and leather materials. , appears more upscale.
The new Accord's automatic transmission still uses a linear partner mode, which is very convenient to use, but it also has the problem of easy misoperation. The new Accord provides breathable leather seats, and the rear seats can be folded down 4/6.
In contrast, Camry's interior pursues more comfort and convenience. The center console also uses a large area of ??metal-like trim. However, Camry uses a large number of metal trims on the steering wheel, center console and other parts. The peach wood interior looks too tacky. The Camry's gear lever has a zigzag shift pattern, which avoids possible misoperation.
The new power system is more powerful and the 6-speed manual gearbox is very attractive
The power system of the eighth-generation Accord has been significantly improved. Judging from the version released abroad, it has a 2.4-liter inline four-cylinder. and 3.5-liter V6 engines are optional. It has been confirmed that both engines will be introduced into the country, but the parameter adjustment is slightly different from the foreign versions. The maximum power of the 2.4-liter straight-four engine reaches 132 kilowatts (180 horsepower) / 6500 rpm, which is an increase of 6 compared to the current Accord's 125 kilowatts (170 horsepower) / 5800 rpm. The maximum torque is 220 N·m/4300 rpm, which is not increased, but the output is smoother. The engine features Honda i-VTEC variable valve timing technology and DOHC dual overhead camshaft design. In addition, the eighth-generation Accord uses patented active noise reduction technology to further improve the noise problem of the four-cylinder engine.
The top-powered 3.5-liter V6 engine will replace the existing 3.0-liter V6 engine, with a maximum power of 197 kilowatts (268 horsepower) / 6200 rpm and a maximum torque of 337 N·m / 5000 rpm / points, both power and torque are greatly improved compared to the current 3.0-liter engine. At the same time, it also has Honda's new VCM cylinder management system, which can switch the engine between 3-cylinder, 4-cylinder and 6-cylinder according to the working conditions, thus ensuring strong power while effectively reducing fuel consumption. It is said to be 3.0 liters better than the current model. The V6 engine also saves about 5% of fuel.
It is not yet certain whether the eighth-generation Honda Accord will retain the 2.0-liter engine in China. Taking into account the specific conditions of the domestic market, it is also to lower the threshold and widen the price range. We predict that the model that is likely to be eventually launched in China will retain the 2.0-liter model, but its power system will still use the old engine of the current Accord.
The domestic Toyota Camry only has two engines with 2.0-liter and 2.4-liter displacements, and at the same displacement, the power system is comparable to that of the current Accord, except that the output characteristics of power and torque are different. different. Therefore, compared with the new Accord, the Camry, whose power is at the upper-middle level among domestic mid-size cars, is bound to be at a disadvantage.
The breakthrough in performance is not only reflected in the improved power of the new engine, but the matching transmission system is also eye-catching. In addition to the 3.5-liter model, manual transmission models will introduce a 6-speed manual transmission for the first time in China. The gear ratio is denser and the shifting feeling is more direct, which can provide drivers with full control fun. The automatic transmission is still set to 5-speed, but has been re-adjusted to make shifting smoother and driving more comfortable.
Camry's transmission system only has an automatic transmission option, and the 2.0-liter engine is matched with a 4-speed automatic transmission. Looking at it today, this configuration is already considered backward. Matched with the 2.4-liter engine is a 5-speed automatic transmission with a manual mode. Although it has a manual mode, it does not give people a sufficient sporty feeling. This has no advantage compared with the 5-speed automatic transmission of the New Accord. Word.
The new Accord is excellent in terms of driving performance, sportiness and safety.
From the beginning, we knew very well that in addition to breakthroughs in space and power, the eighth-generation Accord also had an evolution in driving performance. It will make its sports performance as fierce as its appearance.
In terms of the chassis design of the body, the wheelbase of the new Accord is 62mm longer than that of the current model, which not only benefits the interior space, but also greatly enhances the dynamic driving stability of the new Accord. The body suspension setting of the eighth-generation Accord emphasizes sportiness. The front suspension still uses the same double-wishbone independent suspension as the previous generation, but the rear suspension uses a new in-wheel multi-link independent suspension. On the premise of ensuring comfort, the rigidity of the body is greatly enhanced to provide better driving control.
Another manifestation of the outstanding sportiness of the new Accord is that the total number of turns on the steering wheel is reduced to 2.56, making the steering precise and sensitive. The rack of the variable speed ratio (VGR) steering system is densely spaced in the middle and sparse on both sides, which can adjust the steering force according to the driving state of the vehicle. At high speeds, you only need to swing the steering wheel slightly to change direction smoothly; when turning around or turning at low speeds, as the gap between the gear and rack increases, the steering becomes more agile and not sloppy at all. It achieves the effects of stable and precise high-speed steering and agile and flexible low-speed steering, which greatly improves controllability and high-speed stability.
Looking at Camry's driving mechanism, its front suspension is MacPherson independent suspension with L-arm link, and the rear suspension is double-link independent suspension. All settings are biased toward comfort, and dual The adjustment level of the link rear suspension is not as flexible as the multi-link, so from the perspective of sporty performance alone, the Camry is at a disadvantage for once.
Comparison of the driving mechanisms and safety configurations of the eighth-generation Honda Accord and Toyota Camry
The braking system and safety system are more important. The eighth-generation Accord uses front ventilated disc and rear disc brakes, which are efficient and long-lasting. All models will come standard with ABS EBD, brake assist (BA), body dynamic assist VSA (similar to ESP), and a tire pressure detection system is also standard. Passive safety configuration includes multiple airbags, seat head and neck protection system, etc. In addition, judging from the collision tests conducted by Honda, the new Accord's body strength is very high, the structure is reasonable, and the collision safety is very high.
Camry received the highest 5-star rating in C-NCAP collisions, and its safety goes without saying. Basic configurations such as ABS are complete, but the electronic stability control system VSC (similar to ESP) is only available on the highest-end 240V model. Passive safety configurations are all equipped with multiple airbags and head and neck protection systems. So in terms of security, both are excellent.
In addition, another point is that the minimum size of aluminum alloy wheels equipped with the new Accord in China is 16 inches, while high-end models will be equipped with 17 inches. There is no weakness in this configuration when compared with the Camry, because the 15-inch wheels used in the current Accord except for the 3.0-liter model have been criticized for a long time.
Editor's note: The release of Honda's eighth-generation Accord has made people's eyes brighter. Just like the Guangzhou Honda slogan at the auto show - "Dreams·Technology·Joy", the new Accord has always been in people's hearts. Full of dreams, with advanced technological strength, dreams become reality, bringing full joy. As far as the car itself is concerned, the new Accord already has the strength to dominate the domestic and even the world's mid-size car market. Coupled with the glorious history Honda Accord has created in China and its good reputation among domestic consumers, people have to look forward to it. Make the turnaround card again.
Of course, the competition in the domestic mid-level sedan market is very fierce. In addition to the Toyota Camry, there are also powerful opponents such as the Volkswagen Magotan, Ford Mondeo-Zhisheng, and Mazda6. Camry has achieved success with its new model, name and Toyota's strong brand effect. Now the eighth-generation Accord also has the "right time and right place". It will be launched in January next year at the latest. The battle for the top spot between the two It will look better!
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