The growing interest in taking care of the environment and saving the planet’s energy resources by wasting as little as possible has shown clear results, at least in the field of car making. We are talking about the appearance of a new type of vehicle: the hybrid. Honda is among the numerous car manufacturers taking this approach. The Honda hybrid model lineup features the hybrid Honda Accord and the Honda Inspire.
The hybrid Honda Accord is a mid class vehicle. It is a 4-door sedan with an FF layout. It relies on a 3.0L V6 engine and a 5-speed automatic transmission. The other features of the Hybrid Honda Accord are the wheelbase of 107.9 in, the length of 189.5 in (in 2005) and 191.1 in (in 2006 – 07), the width of 71.4 in (in 2005) and 71.7 in (in 2006 – 07), the height of 57.0 in (in 2005) and 57.2 in (in 2006 – 07).
This Honda hybrid model is an imitation of the North American Honda Accord which was sold through 2005 to 2007. The Hybrid Honda Accord followed the other Honda hybrid models: the Insight and the Civic Hybrid. The third in the line of hybrid Hondas, this Accord model was valued at $3,000 more than the EX V6 model Accord and it preserved the same trim and quality levels, except the 2005 model which did not include the power sunroof. This Honda hybrid model remains at the top of the Honda lineup.
The hybrid Honda Accord presents an equal displacement as compared to the regular seventh generation Accord V6 power plant; yet the horsepower of the this Honda hybrid model is derived from the Honda Odyssey Minivan model of 2005. The Hybrid Honda Accord allows the user to stop three out of the six cylinders in order to save fuel, but only under certain conditions. This cylinder stopping technique is called Variable Cylinder Management (VCM) and it was patented by Honda.
The engine of the Hybrid Honda Accord includes iVTEC technology and also drives a very modern compact transmission. This new transmission was developed in order to allow the inclusion of the electric motor inserted between the transmission and the transversely-mounted engine. The fuel economy in this Honda hybrid model was initially estimated at 29 mpg (8.1 L/100 km/35mpg imp) in the city and 37 mpg (6.4 L/100 km/44 mpg imp) on the highway. With such great properties, it’s no wonder that the Hybrid Honda Accord won the Canadian Car of the Year Best New Alternative Power Award in 2005.
The Hybrid Honda Accord was manufactured between 2005 and 2007 in Sayama, Japan and Marysville, Ohio. The newer versions of this Honda hybrid model are Honda FCX Clarity and Honda Accord Diesel.