All in Accord

SINGAPORE — Sedans are still the single most popular body type for cars sold in Singapore, accounting for 39 per cent of the market last year. The vast majority of those have to be affordable everyman sedans like the Mitsubishi Attrage or Toyota Vios, given that the market for big Japanese sedans has shrunk.

A decade ago, if you had roughly S$150,000 to spend, you could have gotten a big sedan, an SUV of similar size, or the least-expensive Mercedes sedan, like the C-Class. Nowadays, there are at least five different, new ways to splash that cash, like on a BMW MPV, or a small Mercedes sedan, a small Lexus, or a very strong Korean big sedan like Kia’s Optima. Big sedans, you can imagine a millennial say, are something a boring dad drives.

But big sedans, like tatami or woodworking, is something Japan is really good at. There’s still much to be said for a classic Japanese big sedan, and the Accord is a key example why.

STRAIGHTFORWARD SEDAN

The Accord, which has been face-lifted, has an elegant and very clean design approach that, ironically, makes it more intriguing in a sea of look-at-me car designs. This time, the car draws inspiration from Honda’s hybrid flagship, the Legend, with segmented LED headlights, running lights and a focused-looking front end.

That simple, straightforward approach continues in the cabin. It’s spacious, leather-clad and feels well-made, plus you’ll never wonder why something isn’t where it should be.

Even when it goes high-tech with new features, Honda keeps usability at the forefront: It was relatively easy to pair an iPhone with the compatible, touchscreen-based infotainment system, for instance, and a new blind spot monitor system that shows the left side of the car when the signal comes on is practical and unintrusive.

MISSION FOCUS

If the car seems quiet and serene, that’s because active noise cancelling, like that found on HiFi headsets, is at work as well.

In a nod to current times though, the more expensive 2.4-litre variant is no longer sold here, with the 2-litre unit tested here now the sole Accord in force. It’s a pity, since the 2-litre engine makes as much power and torque as the Kia Sportage’s engine, but has to move more mass around.

Nevertheless, it has a smooth, unhurried drivetrain, and the Accord still handles pretty much like it always has: It’s difficult to find a mix of big-car smoothness and keen handling without spending a lot more. It’s not until you try to park it that you realise the Accord is big. It’s 4.9m long but even then, there’s a multi-view reverse camera to help.

The only fly in the ointment is that the suspension, biased slightly towards what feels like the sporty side, gets overwhelmed by the worst road bumps, something which is increasingly common here, unfortunately.

But overall, we were charmed by the relative simplicity of the Accord. A car can do much better when it’s not trying to do three other things simultaneously, like emulate a bus, pretend to go off-road or save the world.

The Accord, as a modern version of a Japanese classic, does exactly what a sedan should: Look current but understated while delivering a refined, but entertaining drive.

If you understand that, then all is in accord, and a big sedan isn’t boring at all.

Honda Accord 2.0

Engine: 1,999cc, in-line four, 155hp, 190Nm

Performance: 185kmh (est), 0-100km/h: 11.9s (est), 7.6L/100km, 181g/km CO2

Price: S$136,999 with COE

On Sale: Now

PROS: Affordable but big, tech-filled and capable

CONS: Surprisingly busy ride