So what is it that makes the Honda Accord V6 so different from the Toyota Camrys and Vokswagon Passats of yore?
Is it the statuesque body,made with ACE[advanced compatibility engineering] ,with gleaming high beam headlamps.. which stare right through you as it zooms past you at 220 km/hr .. literally taking your breath away….?
I would rate it as the best one out yet from the ‘H’ stable .. a car which rules in allure and luxury.. as well as where pure Horse power is concerned.. the 3.5 Liter V6 engine is not one for the faint hearted… The I-vtec technology which controls electronically the timing as well as the lift of the intake valves which let in the fuel as per the requirement of torque[short time for low RPM and long time for higher RPM]makes sure that the very last drop of fuel you put in gets used in the best way possible sans any wastage.. It may not be as effective as Toyota’s VVTi[variable valve intelligence of timing-which changes the timing of the inlet valves over a more continuous range of RPM variations.]It gives 275 PS @ 6200 rpm worth of power and torque at 339 Nm @ 5000 rpm .
And yeah being a V6-this should be one mean machine which’ll guzzle the fuel like a beer addict right?
:P
no sweetheart..
as Honda has introduced VCM[Variable Cylinder Management]technology,which let’s the six cylinder work hard at pumping the accord with maximum power as it vrrroms at the summit of it’s torque.. but also puts one bank of the three cylinders to sleep when we are driving it through the usual city traffic..
and since this change from the six cylinder mode to the three cylinder one will be cantankerous for some.. Honda walas have given ANC[active noise cancellation] which emanates out of phase sound waves to cancel out any sound which may come due to a change in the harmonics of the 3 cylinder system. And if this was not enough, then right when the traffic begins to dissolve and we want just a wee bit more cruising power.. four cylinders come into play.. and the ACEM[active control engine mount system] ensure that the cylinders are help firmly in place to guard against any increase in the NVH[noise,vibration,harshness] levels,when they change from the 3 cylinder mode to the 4 or 6 cylinder one and vice versa.
This is one beast which can literally fly on the road.. much like the Terrafugia Transition which is a flying car.. I’d rather call it an aeroplane for the roads..
Kuch jyaada ho gaya lagta hai …..
There are active safety features such as Vehicle stability assist[stabilitrac in GM,Vehicle stability control for Toyota,electronic stability programme for Audi and blah blah.-all basically the carrots from the same field packed into different colored poly bags-matlab the SAME].Vehicle stability control is essentially an anti skid technology which ensures that the vehicle does not understeer or over steer.It does so by employing a sensor which senses if the front as well as rear wheels are moving in the same direction as intended by the driver,via the steering system.If not,the VSA ensures that power from the engine is reduced to the errant wheel set,which are aligned towards the correct direction and the cars moves on without skidding!If this was not enough.. they have given us EBD[electronic brake Force distribution] to ensure that whenever the brakes are applied the force get distributed as per the load in the car and more so in the front as that carries the extra weight of the engine too..this is the same technology which ensures that we don’t fall forward whenever the brakes are applied..
Then we have Anti loch braking system.. which pumps the brake pads/brake shoes at the rate of 18-10 times per minute to slowly stop a wheel fast on it’s way towards getting locked, during emergency braking situations..The Brake assist ensures that maximum clamping power is applied at the time of an emergency,to stop a car.It does so through a sensor which monitors the normal brake process application by the driver,senses if there’s a change in the same and applies the maximum braking force,via brake assist.
The air bags too are technologically advanced in this case as the front dual air bags are i-SRS airbags which are ‘INTELIGENT’ air bags which get deployed only if there’s a person sitting at the position before the airbag.This is very useful,as the air bags if deployed –are a pretty expensive deal to replace,the costs running up to nearly a lakh!
The sensors for the i-srs air bags are situated below the seats,and help in gauging if the position is occupied and whether or not air bags need to be deployed for protection of any occupant.
Similar is the technology used in the side air bags.In this case it is known as OPDS-Occupant Position detection system.They too get deployed only and ony if there are occupants seated in the rear seat,requiring side protection,hence giving the best safety features,coupled with economy..
we have tilt and telescopic steering which helps in adjusting the position and angle of the steering column as per the preference of the driver.But what’s so new about it there are so many other machines with these features.. The Land cruiser 200 has programmable memory for the steering column ,OSRVMs[outside rear view mirrors AS WELL as the position of the electronically programmable seats…
The earlier version of the Honda Accord did not have cruise control or Auto cruise feature,which has now been introduced in the Honda Accord V6.
What I would like to ask is.. why not adaptive cruise control which makes the auto cruise all the more oh-so enjoyable.. with such aggrandized technological firsts where the engine and safety is concerned then why not this too??
:P
I am really greedy right ?:P
Heheheh. .. :D
Coming to the rear seat, we have the audio controls in the rear seat armrest, but then it would be a problem for the person sitting in the middle seat.. as they would have to shift every time someone wants to change the channel or reduce the volume .. probably a remote would have served the purpose better a la Toyota Camry.
The G-CON [Gravitational force control technology] is further augmented by ACE[Advanced Compatibility Engineering].Both these technologies claim to distribute the collision force evenly and direct it away from the passenger compartment, while at the same time minimizing damage to the other impacted vehicle too. It uses four grades of steel in the crumple zones around the car. Crumple zones are the zones in a car which absorb the maximum force and get crumpled in event of an impact, so that minimal impact force is transmitted onto the passenger cabin area..
All i can conclude with is that it's a great car technologically and the best one for those who have 'te need for speed'
but then where in India can you use VCM and Cruise control barring the Mumbai-Pune expressway or the other national highways? It's a great car.. but it would be a waste to get it for our roads..It would rather be advisable to get a Skoda Superb or a Toyota Camry or even a C class if you want just good ol luxury and 'star' value.. else it'll be more like buying a av ante grade race horse and letting him age in the stable..
until and unless all you'd want is to possess it and be very verrry proud of it..
