First Drive: New Euro

[Euro76]

Taken from http://www.goauto.com.au/mellor/mellor.nsf/story2/DD2F8CE8B0417582CA257447000AAD0F

Here's the summary:
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- Will retain the same 3 model as current Euro: Standard, Luxury, Luxury with Satnav

- Standard Euro will have 17 inch wheels as standard with a full size spare tyre

- Luxury Euro will have 18 inch wheels as standard but it will only have a space saver tyre

- Standard Euro gains curtain airbags, a chilled glovebox, rear seat vents and an upgraded sound system with an auxiliary port for iPod use over the outgoing model.

- Some of the advanced electronic systems introduced with great fanfare in European version of Euro will not be available in Australia. These include a radar-based active cruise control system, a camera-based lane-departure warning system and Honda’s new Collision Mitigation Brake System (CMBS)

- New Euros will have a BMW-style service reminder that presents the driver with either the distance or days remaining to a required service, with an enlarged warning symbol appearing when the due date is imminent.

- New 2.2-litre i-DTEC turbo-diesel will not be coming to Australia for a couple of years.

- The uprated 2.4-litre i-VTEC engine develops 147kW of power at 7000rpm (up from 140kW currently) and 233Nm of torque at 4500rpm (up from 223Nm), thanks to a higher compression ratio, larger valves, revised valve timing and reduced exhaust system pressures. On the road, the latest version of Honda’s highly regarded 2.4-litre i-VTEC four-cylinder petrol engine is smooth and quiet through most of the rev range. It has adequate power, but feels the extra weight of the latest-generation body.

- The engine is mated to either a five-speed automatic or a six-speed manual gearbox, with a shift indicator light in the centre of the rev counter to advise the driver of the optimum point (in terms of best fuel economy) at which to change gear. Honda claims fuel savings of up to five per cent by following these commands.

- The new Accord Euro is 50mm longer than the superseded model and sits on a 35mm longer wheelbase. It is 8mm wider than before and 5mm lower.

[Dilan]

I asked two questions about this article in the other thread. Guess I should ask here as well. How accurate is the end of June sale date, I remember reading that it would be September on these forums.

Secondly, if there was a 10% price hike in Europe, doesnt that set the base model at the $37k+ price

[aaronng]

I asked two questions about this article in the other thread. Guess I should ask here as well. How accurate is the end of June sale date, I remember reading that it would be September on these forums.

Secondly, if there was a 10% price hike in Europe, doesnt that set the base model at the $37k+ price

Asking us members for the end of June sale date is no accurate than asking a previous lotto winner what are next week's winning numbers. :) You'll need to wait til Honda Australia announces the release date because we can use the word "accurate".

A price increase in the Europe is for Europe. Not Australia. It is up to Honda Australia to set pricing. Given that those radar cruise control and collision mitigation systems are removed for the cars coming here, those missing features would probably account for a 10% cheaper price if Japan had raised their price by 10%.

[aaronng]

No diesel? Looks like I'll be keeping my old Euro. :thumbdwn:

[Pumped]

Good to see the possibility of the wagon coming to Australia, although i guess at this stage its a bit far off to get excited about
I don't think honda will get my money next time around, its been a nice car to own but it just needs more torque.
my only real complaint is lack of down low torque, its acceptable but sometimes it feels like an effort to drive where as i feel more torque would allow that slump in the low range power to be easier to overcome so you dont have to redline the car to get it going :p

Hopefully theres less minor rattles with the new euro to, although most of mine are fixed now it was my doing that fixed them, dealer werent helpful at all in this regard.

[Euro76]

No diesel? Looks like I'll be keeping my old Euro. :thumbdwn:

As article says that it won't be here for next couple of years, but it did not say that it will not be coming to Australia. There's still a possibility.

[Euro76]

Good to see the possibility of the wagon coming to Australia, although i guess at this stage its a bit far off to get excited about
I don't think honda will get my money next time around, its been a nice car to own but it just needs more torque.
my only real complaint is lack of down low torque, its acceptable but sometimes it feels like an effort to drive where as i feel more torque would allow that slump in the low range power to be easier to overcome so you dont have to redline the car to get it going :p

Hopefully theres less minor rattles with the new euro to, although most of mine are fixed now it was my doing that fixed them, dealer werent helpful at all in this regard.

Honda's VTEC engines were known to have low end torque and high end power. I can't argue with that. The later i-VTEC engines improved it but only a little...I still agreed that there's no torque on low rpm but the real torque just appears on mid range. I think this is Honda's way of managing efficient fuel economy.

[EuroAccord13]

If the increased power comes in @ 7000RPM I wonder what the new redline will be.. Current Euros redline at 7000RPM and cuts out at 7400RPM...

[tony1234]

A price increase in the Europe is for Europe. Not Australia. It is up to Honda Australia to set pricing. Given that those radar cruise control and collision mitigation systems are removed for the cars coming here, those missing features would probably account for a 10% cheaper price if Japan had raised their price by 10%.
I think you'll find there'll be a small price rise(approx.2%)because HA will pull out some or most of the good stuff they get in Europe and US.

[viper8548]

- The new Accord Euro is 50mm longer than the superseded model and sits on a 35mm longer wheelbase. It is 8mm wider than before and 5mm lower.

New Euro's Width: 1840mm (www.acura.com)
Current Euros: 1760mm (www.honda.com.au)

Difference: 80mm

Looks like a typo in the article :p

[honki3rider]

If the increased power comes in @ 7000RPM I wonder what the new redline will be.. Current Euros redline at 7000RPM and cuts out at 7400RPM...
mine redlines at 7 and cuts at 7:confused:

[aaronng]

mine redlines at 7 and cuts at 7:confused:

Mine cuts 7300rpm. Tachos have error, just like speedos.