We recently attended the introduction of the 2003 Accord in Hollywood, test driving all the models over the great roads of the Malibu hills. We have seen the future, and it is impressive. Honda might have outdone itself this time.

With more individual sales than any other car for nine out of the last ten years, the Honda Accord is champion of journeyman transportation. But with the new Accord, the champ has not only remade itself, it has re-invented a new self, without un-inventing the old self. There's still an everyday four-cylinder Accord, higher tech and higher quality. But now there's a gorgeous V6 Coupe with a lot more power and a six-speed gearbox, which will blow your notion of Accord off the old road.

The new Honda Accord comes in more than a dozen different combinations of engines, doors, transmissions and trim levels. The Sedan is available in DX, LX and EX trim. The DX comes with an all-new, double-overhead-cam, 2.4-liter, four-cylinder, 160-horsepower engine (previously a 2.3-liter sohc) and with either a new five-speed manual or new five-speed automatic transmission. LX and EX models come with either the four-cylinder engine or a new 3.0-liter, 240-horsepower, single-overhead-cam V6 with another new five-speed automatic. The Coupe is available in LX and EX trim, with either the four-cylinder or V6. The manual transmission is standard with the four-cylinder, the automatic optional. The LX V6 comes with its own automatic. The EX Coupe V6, a full-tilt sports sedan, comes with the automatic or a new six-speed manual trans-mission.
Anti-lock brakes are standard on all models. Upscale options, depending on the model, may include leather power seats, a moonroof, alloy wheels, steering-wheel audio controls, side airbags, side curtain airbags, and a new voice-activated DVD navigation system programmed with some eight million destinations. Say, "Find nearest Japanese food" to the dashboard, and it will guide you there. Even better, if you know the phone number of a business establishment you're trying to reach, it will take you there.

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For the electronically driven, dealers may install an MP3/Windows Media Player, DVD Rear Entertainment System, and hands-free cell phone.

The in-house theme to the new design, an engineering and marketing goal, was "emotion." Without losing any of the practicality that has sold millions of Accords, Honda wanted people to buy the new Accord because it moved their spirits as well as their bodies. Honda stylists attempted to give the Accord the profile of a cheetah. This isn't easy to repeat without raised eyebrows; however its truth may be mostly a measure of what it means to be a mid-size sedan nowadays. And although no one is going to look at the Accord and say, "Yikes, that looks just like a cheetah!" with a little imagination (and suggestion) you can suspend disbelief.
Although the styling is totally redesigned, the changes are gentle enough that no one will be shocked. The Sedan and Coupe share no sheetmetal whatsoever, although their faces do look alike. They feature a sharpened nose and angular headlamps, reminiscent of an Acura RSX. The corners and sides of both bodies are carefully sculpted with a combination of concave and convex angles, in this attempt to achieve a muscular and agile look, with subtle and unique three-dimensional window glass, also intended to reduce wind noise.

There's been a vast and impressive amount of attention to detail in this redesign, with more new parts than in any of the previous five redesigns. For example, the aerodynamically efficient sideview mirrors are one of the results of the wind tunnel testing. The drag coefficient is 0.30, a big jump compared to 0.33 in 2002. The length of 189.5 inches is only 0.1 inch longer than the '02 Accord, but the wheelbase has been increased by one inch and width by 1.2 inches. The bottom of the rear bumper has been lowered by one inch, and the sculpted wheelwells have a smaller gap around the tires. The roof has been raised by 0.4 inch, but the car looks lower, thanks in part to a sleeker A pillar. The new roof allows more headroom: 1.9 inch more in the front, 2.0 inch in the rear.

Cheetahs aside, the Coupe is a completely different beast. Its flanks and rear deck are much more shapely, flowing naturally and gracefully from the roofline. Its dimensions are virtually identical to the '02 Coupe, but the high beltline, sweeping door lines, sleek roofline and smooth rear fenders give it striking good looks, especially in red. It yields a very aerodynamic 0.29 drag coefficient (0.32 last year) and makes even the upscale Acura CL look dated (a problem to be solved by a new CL, in the works).