2018 Honda Accord Drops V-6 for Turbo-4

Honda Motor Co. will offer a turbocharged 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine on the 2018 Accord midsize sedan in place of the outgoing model’s optional 3.5-liter V-6.

The carmaker says the downsized engine will be more fuel-efficient than the V-6, but the company hasn’t released any performance specs yet. In the Civic Type R hot hatchback, the 2.0-liter turbo makes 306 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque.

The 2.0-liter mill will be teamed with either a 10-speed automatic transmission or a 6-speed manual. Honda says the 10-speed automatic is the first such application for a front-wheel-drive car in the U.S.

The base Accord will get a turbocharged 1.5-liter four-banger paired with either the 6-speed manual or a continuously variable transmission. Honda also is making unspecified changes to the 2018 model’s twin-motor hybrid-electric variant.

The 10th-generation Accord, which will be lower and wider than its predecessor, will share a new modular platform with Honda’s latest Civic and CR-V models. Spy photos indicate the vehicle will have a fastback-type profile. Honda last redesigned the Accord in 2013. The all-new model is due this autumn.