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2026 Honda Accord e:HEV RS review: Long-term introduction

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Traditional sedans are on the edge of extinction.

The mid-size four-door was once a staple of suburban driveways, but its popularity – and the proliferation of models available has been devastationd by the shifting sands created with the introduction of the new SUV.

Sure, the sedan is a little better protected at the top-end of town, but there are only a precious few remaining below the luxury threshold, like the Honda Accord e:HEV RS which has recently joined our long-term fleet.

In the following few months we’ll be spending a lot of time behind the wheel of the new 10th-generation version to see whether the sedan still functions as everyday family transport, or has it been sheltered in another environment.

Until then, let’s take a look at it on face value and see what sort of first impression it makes.

How much does the Honda Accord e:HEV RS cost?

Honda only offers a single variant of the current Accord sedan – the fully loaded e:HEV RS that costs $64,900 drive-away.

That positions it in interesting territory, between its long-time rival in the Toyota Camry and a fleet of entry-level European luxury sedans such as the BMW 3 Series, Mercedes-Benz C-Class and Audi A5.

And then there’s a whole bunch of other options like the electric Tesla Model 3, BYD Seal, Polestar 2 and MG IM5, and the Hyundai Sonata and new MG7, plus even the entry-level Lexus ES which is also cheaper than the Accord.

Honda’s hybrid car offers us a problem on sticker price alone is it too expensive as if the standard family sedan, or is being considered re-brandable to be an actual alternative to the older luxury models? Let’ll know…

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What is the Honda Accord e:HEV RS like on the inside?

First impressions are that the Honda Accord’s cabin is a very nice place to spend a lot of time in.

While it’s not a flashy or modern design overall, the dashboard has an almost traditional T-shaped layout with infotainment touchscreen and digital instrument cluster in the horizontal top section of its display; – along with cupholders (and subsequently storage tray and lidded bin) in centre console.

Some nice and unusual touches, however the honeycomb section in the centre with flat toggles to change the direction of air flow from the ventilation system; a large digital (yet analogue) clock dial that stands out in centrally is also known.

And all of the high-quality materials and tactile surfaces feel extremely well screwed together.

It’s a good and supportive front seats, which are well-adapted for adjusting to fit in with dozens of drivers who have excellent vision all around the world.

There’s a lot of room across the back seat for three, with legroom for outboard passengers, twin air vents, two USB-C power outlets and retractable sun blinds for each window. In contrast, the centre-based transmission tunnel in the transmission Tunnel limits the middle seat to small children.

A slick, black interior colour palette does make the cabin heat up in summer sun but it is offset by a subtle splash of colour with red stitching in seats, chrome trim highlights and multi-colour ambient lighting strip which passes through dash and into the door cards.

And the large panoramic sunroof bathes the cabin with light to amplify the sense of space.

The boot has 570 litres of cargo-carrying capacity, so the car will test our ability to drive with the Accord as much luggage as many large SUVs.

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What’s under the bonnet?

Honda Accord 2 s. A 0-litre naturally aspirated four-cylinder engine with an automatic transmission (CVT), which drives the front wheels of its own car, is driven by a continuously variable automatic system that has two electric motors and uses it.

Its primary motor is powerful enough to drive the car at slow speeds and helps the engine accelerate, while the second unit mainly functions as a generator for making sure that 1 is driven by an automobile. During the period, 06kWh lithium-ion battery pack retains enough charge to be used at any given time. But it can combine both e-motors for maximum thrust when called upon, but in its own right way, and only once.

Although Honda doesn’t quote separate power outputs for each component of the system, it says that the whole system produces a total 135kW of power and 335Nm of torque (which is not so crazy/powerful enough to justify its (presumably) RS badge).

| Specifications | Honda Accord RS Hybrid |
| — | — |
| Engine | 2.0L 4-cyl petrol |
| Engine outputs | N/A |
| Electric motor outputs | N/A |
| System outputs | 135kW / 335Nm |
| Battery | 1.06kWh |
| Transmission | e-CVT |
| Drive type | Front-wheel drive |
| Weight | 1609kg |
| 0-100km/h (claimed) | N/A |
| Fuel economy (claimed) | 4.3L/100km |
| Fuel economy (as tested) | 4.7L/100km |
| Fuel tank capacity | 48L |
| Fuel requirement | 91-octane standard unleaded |
| CO2 emissions | 98g/km |
| Braked tow capacity | N/A |

Nevertheless, it is designed mostly to reduce the fuel consumption rather than make eye-popping work. In that regard, it is a good job with alleged average of 4-4 and in that respect. A of 3L/100km is.

A week after its first week in our long-term garage, where it covered a few hundred kilometres (including one decent two-hour stretch on the freeway) The Accord is now at 4 per cent. 7L/100km, .

Interestingly, Honda says the Accord only consumes an average of 2 per cent. It will spend most of its time during our testing period, where it is 4L/100km in urban driving conditions. a fuel-miser, so we’ll know how much of it can be around town.

To see how the Honda Accord stacks up against its rivals, use our
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How does the Honda Accord e:HEV RS drive?

Even in an age of AI-generated animations, it’s still easy to recognise a real photo, video or song, right?

Certain AI stuff is close enough to the real thing that it needs a laser-sharp focus to see the distorted reality, but in person excellence is more immediately apparent.

I’m saying, because there’s a similar thing with mainstream family SUVs; they’re becoming homogenous devices littered with flaws and compromised by their very nature but forgiven for either their price, space or promise of high-tech conveniences. A sixth finger is a subtle but annoying fault many are like an AI-generated photo of someone with ‘the same thing as the one that has sex, and it’s just.

It’s not a perfect fit for every family, as is the case with an under-slung five-eat sedan like the Honda Accord (especially those who have two or three small children) but in terms of how it drives, this reminds us what great automotive engineering should be.

For this type of car, all the basic elements – steering, ride quality, handling, NVH and performance – are absolutely spot on. And it doesn’t pretend to be anything it’s not even .

starters, a hybrid powertrain (for starter) is seamless in the way it uses the electric motors at low speeds; this means smooth and effortless acceleration away from’standstill’ before the petrol motor chimes in completely unobtrusively independent.

Like some other hybrids, there is no obvious vibration or sudden noise when it starts up and at cruising speeds that you barely know how to drive.

Several of that is partly due to the Active Noise Cancelling technology in the audio system, which removes wind and road noise from the cabin so it can be further enhanced by the sense of refinement.

A struts of suspension with MacPherson front and a multi-link rear end – there is no hardened electronic damper to change its character from comfort into sporty. But instead, it’s just a very well tuned so that it can be both, depending on how you drive it.

Certainly, it’s more aboutsoaking up bumps than throwing off ripple strips at the racetrack but is quite well balanced – and even slightly fun (to punt along an unusual country back-road) to be somewhat humorous. It feels much more like a proper car than an elephant on roller skates, as some SUVs do especially on eve of wavy road.

But that is what makes the Accord so special – and features Honda’s engineering nous – how well calibrated its safety suite of systems are.

They can be so overzealous that this myriad of modern functions such as lane keeping assistance, driver attention monitoring and forward collision warning become irritating enough to make owners turn off them automatically before they start driving (which is completely contradictory to having them in the first place).

But on the other hand, Honda has clearly spent a lot of time and effort to tune them properly so that they intervene only when needed and in such ‘you like the car with them – not the way you do it’. So far, we haven’t realised that any safety function is not required to be turned off. This is rare these days.

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What do you get?

Considering that the price is expected, and only in one specification (and with an average list of standard equipment) does the Accord come with a good list.

2025 Honda Accord e:HEV RS equipment highlights:

  • 18-inch alloy wheels
  • LED headlights
  • Keyless entry with push-button start
  • Dual-zone climate control with rear vents
  • Power windows
  • Panoramic sunroof
  • Synthetic leather interior trim
  • Power-adjustable front seats
  • LED ambient interior lighting
  • 10.2-inch digital instrument cluster
  • Head-up display
  • 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen
  • Bluetooth connectivity
  • DAB+ digital radio
  • Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
  • Built-in Google functions including Maps, Assistant and Play Store
  • Over-the-air system updates
  • 12-speaker Bose audio system with active noise cancelling

There is one notable omission The Accord misses out on heated and/or ventilated front seats, which we already noticed makes it uncomfortable on a hot summer’s day because the black-trimmed seats absorb so much heat.

To see how the Honda Accord stacks up against its rivals, use our
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Is the Honda Accord e:HEV RS safe?

The Honda Accord has been sold in Australia for two years and is the latest model of an auto-advanced car, but it’s not tested by ANCAP.

And if it does, it is equipped with all of the new safety systems under the banner of Honda Sensing Technology which would likely have a maximum five-star rating including.

  • Autonomous emergency braking
  • Forward collision warning
  • Lane keeping assistance
  • Traffic jam assist
  • Adaptive cruise control
  • Speed sign recognition
  • Driver attention monitoring
  • Tyre pressure monitoring
  • Adaptive high-beam headlights
  • Front and rear parking sensors
  • Rear cross-traffic alert
  • 360-degree parking display
  • Eight airbags

Moreover, it has the new Honda Connect telematics and smartphone app that (when connected) automatically calls a customer service representative in case of crashing to emergency services which will alert emergency workers with location-specific car location when owner doesn’t respond to phoning, or ask for help.

To see how the Honda Accord stacks up against its rivals, use our
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How much does the Honda Accord e:HEV RS cost to run?

The Accord is covered by Honda’s five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty with free roadside assistance.

Eight years guarantee the battery pack and electric motors of for eight years. Other than this, maintenance of it is very affordable; a first five visit to s was only $199 per visit and maintenance every 12 months or 10,000km.

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childcareman.xyz’s Take on the Honda Accord e:HEV RS

Our first impressions living with the Honda Accord are extremely positive.

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The reminder of what a good car company can do when it is more about quality and refinement than bling or box-ticking. It’s an intelligent, obviously unpretentious car that is quiet, comfortable, efficient and spacious.

But if anything else, the calibration of its safety systems highlights Honda’s dedication to high-quality engineering and shows how good the Accord is at everything else; however, it has a premium price tag for the hybrid-only RS sedan.

While that shouldn’t be the only thing to consider when buying a new car, it makes us ask whether there is more Honda should do to justify the market position of an Accord we will look into over the next month or so as part of our long-term test.

To see how the Honda Accord stacks up against its rivals, use our
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