Times are a’changing. There’s an ongoing recession, SUVs are taking over the auto industry like Terminators, and vaccines are rolling out to conclude what has been a very tough year for the majority of global citizens.
The Honda Accord has witnessed the socioeconomics of revolution. In 44 years of existence, it has seen several presidents, wars, and bouts of recessions to come out largely unscathed, claiming accolades in doing so. Yet, it has remained a humble passenger car for the American masses.
For the first time though, that bubble is threatened. SUVs are selling like hotcakes right now. Sedan sales have tumbled for the first time in decades — dethroned after a multi-generational reign as the most popular consumer vehicles. Current sales indicate a slope that continues to slip.
What does this mean for the Accord? While sales remain good enough for Honda to keep building them, there’s no indication in the marketplace of sedans to be on the rebound. So before the industry reaches the point of no return, Honda should work within the window they have and take the Accord to new heights.
Here’s why it’s time for the Honda Accord to become a fastback.
It's Already Halfway There
When the tenth-generation Accord debuted in 2017 for the 2018 model year, it adopted a sleeker design that didn’t miss out on practicality. It's a pretty thing with a dedicated focus on blade wheels if you go for the Sport model. The Accord adopted this shape in their notion to drop the two-door coupe variant so Honda could focus solely on the sedan. They hoped coupe buyers would convert to the sedan as a win-win solution for both the consumer and the brand.
Not too long ago, Honda sold another variant of the Accord — in the form of the Crosstour. Debuting in 2010 midst of a recession, the Crosstour never sold in great numbers. However, buyers could benefit from increased practicality thanks in part to a hatch-like liftgate in the rear. Declining sales meant the Crosstour met its fate in 2015.
If Honda’s intention is to appeal to the best of both worlds, why not incorporate a hatchback lift-gate? This would enable the brand to grow the Accord’s audience to those who want a brand new Crosstour as well as coupe shoppers. It would increase the Accord’s practicality as well as bring a more appetizing proposition in value.
Cost Comparisons
The Honda Accord’s most eminent rivals, Toyota and Nissan, carry a starting price of at least $25,000 after destination charges. Even the aging Volkswagen Passat starts just ten bucks shy of that number. Every one of their similarly-sized crossover offerings cost even more before you start to tack on options.
With inflation continuing to go up, the Honda Accord can take the opportunity to evolve. It wouldn’t be their first rodeo in trying something new — S2000 and NSX — nor would it be the first time they tweaked the Accord platform — coupes and Crosstour — to experiment with new success. Furthermore, parts sharing with the CR-V and Passport crossovers would keep costs down on developing a hatch opening that enables more cargo volume.
Make The Fastback A Necessity
The fastback body style is not a volume seller no matter who sells it. Examples include the Kia Stinger, Porsche Panamera, Tesla Model S, and the various BMW Gran Coupes based on the sedan platform. All of these carry a premium status on behalf of their respective badges.
The Honda Accord has the potential to take fastback mainstream. In order to succeed, Honda would have to appeal to the rental fleet market so bundles of Accords could be sold at a time. Over time, this would lower the costs of producing a hatchback sedan. Meanwhile, competitors could be forced to evolve to match the popularity of the Accord and bring sedan sales back on the upswing in one swoop.
Lastly, beyond the present sleek styling and a high content list for the base model in 2021 (Apple CarPlay, alloy wheels, and active safety tech come standard), why should it be a Honda Accord as opposed to a Toyota Camry or Nissan Altima? Because the Accord has remained the class standard for driving dynamics and engineering.
Car And Driver have just released their 10Best list for the incoming new year. The Honda Accord has nabbed its 35th nomination from the esteemed publication. Here's what they had to say in 2019:
"It (Accord) becomes something much more than that—rewarding, engaging, fun—when you hustle the car harder than most drivers do...The Accord’s dynamic competence is always lying in wait for a discerning driver to wake it."
— Eric Tingwall of Car And Driver
To be a successful commuter car is to encapsulate enough excitement in the engineering that ensures not only do we need to, but we want to keep driving it. On numerous occasions, stories have been shared by people who’ve had Accords and wished they kept them for the sake of sentimentality.
Changing Identity
In that same article, they note how the Honda Accord is one of the most evolved consumer products in the world. This is indicative of a company willing to take chances that have yielded positive results in the past. The Accord carries the gene of evolution backed by the brand’s ability to successfully conform to change.
This includes, rather tragically, dropping the manual transmission for 2021. But when one door closes, another one opens — in this case, the enabling opportunity for the Accord to move upmarket similarly to the Kia Stinger. The difference would lie in the Accord’s price tag which would undercut the next most expensive fastback by thousands.
Meanwhile, the Accord is available in a flurry of flavors that include Sport and hybrid variants available across the range. 2021 Accords have received modest updates to keep it fresh until the next-gen model arrives.
For decades, sedans have delivered lasting benefits in performance as a compelling key strength. Consumers have always seen gains in acceleration, handling, and fuel mileage thanks to a lower center of gravity while lighter on the scale. People want crossovers because they want practicality. A boost in practicality is just what the Accord needs to succeed.
The sedan is dying, long live the Accord. Now's the time for Honda to take another chance on the ever-evolving species it's perfected. Let us socially enable metamorphism for others to follow so consumers can continue reaping the benefits of sedans by what they're capable of. Now, can we have a positive automotive scandal that aptly goes by the name of Lift-gate?
December 28, 2020 at 09:45PM
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