Accord takes on the Germans; ON sale next month, the new Honda Accord is out to steal a piece of the action from the likes of BMW and Audi. CHRIS RUSSON has been driving the Tourer version

Evening Chronicle (Newcastle, England), May 30, 2008

Byline: CHRIS RUSSON

THE latest Accord from Honda takes the new model up-market in a big way. For the Japanese car maker intends to take sales from premier German brands.

Not content with its thousands of loyal buyers who will, no doubt, each put their money where their mouth is when it goes on sale next month the new Accord, is aimed at BMW and Audi customers.

In what Honda calls "the journey towards premium", it has taken the latest generation Accord well into the executive sector to offer buyers of German premium models a tempting alternative. And having driven the new car I was left in no doubt that this model is very definitely a credible option.

Externally it's not a car that has undergone dramatic design changes, the new look being more evolutionary than revolutionary - and that's intentional.

Honda says it's outgoing model, launched in 2003, was very radical at the time and set the scene for more stylish, more European Hondas like the current Civic. It was not felt the changes for the latest Accord, however, should be as dramatic as on the Civic .

Having said that the differences are many and varied. The new model looks far more muscular and far more sporty. It's almost as if the outgoing model had been sent to the gym to work out for a year or so.

The body is wider and lower - following the desire for a more sporty look - and the wheel arches are more muscular. From the front the deep grille also adds to the athletic appearance.

Honda knows its market well and says Accord buyers want a car that looks like a performance car although they don't actually want a performance car.

There won't, therefore be an Accord Type R.

The sportier styling means the new Accord is being pitched against the more sporty looking BMWs and Audis like the BMW 318d M Sport and Audi A4 S line. In fact these models have been used as the benchmark for the new Accord.

The new model uses an entirely new platform, which is identical for the saloon and the Tourer (estate). And because the underpinnings are now common to both cars it means the saloon is longer than the outgoing model but the Tourer is slightly shor ter.

Extra width means more interior space for passengers but also means the wheels are wider apart, which gives better road holding and more responsive handling.

While from the outside the new model is still easily recognisable as an Accord the inside story is dramatically different. In fact the interior changes are definitely revolutionary.

It has a cockpit-like feel to it with the dashboard and centre console wrapping themselves around the driver and front seat passenger.

Gone is the dominant large speedometer which was immediately in the driver's line of sight on the outgoing model, to be replaced with a matching speedo and rev counter.

Both dials and centre console - with its abundance of switches - look far more busy than before and the steering wheel now has more buttons on it than the steering wheel on Jensen Button's Formula 1 car.

Prices start from pounds 19,260 for the saloon petrol models (pounds 20,560 Tourer) and pounds 21,060 for the diesel saloon (pounds 22,360 Tourer) in the entry level ES spec.