2013 Honda Accord

The Accord lineup again comprises sedan and coupe models. Significant highlights are a fresh powertrain lineup developed under the company's Earth Dreams banner that includes a new direct-injection four-cylinder, updated V6; revised transmission portfolio, including a continuously variable transmission; and a couple of hybrid offerings.

The 2.4-liter engine is based on a new lightweight architecture. It gains direct injection to produce 185 hp and 189 lb-ft of torque, improvements of 8 hp and 28 lb-ft over the outgoing car's base 2.4-liter engine. Connected to the four-cylinder is a standard six-speed manual (compared with a five-speed in the 2012 model) or a CVT that replaces the five-speed automatic.

Fuel economy ratings for the Accord sedan with the manual come in at 24 mpg city and 34 mpg highway, while the CVT helps return a 27-mpg city rating and 36 mpg on the highway. It's worth noting that the four-cylinder and CVT combo, which will be the volume drivetrain, falls short of the non-hybrid fuel-economy title in the midsize sedan category. With the city fuel economy rating of 27 mpg and highway rating of 38 mpg for its 2.5-liter four-cylinder and CVT, the new Altima has bragging rights.

Unlike competitors such as the Sonata, Optima and the upcoming Malibu and Fusion, Honda sticks with a V6 as the upgrade engine option instead of moving to a force-induced four-cylinder. The revised 3.5-liter V6 gains an expanded variable cylinder management range for improved fuel economy and sees a small horsepower bump from 271 to 278 hp. Together with a new six-speed automatic gearbox, the sedan receives a 21-mpg city rating and 34-mpg highway rating.

For hybrid fans, Honda is working on two hybrid Accords -- a plug-in and a regular hybrid. Both are developed around a 2.0-liter Atkinson cycle four-cylinder with a 13:1 compression ratio, a two-motor hybrid system and lithium-ion battery pack. In the plug-in, the engine and electric motors are good for a combined 198 hp and 225 lb-ft of torque.