LOS ANGELES — The Honda Accord midsize sedan undergoes a mild refresh for the 2021 model year, mostly focused on front exterior styling across all trims and power-delivery improvements to the hybrid model.
The base LX trim of the gasoline model gets a $500 price hike to $25,725 including shipping. The 2021 model goes on sale Tuesday.
Exterior styling changes include a wider, restyled front grille with better integration of the radar unit used for safety and driver-assistance features, Honda said Monday.
On higher trims, there are new LED headlights with wider road illumination and smaller openings for the fog lights. For 2021, Honda is offering new alloy wheel designs and a new gray pearl color on some trims.
Inside, lower trims now come standard with an eight-inch touchscreen and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration. All trims now come standard with a rear-seat reminder that alerts the driver to check back seats before exiting the car.
The automaker is pushing the hybrid as the best value, offering stronger acceleration for the new model year thanks to improvements to the hybrid system “for a more direct and immediate throttle response with a more natural acceleration feeling as engine revs climb in concert with the driver’s throttle input,” Honda said.
Horsepower is unchanged for the hybrid system, which uses a non-turbo engine in concert with an electric motor and battery pack.
For a $1,600 premium over the base LX gasoline model, the base hybrid offers 20 more hp at 212 hp and significantly improved fuel economy. The gasoline model is rated at 33 mpg in combined city and highway driving while the hybrid is rated at 48 mpg in combined driving.
On the gasoline model with the base 1.5-liter turbocharged engine, there is a new Accord Sport SE (special edition) trim that replaces the EX trim.
“The new Sport SE adds leather seats, heated front seats, a four-way power passenger seat to complement the addition of 12-way power driver’s seat, heated mirrors, smart entry, and remote engine start to the popular Accord Sport 1.5T grade,” Honda said. The new trim starts at $29,675 including shipping. The hybrid model retains the EX trim, starting at $31,275 with shipping.
The most expensive Touring trim with a 2.0-liter turbo motor and 10-speed automatic transmission has a starting sticker price of $37,655 with shipping, a $300 increase over the 2020 model year.