New 2016 Honda Accord With Major Tech Upgrades

(RTTNews) - Japanese automaker Honda Motor Co. Ltd. (HMC) on Friday unveiled a refreshed model 2016 Accord on a day which marked the opening of its new Silicon Valley research and development facility.

It is the first time the company has launched a new vehicle in the U.S. technology hub.

Honda also announced a new open innovation R&D initiative, Honda Xcelerator, which will provide resources to breakthrough technology innovators to help rapidly develop prototypes with the potential to transform the automotive experience.

"Where else to introduce the most technologically advanced midsize sedan, the 2016 Accord, than in Silicon Valley," said John Mendel, executive vice president of the Automobile Division, American Honda Motor.

The 2016 Honda Accord Sedan and Accord Coupe will hit showrooms in the U.S. in August. The company said pricing information will be announced at a later date.

The 2016 Accord, an updated version of the model on sale since the 2013 model year, got a sharply creased, sportier and sophisticated look and will be the most high-tech Accord ever. It has a more dynamic styling, including first 19-inch wheels and tires on Accord.

It also features a new aluminum hood with sharper character lines that meet up with a brighter, more expressive front grille encompassing new headlights with LED elements and new LED fog lights. In the rear, the Accord gets restyled LED taillights and a similarly aggressive rear bumper fascia redesign.

The Accord will continue to be offered with two advanced Honda engines, a direct-injected (DI) 2.4-liter inline i-VTEC 4-cylinder and a 3.5-liter VTEC V-6 that is the most powerful engine offered in a Honda sedan to date.

There are not as many visual changes inside, but there is a new 7.0-inch display audio touch-screen interface that forms part of the infotainment system.

Honda said the new 2016 Accord features many technology upgrades and will be its first high-volume vehicle that will come equipped with both the latest 'Apple CarPlay' and 'Android Auto' smartphone integration systems, which connect driver smartphones with vehicle dashboard interfaces to potentially reduce driver distraction.

The 2016 Accord will also feature Honda Sensing, a suite of safety and driver-assistance technologies, which includes a collision mitigation braking system with forward collision warning, lane keeping assist, road departure mitigation, lane departure warning and and adaptive cruise control, among other features.

The 2016 Accord also adds HD Radio, heated rear seats, front and rear parking sensors, and a number of other new features and technology to be revealed in coming weeks. Details on the Accord Hybrid will be announced at a later date.