Honda today announced a mild makeover for its European market Accord sedan and Tourer models, which are basically the same cars as the North American Acura TSX. For the new model year, the Accord receives some styling tweaks along with a revised 4-pot diesel and improved ride and handling.


On the outside, only a trained eye will notice the redesigned front grille with additional chrome elements, the headlights with clear finish indicators and the new front bumper. Other changes include the red finish for the reversing light, the addition of a decorative chrome strip above the license plate and the introduction of three new colors - Alabaster Silver, Graphite Luster.

Inside, new seat materials and door linings improve the ambiance, while Honda also added a metal-look finish trim on the steering wheel, gear level, hand brake, door inlays and the dashboard. The Type S models get exclusive textile-leather seats finished in dark grey, black head lining and red footwell lighting (blue for the rest of the range).

On the technical side, engineers worked their magic on the 150HP 2.2-liter i-DTEC 4-cylinder diesel engine, reducing internal frictional losses for improved fuel economy and emissions. No consumption figures have been released, but the automaker states that the sedan with 6-speed manual gearbox registered a 9 g/km drop in CO2 emissions, while the automatic an 11 g/km decrease. Aerodynamic underbody aids, low friction wheel bearings and reduced rolling resistance tires further improve the Accord’s economy.

To improve handling, the Japanese firm's engineers worked with their German and British counterparts to refine the damper setup.

Additionally, the cabin has been made quieter, thanks to better noise insulation combined with a thicker rear window glass, while the range-topping Accords can be specified with Active Cornering Lights and High-Beam Support System. The latter detects oncoming traffic (or the tail lamps of a vehicle in front) and automatically reverts from high-beam to normal setting, allowing for more relaxed night-time driving.

The revised Accord will receive its public debut at the forthcoming Geneva Motor Show and go on sale across Europe in April.

Are unconventional droptops becoming the darling of the automotive industry? Honda is evidently paying close attention to the new Murano CrossCabriolet from Nissan, and apparently it likes what it sees. Historically averse to convertibles (small-volume jobs like the S2000 excluded), the Japanese automaker now plans to offer a soft-top CUV of its own, and the unlikely choice for a roofectomy is the slow-selling Honda Accord Crosstour.

Unimaginatively dubbed the Accord Crosstour Cabriolet, this convertible features a two-plus-two interior seating arrangement and unlimited headroom. Under the hood sits the familiar 3.5-liter V6 engine, which produces 271 horsepower and 254 pound-feet of torque. Like the fixed-roof Crosstour, the Cabriolet will be offered with front- and all-wheel drive, giving it more configurablility than the AWD-only Murano. Like the Nissan, the cabrio conversion has resulted in two fewer doors and the merciful exclusion of a basket-handle structural support. Oddly, to our eyes, the Crosstour Cabriolet almost looks more attractive than the hunchbacked hardtop – at least with the top down.

When it goes on sale this summer, the Honda Accord Crosstour Cabriolet will sit atop the Crosstour's pricing structure. The fully-loaded Crosstour we reviewed in 2010 had a sticker price of $36,930, so expect the convertible to come in right at a stitch over the $40K mark. That's a bit less than the $47,190 Nissan wants for its Murano CrossCab.

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