Honda Accord V6 (old)

Here is a car which is semi-sensible and semi-lunatic

Published on Sep 30, 2009 07:00:00 AM

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The all-aluminium, 3.5-litre, i-VTEC V6 is the largest and most powerful engine that Honda has ever offered in a passenger car. With 271bhp and 34.5kgm on tap, there are few cars in India that can keep up with it in a straight line.

Just like the Old V6, the new Accord feels like a Rottweiler on a short leash, always snapping at the heels of slower traffic, but it’s missing some of that immediacy in throttle response that the old car had. Still, the car lunges forward at the slightest tap on the throttle and your right foot has to do a constant dance between the throttle and brake pedal to control the surge. Here, at these low speeds, you’ll appreciate the extra urge that makes quick overtaking easy.

The V6’s mid-range is bulldog strong and there’s no shortage of that lusty top-end performance that Honda engines are renowned for. It’ll breach the 100kph mark in a believable 8.6 seconds and blow past the 200kph mark like a rocket ship.

The power delivery is linear, the tug is strong and the engine is smooth; there’s everything you would want from a powerful engine. Performance, especially at medium speeds, shoves you into the seat and you really have to be gentle with the throttle to drive it smoothly. It’s huge fun, hugely addictive and you’ll need the abstinence of a monk to not rev it to the redline every chance you get.
With prices starting at Rs 28.54 lakh for the base V6, this is a car that is an expensive buy. Surprisingly, it’s not all that expensive to run. We got 6.7kpl in the city and a stunning 12.2kpl on the highway.