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THE MIDDLE EAST AVIATION BOOM: THE SKY IS THE LIMIT

Honda adds some fizz to line-up

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The 2013 Honda Accord Sedan and Accord Coupe are available in Qatar now and Rory Coen got a chance to take them for a spin around Doha last month.

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braking news

2013 Honda Accord 2.4 i-VTEC

Class Body style Traction Engine manufacturer Engine type Valve Cylinders alignment Displacement Bore Stroke Compression ratio Fuel capacity Top speed 0-100 km/h Front brakes Rear brakes Standard tires Mid-size / Large family car 4-door Sedan FWD (front-wheel drive) Honda K24A-series Spark-ignition 4-stroke Line 4 2354 cm3 / 144.1 cui 87 mm / 3.43 in 99 mm / 3.9 in 11 : 1s 65 litre 227 km/h / 141 mph 8 seconds Disc ventilated 320 mm / 12.6 in Disc solid 305 mm / 12 in 225/50 R 17 V

been driving a 2004 Honda HR-V for the best part of six months now, so when I heard I would be test-driving five brand new Honda grades, I somehow managed to compose my excitement. I was interested to see how Hondas from the future compared with my own nine-year-old. Probably like comparing Messi with Maradona in a contemporary football setting, but I was convinced Id recognise some familiarities. Afraid that the Honda officials would see my power train and complain about how I maintained it its absolutely filthy I parked the old banger well out of sight and strolled down to the quintet of Honda machines that were parked up sequentially, or so I thought, outside the Admiral Club at the Ritz-Carlton. The pedantic officials spent the best part of ten minutes trying to line them up at 180 degrees to each other. My mind drifted back to an episode

ive

of The Simpsons when Chief Wiggum and Lou described the way a certain car was parked as sweet. However on this occasion I dont think I ever witnessed so much effort to gain such little acknowledgment. Maybe this is how Honda operates, I thought to myself. Speed it up, slow it down So the five cars were all 2013 Honda Accords, just different grades of Sedan and Coupe. Off we went, around the Zig Zag Towers and up the Al Khor road. My first taste of the action was in the Honda Accord 2.4 litre i-VTEC Sedan... and as luck would have it, QBS Radio was playing some Eurovision hits from yesteryear. If Bucks Fizz didnt come on with their 1981 winner Making Your Mind Up about five minutes up the road! Keeping heed of that

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B R AK I NG NE W S

New Accord technologies

LED daytime running lights (DRLs) ----------------------------------------------- LED taillights ----------------------------------------------- The Accord 3.5 EX and 3.5 Sport offer Hondas first LED projector headlights for improved visibility ----------------------------------------------- Smart entry and push-button start included on Accord EX and Sport models ----------------------------------------------- The available touch-screen panel offers convenient control of audio, phone and many other functions ----------------------------------------------- Included on Accord 3.5 EX and 3.5 Sport, Honda LaneWatch Blind Spot Display provides an expanded rear view of the passenger side roadway through the intelligent Multi-Information Display (i-MID) ----------------------------------------------- Bluetooth HandsFreeLink, USB/iPod integration and rearview camera ----------------------------------------------- ECON button with Eco Assist ----------------------------------------------- New MacPherson-strut front suspension improves ride and handling qualities, while also reducing interior noise, vibration and harshness. The new, lighter aluminium and steel front subframe also uses a proprietary Honda friction-stir welding process ----------------------------------------------- New side airbags mitigate the risk of excessive airbag deployment force while eliminating the need for the prior Accords Occupant Position Detection System (OPDS)

recurring and extremely annoying lyric, I was able to test the brakes and acceleration to great effect. Four-wheel disc brakes are standard, as is electronic brake distribution (EBD) with brake assist, a four-channel anti-lock braking system (ABS). From LX grades onwards, vehicle stability assist with traction control and hill start assist are also standard on the Accord. Under the hood As in previous generations, two petrol engines are available in the 2013 Honda Accord Sedan and Coupe. These include a new Earth Dreams 2.4-litre four-cylinder and a new Earth Dreams 3.5-litre V6 with revised VTEC and VCM functions. The base 173-horsepower (hp) four-cylinder engine is coupled to an efficient five-speed automatic transmission. Meanwhile, Accord V6 models feature a 276hp 3.5-litre engine coupled to a six-speed automatic transmission.

Although I didnt quite manage it, the top speed of the VTEC is 227 kph and it can go from 0-100 kph in eight seconds. Each of the five cars has a very capable entertainment system in the dash. I hadnt much time to get to grips with the functionality, but I did see some options to change the wallpaper and clock! Its like configuring your laptop for the first time. There was also an in-built and accurate GPS system, which I kept an eye on throughout my short journey. Later on, when I travelled in the Honda Accord Sport, I noticed a side camera on the display LaneWatch Blind Spot Display which pretty much made the right wing mirror redundant. Very useful, I thought. So, after over two hours out on the road, and switching cars three times, we eventually got back to our base at the Ritz-Carlton for a well-deserved luncheon. Not before we lined the cars up in a pseudo-parabolic shape, though, and took some more pictures with the iconic Zig Zag Towers in the backdrop. Of course we did

9 0 Qatar Today

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