VIDEO: 2016 Honda Accord facelift ad and features

The 2016 Honda Accord facelift was unveiled in August in the US, and here’s an ad of the “midsize” sedan stalwart. Titled “Dreams” the 60 second spot features an imaginative boy who “makes the most” out of everyday car situations.

From his dad washing a race car too him RC drifting a CR-X and chasing baddies in a go-kart, the boy’s fertile imagination is cute and might be relatable to fellow car fans. Now all grown up and stuck in an office, he looks out to see a 2016 Honda Accord pull over. It all comes back to our hero as his imagination runs wild again. It’s a cue for the ad’s only line – keep the dream alive. Ties in nicely to “The Power of Dreams” too.

We also came across this series of user guidance videos introducing the refreshed Accord’s features in a practical way. The second screen on the centre stack is now a 7.0-inch touchscreen (upper screen is 7.7 inches wide), and one can swipe, scroll and tap on it like on a smartphone. Speaking of that, the head unit now supports both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

Standard on all 2016 Accords in the US is voice command, so one can speak to the system to change things like radio channels and temperature by pressing a steering button.

There are also videos for accessing vehicle settings via the touch screen (customise everything from door lock behaviour to sports flash for favourite teams on Sirius XM), audio and navigation. The latter, an option for EX-L and standard on Touring models, is a Garmin system with the brand’s familiar graphics and UI. It’s voice controllable, too.

Useful in hot or cold weather is remote engine start. As its name suggests, this function allows one to start the Accord remotely via the key fob, which has an extra “Hold” button. Climate control (22 degrees) starts along with the car, and so do the front and rear defrosters and heated side mirrors and seats, when it’s cold. The engine runs for 10 minutes before shutting down, but the period can be extended by pressing the key fob again.

In the US, the latest Accord comes with a 185 hp 2.4 litre Earth Dreams four-cylinder (CVT or six-speed manual) and a 278 hp 3.5 litre V6 (six-speed auto). Chassis improvements include high performance dampers, a retuned EPS (with a more linear and precise response) and a lighter aluminium bonnet. Higher-end models gain larger front brakes, Amplitude Reactive Dampers and hydraulic subframe bushings.

On the technology front, the full suite of Honda Sensing advanced safety systems are now available. Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC), Collision Mitigation Braking System (CMBS), Lane Departure Warning (LDW), Forward Collision Warning (FCW), Lane Keeping Assist System (LKAS) and Road Departure Mitigation (RDM) can all be specified.

Full details and mega gallery here.

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