The tenth-generation Honda Accord 2.0T variants i.e., the 2017, 2018, and 2020 models, are powered by a turbocharged four-cylinder engine that is identical to the Honda Civic Type R’s. Yes, both the Accord and Civic Type R are equipped with the same engine. But, does that mean the Honda Accord 2.0T sedan will prove to be a real thing under its bonnet?
So, with a turbo engine that is kind of adopted from the same carmaker’s Civic Type R variant, the 2020 Honda Accord 2.0T is surprisingly fast. Although it may not be quite as fast as the Civic Type R, it certainly does have serious power when compared with the Toyota Camry TRD sedan with a V6 engine.
The Honda Accord 2.0T however, does not come with all the power that the Civic Type R can deliver. Its 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine is, but, still good enough for producing up to 252 horsepower and up to a 273 lb-ft of torque. That is sent to the rear wheels via a 10-speed automatic transmission since the 6-speed manual transmission is no longer available in these models. Or, perhaps, there may be an option available for the fans of a manual transmission.
What kind of engine does Honda Accord have?
The 2017 Honda Civic Type R is known to be the first-ever brand of Honda in the Type R category of variants to ever be sold in the United States. After Honda’s several generations of variants, few enthusiasts endured the relatively unimposing power from the four-cylinder engines. Honda did not bother messing around with their latest turbocharged Civic Type R’s engine which they decided to use in their Accord sedan variants. It was capable of producing up to 306 horsepower at 6,500 rpm and 295 lb-ft of torque at 2,500 rpm.
Before Honda’s Civic Type R variant was introduced for sale in the United States, many thought that the tenth-generation 2018 Honda Accord sedan would simply terminate the V6 engine and use the Civic Type R’s 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine instead. Surprisingly, not long after its sale was announced, the optional V6 engine in the Accord’s long-time rival, the 2018 Toyota Camry was capable of producing up to 301 horsepower. Honda revealed that the 2018 Accord 2.0T could produce up to 252 horsepower and 273 lb-ft of torque.
The Japanese carmaker Honda, however, does not claim that the engines used in the Accord and the Civic Type R are identical. According to Honda, the 2.0T shares much of its design with the race-bred 2017 Civic Type R. But it’s not just that the 2018 Accord lost 54 of the Civic Type R’s horsepower. The new Accord is also down on power when compared with the Accord V6. Honda doesn’t even hide it, placing the Accord 3.5-litre V6’s specs right in the middle of the 2018 Accord’s press release. In 2017, selecting the upgrade engine resulted in producing up to 278 horsepower, just a little higher.
No matter what, Honda still can tune their 2020 Accord’s engine which could produce up to 306 horsepower. But, it remains to be asked why did the auto-mobile manufacturer hold off? Maybe it wasn’t just to protect their Type R’s status at the top of the performance heap as there is a small halo effect in having the Type R in the line-up. However, in reality, it’s all down to the priorities. For the Civic Type R, it’s pretty much all outperformance. For Accord, it’s not that easy, since they would need to make certain changes for their target buyers.
Aside from this, the fuel economy of the two variants’ may significantly differ in their efficiency targets. It also needs to analyze several things, such as the vehicle size, transmission, and so on, to make the best balance of the engine being used. While the Civic Type R links the 2.0T solely to a six-speed manual transmission, the Accord 2.0T, although is available with a six-speed manual, may still be sending power to the front wheels through a 10-speed automatic transmission.
Merging different behavior with different fuel economy expectations and the Accord’s 2.0T could reveal its power quite distinctly. Though being lower on the horsepower, when compared with the Civic Type R, the torque deficit is at 22 lb-ft only, which is just slight. Furthermore, the Honda Accord’s 273 lb-ft of torque can produce 1,000 rpm sooner than the Civic Type R’s 295 lb-ft of torque. Likewise, the Honda Accord’s torque is 21-lb-ft, which is now more than the 2017 Accord V6 variant, and it peaks at 1,500 rpm, instead of 4,900 rpm. Thus, with the curb weight dropping by 110-176 pounds in the new generation, the Honda Accord 2.0T undoubtedly accelerates with even better power than the previous Accord V6 engine variant.
As for its ability to measure up, the Civic is loaded with performance parts that even if the Accord did push out 306 horsepower, the Type R would easily out-perform it.
How much horsepower does a Honda Accord 2.0 Turbo have?
The 2018 and 2020 Honda Accord variants are a rock-solid choice if you’re looking for a family sedan. Also, there’s always plenty of room for making improvements. Thus, Honda can easily find out how to generate more power from their Civic Type R engine under the bonnet, perhaps, with just a simple plug-and-play device.
Honda decided not to equip the naturally-aspirated V6 engine in the 2020 Accord model. But, at least the carmaker did deem fit to offer a turbo with a four-cylinder in its stead. Though modulated from the version found in the hot hatch, the 2.0-liter turbo engine is able to produce up to 252 horsepower and 273 lb-feet of torque in the mid-size sedan. This is not bad, but it also may not be that good enough for Honda.
Using certain portions of the same ECU unit, their cars could perform better. Honda has developed a pair of preset software tunes that can be used in the Accord to help find its hidden Type R-like ability. Thus, the carmaker started by strapping a stock 2.0T model to the dyno to get a baseline reading, and the Accord delivered up to 266 horsepower and 292 lb-ft of torque. The Stage 1 tune-up pushed the figures up by 10 and 40, respectively, up to 276 hp and a 332 lb-ft of torque, which is already a marked improvement.
However, the Stage 2 tune-up took things even further, where it pushed the Accord’s 2.0T engine up to 288 hp and an impressive 377 lb-ft of torque. That’s some serious load of torque. And while the increase in the horsepower is quite modest, keep in mind that these are the peak output of figures after being tested. In the midway RPMs, where a lot more everyday driving takes place, owners should experience an increase of up to 50 hp from the stock power curve.
You may also purchase the FlashPro device for $695 directly from Honda. The device plugs into the Accord’s OBDII port. Alternatively, you may take your Accord to a Hondata-certified car dealer and have the device installed on one of the stage tunes, for which it may cost you about half the price. Either way, it’s pretty much a lot more affordable than having a Civic Type R turbo engine installed in your Accord car.
2020 Honda Accord 2.0T vs Civic Type R’s Engine
Though the 2021 Honda Accord 2.0T model does not come with a manual transmission, the sedan is capable of out-performing the Toyota Camry TRD V6 for sure. That’s also partly because of the powertrain shared with the Honda Civic Type R hot hatch. However, even though the Accord is fast enough, the question is, could it be as fast as the Civic Type R?
The tenth-generation 2020 Honda Accord 2.0T sedan variant delivers power with its 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine, which is the same, just like in the 2020 Civic Type R. In fact, the engine used in their Honda Accord sedan is derived from the Type R. The 2020 Honda Civic Type R can produce up to 306 hp and a 295 lb-ft of torque. That power goes to the front wheels exclusively through a 6-speed manual transmission. On the other hand, the 2020 Honda Accord 2.0T produces up to 252 hp and a 273 lb-ft of torque. While the hybrid model comes with a continuously variable transmission (CVT), the 2.0-liter engine offers a 10-speed automatic transmission.
The Honda Accord 2.0T is faster with the automatic, although the 6-speed manual can be fun. With it, the sedan clocks from 0-60 mph in about 5.7 seconds. However, the Civic Type R did the same in just 5.1 seconds. But, again, measuring speed and performance by clocking it from 0-60 isn’t the only point in measuring its performance. Still, despite having the Civic Type R’s engine, the 2020 Honda Accord sedan doesn’t quite have its speed.
The 2020 Honda Accord 2.0T sedan was thus, able to hold to its status well against the Civic Type R, although both have the same engine. The Honda Accord, as a family sedan, is quite better than the Civic Type R. One reason is that it offers additional seats to comfortably accommodate one more person. Also, its engine is much quieter and more fuel-efficient. It’s also cheaper in that even the range-topping Accord Touring costs about $600 less than the Type R. The Sport is about $10,000 cheaper.
Write A Comment