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There are two Mid-Size Cars that every buyer of a Mid-Size Car has to consider before selecting one of them, or moving on to another – the Honda Accord and the Toyota Camry. These cars are in the consideration set of almost all Mid-Size Car buyers. On a rigid 5-year schedule, Honda is to introduce its all new 2008 Accord in Fall 2007. Honda used the 2007 North American International Auto Show to tip its hand about styling cues for the next generation Accord. it used the Accord Coupe Concept to do this.

Unveiling the Honda Accord Coupe concept did more than ‘wow’ those in attendance at the Detroit Show, it put Toyota on notice. The Accord Coupe Concept telegraphs cues that will be found on the upcoming Honda Accord Sedan.
Accord Has Been Top Selling Car As Recently As 2001, But Not In the Cards Now
The current Toyota Camry, which has been the top-selling passenger car in the USA for several years now and in its latest iteration is Motor Trend’s Car of the Year, will again have a worthy competitor offering consumers a distinctive alternative. In the last 25 years the Accord has sat atop Car and Driver’s 10 Best list all but 4 times. Accord was the top selling car in the USA from 1989 through 1991 and in 2001. The Camry has been the top-seller since it wrested the title away from the 1992 through 1996 king – the Ford Taurus for every year except 2001. Will the 2008 Accord again set the sales benchmark in its segment?
The answer to that question is NO. Accord will not become the sales leader until there is more production capacity added for Accord. At the present time, Toyota can out-produce Accord with its Camry and this is especially true since it began assembling Camrys at Subaru Indiana Automotive.
But back to the Accord Coupe Concept…

The Accord Coupe Concept deliberately fed us the exterior styling cues for the eighth generation Accord. Exterior styling seems to sit somewhere between a Scion TC and Infiniti G35 along with some Camry, 1st generation Lexus IS and maybe even Audi elements. The more aggressive styling and wider stance will help maintain and possibly strengthen Honda’s position in the segment against Camry (and the Nissan Altima).
If Honda resists dulling down the styling cues in the production sedan they may have themselves a real winner.

With room for five and powered by Honda’s next generation I-VTEC V6 with Variable Cylinder Management technology the Accord appears to have taken a proven, winning equation and brought it into the ring with the best in the segment.
An Accord with More Attitude – Don’t Water it Down
For those interested in an Accord with more attitude I think the next generation Accord will deliver. Shot full of steroids the Accord concept hints at the next generation coupe and four-door having stronger styling cues including a longer hood, strong fender flares and bolder snout. Although more menacing in terms of aesthetics the Accord will still carry the social graces that make it a Honda. It will travel up to 29 miles per gallon on the highway thanks to the VCM technology and deliver many years of faithful service Honda owners have come to expect.