Honda Accord Hybrid

When the Accord was redesigned for 2023, the car’s available hybrid powertrain took a more prominent role: It was now positioned as the Accord’s “premium” engine choice, taking the place of the previous-generation Accord’s 252-horsepower, turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder. The new Accord Hybrid’s powertrain wasn’t as gutsy (it was rated at 204 hp total), but it delivered even better fuel economy than the previous-gen Accord Hybrid: an EPA-estimated 51/44/48 mpg city/highway/combined in the EX-L trim and 46/41/44 mpg in the Sport and line-topping Touring trims. And those three trims were available solely with the hybrid powertrain; the entry-level LX and middle EX trims came solely with the Accord’s base engine: a gas-only turbocharged 1.5-liter four-cylinder.

The Accord was redesigned for 2018, and the Accord Hybrid returned on this new 10th-generation Accord platform midway through the 2018 model year. It used an updated version of the previous Accord Hybrid’s 2.0-liter four-cylinder powertrain and was EPA-rated at 47 mpg across the board (city/highway/combined). The hybrid system’s battery was now mounted under the backseat, where it didn’t affect cargo volume. Minor changes followed for the rest of the 10th-gen Accord’s run, and the hybrid powertrain would play a bigger role in the Accord lineup when the redesigned nameplate debuted for 2023.

The Accord Hybrid skipped the Accord’s eighth generation (2008-12) but returned for the 2014 model year, one year after the ninth-gen Accord debuted. Unlike the first Accord Hybrid, the new one used a four-cylinder powertrain: A 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine was paired with dual electric motors and a lithium-ion battery for total system output of 196 horsepower and 226 pounds-feet of torque. It was EPA-rated at an impressive 49/45/47 mpg city/highway/combined — among the best fuel-economy figures in the mid-size sedan class. A plug-in-hybrid Accord was offered, but only for the 2014 model year. After skipping the 2016 model year, the Accord Hybrid returned for 2017 with a revised powertrain that delivered slightly better fuel economy and an additional 16 hp, for a total of 212.

The Honda Accord got its first hybrid powertrain for the 2005 model year, two years after the Accord itself was redesigned to kick off its seventh generation. The 2005-07 Accord Hybrid was powered by a 3.0-liter V-6 paired with an electric motor for a total output of 255 horsepower and EPA-estimated fuel economy of 28 mpg in combined city/highway driving. That wasn’t a remarkable improvement over the EPA numbers for gas-engine Accords, which ranged from 21-26 mpg combined, though the Accord Hybrid was also the most powerful Accord: The regular V-6-powered Accord was rated at 240 hp. The 2006 and ‘07 model years brought minor updates, and the hybrid took an extended hiatus when the Accord was redesigned for the 2008 model year.