1 Jan 1986
A radical redesign banished the conservatism of the previous generation for a slinky, sporty style in both the four-door sedan and three-door hatchback variants.
The distinctive pop-up headlights and astonishingly low bonnet line (an upshot of Honda’s trademark “wishbone” design suspension) afforded excellent vision, aided by a low dashboard and deep glass area.
The integrated cabin, cavernous boot and lavish equipment levels were also noteworthy.
Power came courtesy of a 78kW 2.0L engine mated to either a five-speed manual or four-speed auto transmission.
A minor facelift in early ’87 brought a new badge (Si, replacing the EX model), body coloured bumpers, cruise control, a sunroof and fuel injection – the latter boosting power to 85kW.
A limited edition Grand Prix arrived in late ’87, followed in early ’88 by a base Accord LX model powered by the old 78kW 2.0L engine.
By the end of that year the hatchback finally succumbed to the popularity of the radical Prelude Mk3.
