2026 marks the 50th anniversary of the Honda Accord. Once a popular midsize sedan until the segment as a whole has become a niche in the Philippine market, the Accord remains a strong seller in neighboring countries like Thailand and Malaysia. While we wish for more Filipino consumers to appreciate midsize sedans like the Accord, the nameplate is reportedly getting a major update very soon.
The report comes from Automotive News, which cites insider sources that the Accord will take on a “modern and futuristic” design that will be a complete 180-degree turn from the current conservative and safe looks. The publication also reports that an unnamed source says that the Accord is getting a new face with a narrower grille, slimmer LED headlights, and a sharper rear end.
Now, if that sounds familiar, there is a high chance that the recently unveiled Honda Hybrid Sedan Prototype (as shown), which was unveiled a couple of months ago, would be the facelifted Accord’s design inspiration. Do note that since it is a mid-cycle facelift and not a full redesign, we expect a high percentage of its looks to be carried over in this latest update.
Automotive News cited another unnamed source, who admitted that the Honda 0 Series Saloon’s design “went too far” in terms of how radical it looked, but said that the new Accord will “strike the right balance”. Gary Robinson, head of product planning at American Honda, told Automotive News that customers will see a “substantially redesigned Accord that will feel like a new model.”
Like the recently updated Civic, the new Accord Hybrid is set to inherit the Prelude’s S+ Shift simulated eight-speed automatic. Meanwhile, the pure gasoline Accord won’t be discontinued anytime soon, and it’s expected to survive until early 2030. It is only then that the Accord gets a full generational change, where it will become a hybrid-only model.
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