Befitting the Accord Hybrid’s mission as an engaging and responsive everyday driver, chassis engineering and componentry are designed to provide a car that is quiet and responsive on city streets, quiet and smooth riding on the highway, and faithful to the driver’s wishes on winding roads.
Accord Hybrid chassis features include a MacPherson strut front suspension, an aluminum front subframe, electric servo brakes, electric power steering (EPS) and Active Noise Control (ANC).
The advanced MacPherson strut front suspension provides superior ride and handling qualities while also reducing interior noise, vibration and harshness (NVH). The 2017 Accord Hybrid also uses an aluminum front subframe that reduces weight and, in conjunction with rear compliance bushings and independent multi-link rear suspension, also measurably reduces NVH. Additional noise reductions are derived from careful tailoring of the underbody and suspension systems. The EPS uses an electric motor to assist the rack-and-pinion steering for reduced steering effort, less power consumption, and improved precision, feel and stability.
Standard on the 2017 Accord Hybrid are 17-inch aluminum wheels, four-wheel disc brakes with Electronic Brake Distribution (EBD), Brake Assist, 4-channel Anti-lock Braking System (ABS), Vehicle Stability Assist™ (VSA®) with Traction Control, and a Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS). Hill start assist is also standard, helping the driver accelerate smoothly from a stop while on an incline.
The standard Active Noise Control (ANC) uses microphones, a signal processor and the Accord Hybrid’s audio speakers to counteract engine noise. Additional noise reductions are derived from careful tailoring of the underbody and suspension systems.
Accord Hybrid Key Chassis Features:
- MacPherson strut front suspension
- Aluminum and steel front subframe
- Independent multi-link rear suspension
- Amplitude Reactive Dampers
- Electric power-assisted rack-and-pinion steering (EPS)
- 17-inch aluminum alloy wheels
- P225/50R17 all-season tires
- Electric servo brake system
- 4-wheel disc brakes with ABS
- Electronic Brake Distribution (EBD) and Brake Assist
- Vehicle Stability Assist™ (VSA®) with Traction Control
- Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS)
- Hill Start Assist
- Active Noise Control (ANC)
MacPherson Strut Front Suspension
A MacPherson strut front suspension gives the Accord Hybrid an exceptionally smooth and quiet ride, stable and responsive handling and flatter cornering. The highly evolved front suspension in the Accord Hybrid has a lightweight design with high dynamic performance providing responsiveness, ride comfort and stability, significantly reduced noise and increased driving enjoyment over the previous model. The Accord Hybrid’s turning diameter is 38.1 ft.
Hydro-compliance bushings mount the front lower suspension arms to the front subframe. These bushings help reduce steering shimmy at all speeds, improve NVH characteristics and ride compliance, and also promote more accurate suspension geometry. The result is an ideal blend of ride quality, responsive steering and precise handling.
Enhanced structural rigidity plays a part in the Accord Hybrid’s new suspension performance, with highly rigid attachment points for the struts, as well as for the front subframe. This new structure is an integral part of the Accord Hybrid’s Advanced Compatibility EngineeringÔ (ACEÔ) body structure, which helps crash performance in a frontal collision. And finally, the repackaging of the front suspension enables a shorter front overhang.
The struts are specially tuned for the ideal blend of comfort and handling. Innovative features include efficient hydraulic valves and seals, a low-friction Teflon® internal bushing, optimized oil specifications, and a special rebound damper spring that dramatically reduces body roll while turning. The 2017 Accord Hybrid features a front subframe connecting bar that contributes to reduced noise, overall body stiffness and dynamic handling response.
Lightweight Front Subframe
The Accord’s subframe, which cradles the engine, transmission and lower suspension mounts, utilizes a unique aluminum construction. Using a process developed by Honda, the subframe joins aluminum components with a type of friction-stir-welding to form a single high-strength, lightweight unit that provides ideal ride and handling properties along with lower weight. The weight savings directly improves both fuel efficiency and overall dynamic performance.
Independent Multi-Link Rear Suspension
The Accord Hybrid’s compact, multi-link rear suspension offers supple ride comfort and excellent overall handling. This system features high-strength stamped-steel upper A-arms with aluminum knuckles and precise geometry that reduces lift during hard braking. The lower links connect to a rigid rear subframe, which is isolated from the body by rubber mounts that reduce drumming and low-frequency sound.
High Performance Amplitude Reactive Dampers
All 2017 Accord Hybrid models feature further improved Amplitude Reactive Dampers that deliver a superior level of ride comfort together with crisp, precise handling. The dampers operate in two distinct performance parameters: a Ride Zone and a Handling Zone. Each zone has a unique set of compression and rebound damping forces tailored to provide the desired ride and handling attributes. In essence, the amplitude reactive dampers operate like two separate suspension systems combined in one. The new dampers are entirely mechanical in operation with no electronics required.
Ride Zone
For short suspension stroke the dampers provide minimal damping effect to provide an extremely comfortable ride where little suspension travel is needed- such as on smooth road surfaces.
Handling Zone
For longer suspension stroke a second damping circuit is engaged. Here damping effect is maximized for enhanced steering feel, improved body-roll control and more secure handling- such as during aggressive cornering or on severe road conditions.
With the Amplitude Reactive Dampers, by adding a second spring floating valve above a conventional main piston valve, the Accord Hybrid maintains it’s very flat and stable body control while offering a suppler and well damped ride quality. For example, while driving on rough surfaces, the application of short-stroke damper movement allows the main piston valve absorb the small vibrations for a comfortable ride. However during hard cornering both the main and second piston valves move that create a much larger damping force for better driving dynamics.
For 2017, development work has centered on the redesign of the oil channel to reduce initial friction and increase linearity for improved response especially in the initial stage of body movement. Front/rear damper friction balance has also been optimized to match, resulting, all together, in further improved ride comfort and handling precision.
The Accord Hybrid features wider diameter anti-roll bars than on the 4-cylinder gasoline engine-powered Accord Sedan, helping to trim body roll to a preferred level during all types of cornering and handling maneuvers. The Accord Hybrid has 19-mm front and 16-mm rear stabilizer bars.
Electric Power-Assisted Rack-and-Pinion Steering (EPS)
Electric power-assisted rack-and-pinion steering (EPS) allows the Accord Hybrid to operate in electric-drive mode with the same responsiveness, feel and precision as in gasoline-engine drive mode. The system uses a rack-and-pinion steering assembly with an electrically assisted steering rack.
This energy-efficient system reduces steering effort while also contributing to the Accord Hybrid’s increased fuel efficiency. Other EPS benefits include a more sophisticated, linear, solid and accurate steering feel, more nimble handling and improved highway stability. For 2017, the EPS features a new control logic designed to provide a more consistent steering weight in varying conditions.
Aluminum Wheels
All Accord Hybrids feature 17-inch aluminum alloy wheels with an exclusive design with 5 sets of grouped spokes and a contrasting black painted inner surface.
All-Season Tires
Reducing the aerodynamic drag and rolling resistance of tires is an essential part of attaining better fuel efficiency for any vehicle. So the 2017 Accord Hybrids use 225mm wide tire that offers the best balance between all-season grip, low drag and low rolling resistance. As always, the tires also excel at providing accurate steering feel, a quiet, comfortable ride and long wear. They are also M+S rated for all-season drivability. The Accord Hybrid comes with a tire repair kit. See the specifications tables at the end of this section for more information.
Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS)
The Accord Hybrid’s Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) helps the driver maintain proper air pressure to improve driving safety, as well as reduce wear and tear on the vehicle’s tires. Located in the instrument panel, a TPMS icon illuminates to alert the driver whenever any of the tires has a significantly low-pressure reading that requires the driver’s attention
Four-Wheel Disc Brakes with ABS
All Accord Hybrid models are equipped with 4-wheel disc brakes with a 4-channel anti-lock braking system (ABS) for confident stops. The front brake disc diameter is 11.5 inches, while the rear discs measure 11.1 inches in diameter. The front calipers have two pistons each and the rear calipers have one piston each. A power brake booster offers a solid pedal feel and an optimized pedal stoke.
ABS independently modulates braking power at each wheel to help the driver retain steering control during heavy braking, while Brake Assist recognizes emergency braking situations and almost instantly applies full braking force when appropriate. (See Safety and Driver Assistive Section for more information).
Electric Servo Brake System
The Accord Hybrid’s electric servo brake system maximizes regenerative braking capability for improved fuel efficiency. The braking system is fully hydraulic from the master cylinder all the way to the 4-wheel disc brakes, just like a traditional braking system. The key difference is that the braking function is electronically controlled rather than a purely mechanical activation, allowing regenerative braking from the electric drive motor to slow the vehicle, rather than the hydraulic friction brakes under most circumstances. Besides its payoff in efficiency, the system offers excellent feel and feedback for the driver through the brake pedal.
When the driver applies the brake pedal, a signal is sent to the vehicle’s Electronic Control Unit (ECU), which determines the appropriate amount of braking force to assign to regenerative braking through the electric drive motor and to the hydraulic friction braking system. In many cases, friction braking is not needed until the vehicle speed drops below 5 mph, as the vehicle slows to a final stop. When the ECU determines that friction braking is needed, the dual hydraulic master cylinder pumps brake fluid through the system. Midway between the master cylinder and the calipers is a separate motorized electronic actuator. This actuator receives an electronic signal, generated in the master cylinder module that precisely defines how the driver has applied the brakes – soft or hard, slow or fast. The actuator then directly apportions hydraulic pressure to the brake calipers at each wheel.
While the gasoline Accord uses a 10-inch vacuum booster to assist the driver in applying needed brake pressure, the Accord Hybrid uses an electric servo brake actuator. The vented front brake rotors are 11.5 inches in diameter, while the rear discs are 11.1 inches. Both front and rear calipers have one piston each.
For 2017, the initial force required to activate the braking system has been lowered by approximately 10 percent for further improved, more linear brake control. Together with a smaller, lighter design, a finer control logic allowing a 25 percent increase in maximum regenerative brake torque combine to further improve fuel efficiency.
Regenerative Braking
The 2017 Accord Hybrid’s electric servo brake system provides efficient regenerative braking effect along with smooth and consistent brake control and feel. Regenerative braking begins as soon as the driver releases the throttle pedal, with a strong regenerative braking effect beginning when the brake pedal is depressed and continuing until the point that the vehicle speed drops below 1 mph, when the friction brakes fully engage. The result is to maximize battery recharging during normal driving – while still maintaining top levels of braking precision and driving enjoyment.
Electronic Brake Distribution (EBD)
Electronic Brake Distribution (EBD) is standard on all Accord models. EBD adjusts front-to-rear brake pressure according to vehicle load distribution for optimum brake balance at all times. Sensors at each wheel send signals to the brake-control module, which can modulate braking pressure based on individual wheel speed, optimizing brake pressure balance on all four wheels, while providing a linear pedal feel.
Brake Assist
The Accord’s electronically controlled Brake Assist is designed to help drivers apply full braking force in a collision-avoidance situation. If the driver suddenly brakes harder than normal, such as in an emergency, the system fully activates the brakes. However Brake Assist does not take over braking – it only assists the driver in obtaining full braking performance in an emergency. Brake Assist deactivates when the driver releases pressure on the pedal.
Vehicle Stability Assist™ (VSA®) with Traction Control
Vehicle Stability Assist™ (VSA®) is an Electronic Stability Control system that works in conjunction with the Accord’s Drive-by-Wire™ throttle and its 4-channel ABS systems to enhance control capability while the vehicle is accelerating, braking, cornering or when the driver makes a sudden maneuver. VSA also provides a limited-slip differential effect for the driving wheels by applying braking force to a slipping wheel, thereby redirecting driving force to the wheel with more traction. While the driver can reduce the traction control effectiveness allowing more wheel slip during stuck condition by pressing the VSA button, ABS remains fully operational at all times. For further information see the Safety and Driver Assistance Section.
Hill Start Assist
All Accord Hybrid models have hill start assist, which holds brake pressure when the vehicle is stopped on a hill for a brief period of time, allowing the driver’s foot to move from the brake pedal to accelerator without the vehicle moving.
Improved NVH
Active Noise Control has, for some time now, served to improve NVH. For the 2017 model, development work centered on further reducing the transmission of engine-related noise and vibrations. To this end, the 2017 Accord Hybrid models adopt a brace reinforcing the rear side of the front subframe, front and rear dynamic damper-type engine mounts, and higher performance sound insulation on the engine hood and the toe board. The results are reduced noise and vibration at low engine speeds and reduced engine noise at high engine speeds and thereby providing the 2017 Accord Hybrid with a comfortable and quiet interior cabin.
Accord Hybrid Chassis Specifications