Motoring: Accord-ing to Farooq, Accord HFP Coupe a fun drive
About two years ago, a new
badge started showing up in Honda
showrooms, and it read HFP. It was
first found on the previous generation
Accord coupe, and then also
found its way to the Civic. But
what are those three letters all
about?
HFP stands for Honda Factory Performance and is a new line of factory parts that helps make some of their current cars a little extra special.
Currently these bits and pieces, which can be bought individually as add-ons or as a package deal in the drive-off-the-lot HFP models, are more about styling and handling rather than extra power.
I recently had a go in the latest HFP offering, the 2013 Honda Accord HFP Coupe, to see how it compares to the standard Accord Coupe, and also how it compares with the previous model.
From a styling point of view, the HFP package certainly looks a lot more aggressive than the standard coupe. It has new skirting front, side and back, which gives the car a lower stance, plus now there is a rear deck lid spoiler to finish off the aero look.
You also get shiny 19-inch alloy wheels specific to the HFP, and they wear Michelin Pilot Super Sport tires (I personally prefer the rims on the old Accord HFP), and while you can't exactly see it, you also get revised performance suspension.
Step inside, and the only thing different are the HFP logos on the red floor mats, which do remind you of the original Honda/Acura NSX. Like the regular Accord model, the interior is well trimmed and very well put together.
Mechanically, there is no upgrade, so you still get a 3.5-litre V6 motor that produces 278hp and 252lb-ft of torque.
Power is only sent to the front wheels through via a six-speed manual or a six-speed automatic gearbox. My tester had the latter, which is a fine unit, but this motor is a lot more fun when you have it with a manual gearbox to play with.
Thankfully the auto gearbox does provide you with steering wheel-mounted pedal shifters, so you can have some redline fun, which is recommended because this motor really shines the harder you push it.
While the motor is excellent and allows you to have lots of fun, I wish the handling of the car could match. Yes, the HFP spec suspension mods do help a little in keeping the body control in check, and the Super Sport tires have tons of grip, but still, this car does not encourage you to seek out the best twisty roads to go have some fun.
All in all, the 2013 Honda Accord HFP coupe is a fine coupe for someone looking for a nice daily driver. It looks good, has lots of equipment, and drives well. It is even priced well, as this HFP model is yours from just $38,290. Given that in my week it also only consumed 9.7 litres/100km of fuel, it isn't expensive to run either. Is it the most fun coupe you can buy for this kind of money at the moment? No, but it is satisfying enough for most of us.
HFP stands for Honda Factory Performance and is a new line of factory parts that helps make some of their current cars a little extra special.
Currently these bits and pieces, which can be bought individually as add-ons or as a package deal in the drive-off-the-lot HFP models, are more about styling and handling rather than extra power.
I recently had a go in the latest HFP offering, the 2013 Honda Accord HFP Coupe, to see how it compares to the standard Accord Coupe, and also how it compares with the previous model.
From a styling point of view, the HFP package certainly looks a lot more aggressive than the standard coupe. It has new skirting front, side and back, which gives the car a lower stance, plus now there is a rear deck lid spoiler to finish off the aero look.
You also get shiny 19-inch alloy wheels specific to the HFP, and they wear Michelin Pilot Super Sport tires (I personally prefer the rims on the old Accord HFP), and while you can't exactly see it, you also get revised performance suspension.
Step inside, and the only thing different are the HFP logos on the red floor mats, which do remind you of the original Honda/Acura NSX. Like the regular Accord model, the interior is well trimmed and very well put together.
Mechanically, there is no upgrade, so you still get a 3.5-litre V6 motor that produces 278hp and 252lb-ft of torque.
Power is only sent to the front wheels through via a six-speed manual or a six-speed automatic gearbox. My tester had the latter, which is a fine unit, but this motor is a lot more fun when you have it with a manual gearbox to play with.
Thankfully the auto gearbox does provide you with steering wheel-mounted pedal shifters, so you can have some redline fun, which is recommended because this motor really shines the harder you push it.
While the motor is excellent and allows you to have lots of fun, I wish the handling of the car could match. Yes, the HFP spec suspension mods do help a little in keeping the body control in check, and the Super Sport tires have tons of grip, but still, this car does not encourage you to seek out the best twisty roads to go have some fun.
All in all, the 2013 Honda Accord HFP coupe is a fine coupe for someone looking for a nice daily driver. It looks good, has lots of equipment, and drives well. It is even priced well, as this HFP model is yours from just $38,290. Given that in my week it also only consumed 9.7 litres/100km of fuel, it isn't expensive to run either. Is it the most fun coupe you can buy for this kind of money at the moment? No, but it is satisfying enough for most of us.
