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Honda Accord Hybrid falls well short of 47 mpg, says Consumer Reports [w/video]

Do not poke Consumer Reports with the hybrid fuel economy stick. That seems to be the lesson illustrated here yet again. The Honda Accord Hybrid is the latest to arouse the ratings bear, returning "just" 40 combined mpg in CR testing. Even so, that makes it "a class leader for fuel economy among midsized sedans," besting even the Civic Hybrid in CR testing, but that's still a lucky roll of the dice short of its EPA rating of 47 mpg. Remember, it was back in December 2012 that CR knocked the Ford Fusion and C-Max hybrid models for the exact same failing: certified with an EPA-rated 47 mpg but delivering "just" 40 mpg.
Beyond that, while the Accord Hybrid earned a lower overall score than the traditional gasoline Accord because of its ride, handling and refinement issues, it gets unqualified applause from the institute for its "very impressive hybrid system."
It will be interesting to see if CR's findings will negatively impact the model's sales, which to this point have been impressive enough that demand is outstripping supply. In the meantime, you can check out CR's brief video review of the Accord Hybrid below, and check out the magazine's press release chiding its mpg rating.

Takata airbags were adopted in late 1990s to save a few dollars per vehicle

According to a new report from The New York Times, General Motors started using airbags supplied by Takata in the late 1990s as a cost-saving measure even after receiving warnings about their safety. Takata's airbag modules were reportedly 30-percent cheaper than its competitors' offerings. GM approached Autoliv, which until that time had been its main airbag supplier, to see if it could offer a competitively priced alternative to Takata. Autoliv tested Takata's airbag inflator and found that it was unsafe, according to scientists who worked for the supplier at the time. Chris Hock, who until recently still worked for Autoliv, said the inflator "turned it into shrapnel" when tested. GM was subsequently warned by Autoliv that Takata's ammonium nitrate inflators were potentially dangerous. Still, "General Motors told us they were going to buy Takata's inflaters unless we could make a cheaper one," said Linda Rink, who served as a senior scientist at Autoliv at the time. A spokesperson for General Motors told The Times that it would be inappropriate to comment on discussions that "occurred two decades ago between Old GM and a supplier." So far, no Takata-supplied airbags have ruptured in an accident, and GM was far from the only automaker to make a switch to Takata airbags in order to save money. A total of 64 million airbags have so far been recalled from nearly every automaker selling vehicles in America. A spokesperson from Honda said in a statement to The Times that "There was no industry understanding in the late 1990s" that ammonium nitrate airbag inflators were risky. The majority of deaths linked to Takata airbags were in vehicles built by Honda. Takata still produces airbag inflators that use an ammonium nitrate compound, despite the devices being blamed for at least 14 deaths. Click here for NHTSA's dedicated site on open Takata recalls. Related Video: News Source: The New York TimesImage Credit: Joe Skipper / Reuters Government/Legal Recalls GM Honda Safety autoliv

The 2018 Honda Accord will have the Civic's sexy roofline

The current ninth generation Honda Accord started production in 2012, and although the midsize sedan got a facelift in 2016, it's time to start looking ahead to the tenth generation. Honda is fresh off the successful launch of the latest Civic, so expect a strong follow up to what is already one of the best sedans on the market. Our spy photographer caught the latest heavily-camouflaged model out testing. As with so many test vehicles, this latest Honda Accord is heavily covered with camouflage. The overall shape is very Civic-like, with a fastback roofline and short trunk lid. The headlights appear to be wide, narrow, and similar to the current design, but again it's difficult to make out any specific details. Our photographer also managed to get a couple pictures of the interior, but those don't reveal much other than a number of buttons, which is an improvement over Honda's current infotainment system. It's difficult to see if the two-screen setup remains. Other than that, these photos don't reveal much. We can only speculate on things like interior improvements or engine and options, but turbocharging and CVTs are almost assuredly on the table. The future of the V6 seems especially uncertain as much of the Accord's competition has moved to four-cylinder only power. Look for a full reveal the 2018 Honda Accord sometime next year. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2018 Honda Accord Spy Shots View 15 Photos Spy Photos Honda Sedan