Honda has changed the strategy for its luxury sedan in Brazil, the Accord, several times. In the past, the car came in versions with six-cylinder engines – which provided good performance, but with high fuel consumption.
The 2.0 turbo engine came at the end of 2018, which reduced gasoline consumption. But efficiency, in fact, arrived at the 2022 line.
The Japanese automaker has adopted a hybrid set that privileges the electric mode. The power dropped from 256 hp to 184 hp, but now there’s the 2.0-liter engine without turbo and two electric ones (one works as a generator). The result: average consumption of 28.9 km/l in the city, the best result ever obtained by a gasoline-powered car in the Folha-Mauá test.
Or more or less gasoline. The 2.0-liter engine works best at speeds above 100 km/h, when keeping pace with the car on the road.
In the city, your job is to power the sprints and keep the small battery charged, burning as little fuel as possible.
Imported in small batches —it is sold practically under order—, the Honda Accord doesn’t even appear on the automaker’s website. But another novelty with a hybrid system is already confirmed for this year: the new generation of the Civic.
The fastest among luxury cars was the BMW M440i, which is equipped with a 3.0-liter turbo engine (387 hp).
The car went from zero to 100 km/h in 4.9 seconds, the same mark reached by the Mercedes CLA 35 AMG. The tiebreaker came in the resumption test from 80 km/h to 120 km/h.
The M 440i completed this part of the test in 2.9 seconds, while the competitor clocked in 3.7 seconds.
The BMW is a classic luxury car: two-door, rear-wheel drive, smooth-running coupe. The space is designed for two occupants, and it is even difficult to access the rear seat.
It is also a rare vehicle to see on the streets, both in terms of design and price – approximately R$600,000.
Its platform is the same as the 3 Series sedan, which will undergo changes soon. BMW confirmed that production in Araquari (SC) starts in September.
The model comes with a new digital panel, consisting of two screens that have a slight curvature. On the outside, there are new bumpers and headlights.
The current model also passed the Folha-Mauá test, in the 320i version. It was the only luxury model with flex technology among those evaluated, with no competitors when fueled with ethanol.
HOW TESTS ARE DONE
To measure the performance of cars, the IMT (Instituto Mauá de Tecnologia) uses the V-Box, equipment that uses a GPS signal.
The acceleration and resumption tests are carried out on the ZF company track, in Limeira (São Paulo countryside).
The stage that checks consumption in the city is 27 km long. To simulate a road trip at 90 km/h, engineers drive for 31 km. Both routes are in São Caetano do Sul (ABC), where the institute’s headquarters are located.
If the car is flex, two measurements are made: one with ethanol, the other with gasoline.
The consumption of electric models is measured through the charger installed in the IMT. The test calculates the cost to run 100 km in urban and road modes.
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