The recession hasn’t receded yet. Carmakers are downsizing the mighty eight and twelve cylinder powerplants to smaller capacity three and four cylinder forced induction engines for better fuel efficiency and lower running costs. So what were the honchos at Honda thinking when they decided to launch a V6 in India? Especially when the sales of the Accord’s seventh generation V6 variant were plagued by uninspiring fuel efficiency characteristics of a large engine? Well , Honda claim to have done their homework. This time around , they are all set to erase the memories of the old V6 with a new 3.5-litre V6 mill mated to a technology called the Variable Cylinder Management (VCM) , which they claim makes the car more fuel efficient while maintaining the power surge a V6 is known for. Is it for real then? Let’s find out if the VCM moniker is a mere marketing gimmick or a real step forward for better fuel efficiency from a monstrous engine.

Before we get to the engine , let’s see how much has changed on the outside as compared to the 2.4-litre Accord. The V6’s front grille trades in the previous iteration’s three-slotted design for a more pronounced , chrome plated single ridge while the tail gets a small boot lip spoiler. These bits are availabe for the 2.4L as an accessory but on the V6 they are a standard fitment. However , they go unnoticed unless you are very keen sighted. What might catch the enthusiast’s attention though are the twin exhaust pipes and the larger 17-inch wheels. The interiors are similar to the 2.4-litre Accord albeit with a cruise control icon and buttons on the instrumentation console and steering wheel respectively.

Having driven the humbler 2.4 i-VTEC Accord recently , i felt at home as soon as I sank into the leather wrapped seat of the V6. After setting up the seat and steering for a comfortable posture , I was off to the highway to ram some fresh air into the V6. I’ll try to sum up the VCM technology without sounding like a techno jargon loving nerd. Like any other V6 engine , this One too is made up of two banks with three cylinders each. However , as per the requirement of torque , the VCM can shut off multiple cylinders to save fuel. During calm and composed highway cruising which requires minimal torque output , the VCM deactivates an entire bank and runs with a three-cylinder in-line configuration. If torque requirements slightly increase , the VCM efficiently runs in a V4 configuration with two cylinders firing in each bank. When the driver decides to go the full monty and steps on the gas , the VCM burns fuel across all the six cylinders to deliver the power to surge on. In short , the VCM virtually packs in three different engine configurations in that one all-alloy engine block – a V6 , a V4 and an I3.

Since this VCM is a first generation technology even across Honda’s global range , I was expecting to find some bugs especially with regard to the drivetrain and cylinder transitions. But the drivetrain refinement is typical Honda and feels as smooth as or even better than the 2.4-litre. As I drove towards the highway , I kept varying the speeds to find out what the VCM was trying to do. Every time I was cruising either under cruise control or with my foot slightly dabbed against the pedal , a little green ECO light was telling me that the engine is not using all the cylinders. But there was absolutely no way to tell when the transition took place from six to four to three cylinders or vice versa. Drivetrain refinement is a trademark for every Honda car , and with the V6 they have taken this characteristic rather too seriously. When the engine is firing only three cylinders , the intelligent audio system activates a function called Active Noise Control (ANC). This function releases out-of-phase sound waves from the speakers , to negate any unwanted cabin noise caused due to the three cylinder operation. Further , a team of active engine mounts readjust their firmness to absorb energy and vibrations that may erupt from the transitions of the various cylinder operations. While these aspects may sound as if they came straight out of the brochure , believe me , it works. If driven back-to-back in the 2.4-litre and then the 3.5-litre V6 Accord , a blindfolded person won’t be able to tell the difference at all unless the driver decides to go pedal to the metal.

Speaking of which , stomp on the accelerator and even with its auto tranny , the V6 will hand over 275PS to you on a platter! Irrespective of what cylinder configuration the car is running at that instant , there is ample power available at every notch on the rev counter. Unfortunately , though the Honda VTEC plants are known to indulge in an energetic wail when revved to its limits , this V6 remains an exception. Even close to the redline in ‘S’ mode , there is hardly any V6 roar creeping into the cabin. The acceleration figures disappoint further , with a 0-100km/h run taking close to 10 seconds – almost similar to the old V6 in spite of increased capacity. However , with the VCM doing all the permutations and combinations , our test Accord delivered 7.8kmpl in the ever increasing traffic conditions of Pune while highway cruising earned a commendable figure just shy of 14kmpl.

But does it have the handling to match? Don’t expect this car to be a true-blue sports sedan. 339Nm worth of torque kicks in at 5000rpm on an engine that is limited to 6800 revs. Surprisingly , the fact that the engine produces its peak torque at a rather higher level doesn’t deprive this V6 from low end twist. Dab the right pedal and the car will reassuringly surge ahead with plenty of turning force at hand. That’s not where it ends. What it also brings along is a decent amount of torque steer which can get slightly unnerving for a newbie. The heavy engine sits on a softly sprung suspension which makes matters even worse. This car is still an Accord and luxury has been given priority over a sporty ride. For corrective measures , there is a technology that assists stability (VSA) during oversteer or understeer by applying brakes to individual wheels and reducing the engine power. Although you want such assists to kick in when you are driving hard around corners , in this case , you just can’t push the car around too much due to its heavy nose and low ground clearance. Even in the absence of traction control , the Accord has decent road holding capabilities with the 225/50 section Bridgestones. The lower profile tyres , however , don’t hamper ride quality. The car works exceptionally well with the soft suspension setup and doesn’t have a knack for calling attention every time its meets imperfections in the road surface. Handling is definitely not this V6’s forte – consider it a potent grand tourer with the firepower to make some of the more expensive cars bite the dust on straight motorways. Don’t get nasty with peers around twisties though as there are some seriously good cars around which do the job much better.

The Accord’s new variant has an impressive engine to lure an enthusiast towards it. But better highway stability as compared to cornering capabilities and better luxury elements for the rear seats than the driver’s seat , makes the V6 more of a chauffer driven car than an enthusiast’s machine. Small things like an absence of steering mounted audio controls , lack of electronic controls for the passenger seat and a mysterious exclusion of traction control unlike the global Accord puts a big question mark on its 28 lakh rupee price tag. What you are paying for here is the V6 badge , great refinement and fuel efficiency that defy the monstrous engine’s size. If these things hold value for you , this is the car you would want to buy , provided you think the price is justified.

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