GENEVA — Wider, lower and more modern-looking, the redesigned Honda Accord for Europe is being revealed several weeks before its official public debut at the 2008 Geneva Auto Show.The European Accord sedan remains smaller than its American sibling, although it will make an appearance later this year in the States — as the redesigned 2009 Acura TSX. The Accord family in Europe also includes a wagon, dubbed the Accord Tourer, that is not sold in the U.S.The Accord features all-new sheet metal and will be among the company's first models to offer the new i-DTEC "clean" diesel, rated at 148 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. Also available are two four-cylinder gasoline engines, including a revamped 2.4-liter unit that makes 197 hp and 172 lb-ft. All power plants come with a standard six-speed manual gearbox. A five-speed sequential automatic with shift paddles and manual-shift capability is optional on the gas engines.The Accord's suspension has been revised, with double wishbones in front, a multilink setup in the rear and variable-rate shocks all around.Both the sedan and wagon get standard stability control and speed-sensitive electric power steering (EPS) with a quicker ratio. Honda also is introducing a feature called Motion Adaptive EPS, which can detect vehicle instability on slippery pavement when cornering or braking, then automatically initiates barely detectable steering inputs to prompt the driver to respond more quickly and intuitively.Among the optional high-tech hardware are lane-keeping assist, adaptive cruise control and collision-mitigation braking.What this means to you: We'd love to see Acura add a TSX wagon in the States, based on the European Accord Tourer. — Paul Lienert, Correspondent
