Crossovers and SUVs have become the de facto choice for many buyers wanting a sensible family hauler or spacious commuter, but the Honda Accord sedan has remained a sales giant despite higher-riding alternatives snatching away some prospective customers. The Accord enters its 11th generation for 2023 with revamped, handsome styling and updated technology, but perhaps more notably, its new updated hybrid powertrain erases one of the major faults of the prior model.

What’s new for the 2023 Accord Hybrid

One of the most significant changes for the 2023 Accord is lineup’s new emphasis on hybridization. The 2023 Accord is offered in six trims, the top four of which — Sport, EX-L, Sport-L and Touring — use Honda’s two-motor hybrid system. Previously, only the top two Accord trims were fitted with a hybrid powertrain.

The updated-for-2023 2.0-liter Atkinson four-cylinder engine pairs with larger and more powerful dual electric motors, with one serving as an electric generator and starter motor and the other sending power to the Accord’s front wheels. Horsepower has increased to 204 hp (up from 202 hp) and torque has improved to 247 lb-ft, 6.5 percent more than what’s offered in the 2022 model. Though the updates are minor on the spec sheet, they’ve had a notably positive impact on the hybrid Accord’s overall performance.

The Accord’s updated hybrid system is a significant improvement

J.D. Power recently got behind the wheel of the 2023 Accord with its hybrid powertrain and were impressed by its updated performance. The reviewer said the new engine “resolves the previous Accord Hybrid’s excessive, droning racket under hard acceleration.” The hybridized 2023 Accord with Honda’s Linear Shift Control makes the sedan feel like it’s equipped with a standard automatic transmission instead of a CVT. This can be attributed to a more natural rise and fall of revs during acceleration, the review noted.

The 2023 Accord Hybrid feels sprightly under acceleration, the review states, but loses some of its verve at higher speeds. However, the author underscores the new engine is a still a joy to run through its paces, due in part to its ability to “use every ounce of the available performance” while still managing to return 35-40 mpg. The 2023 Accord Hybrid is rated for 44 to 48 combined mpg dependent on trim, according to the EPA.  

In addition to Linear Shift Control, the updated hybrid system has six levels of regenerative braking adjusted by paddle shifters.

The 2023 Accord impresses overall

J.D. Power heaped praise on the 2023 Honda Accord, heralding its revamped hybrid powertrain, stylish looks inside and out, suite of updated technology, and all the practicality and driving refinement expected of the Accord nameplate. The reviewer said they “thoroughly” enjoyed their test of the 2023 model, and the only quibbles against it are minor. The changes for 2023 “only confirm my faith in recommending it,” they note, while stating the revamped model can be had with its appealing hybrid powertrain “without regrets.”

The enhancements to the Honda Accord Hybrid’s powertrain are not only notable for buyers, they serve as a step forward for the automaker with Honda expecting the electrified sedan to represent about half of all Accords sales.

The two bottom trims of the 2023 Accord, LX and EX, continue to use a non-hybrid, turbocharged 1.5-liter engine developing 192 hp and 192 lb-ft of torque paired with a CVT.