1998 Honda Accord Sedan 1.6i 5MT (115 HP)

Vehicle Overview

Honda introduced the sixth generation of the European version of the Accord in 1998, and the Japanese automaker produced the car in England at the Swindon factory.

Honda realized that it had made a mistake when it enlarged the fifth generation of the Accord and reduced the car’s size for the sixth generation of this nameplate, proving that sometimes smaller means better. The car was available as a four-door sedan, a five-door hatchback, and a coupe. Customers could get the vehicle in a few grades and with enough choices of engines and transmissions to make it appealing.

The four-door sedan version shared its front fascia with its five-door sibling, sporting wide headlights narrowed on their inner side and wrapped around corners. Its chrome-surrounded grille was integrated into the front side of the hood and sported the carmaker’s badge. Lower, on the plastic bumper, the automaker added a second air intake that helped cool the engine, and a set of rectangular fog lamps were available.

The sixth generation of the Accord came with a sporty look, emphasized by the ascending beltline and the darkened B-posts. Honda emphasized that with a cab-rearward design for the greenhouse, a short and tall rear deck, and standard alloy wheels, depending on the grade. The top-of-the-range Accord Type R even had a rear deck spoiler and a unique design for the wheels.

Honda created the Accord with an ascending beltline and a cab rearward look of the greenhouse that started with a raked, panoramic windshield. The automaker added darkened B-posts to the recipe to make the car look sportier. Furthermore, it placed body-colored door mirror caps and flush door handles. At the back, the short and tall deck could’ve been optioned with a rear wing, depending on the grade. The rear fascia revealed the corner-mounted taillights that flanked the narrow opening of the trunk’s lid. A plastic bumper wrapped around the car’s rear end completed the image of this sporty compact sedan built for the European market.

Customers were welcomed inside by a well-designed and spacious cabin that provided enough room for four adults or five for short jaunts. In front of the driver, Honda placed its clean-layout instrument cluster filled with four dials and gauges and an LED display for the odometer. On the center stack, the automaker placed the controls for the HVAC unit and the radio tape player with an option for a Bose sound system. Furthermore, a Honda Navigation system was also available for specific countries. A split-folding rear bench seat with standard velour upholstery complemented the front bucket seats. Customers with deeper pockets could get the car with a leather-wrapped interior and heated front seats.

Under the hood, Honda installed a limited choice of engines under the Accord sixth’s hood. The base version was a 1.6-liter inline-four, but only for specific European countries. At the other end of the scale stood the mighty H22A7 powerplant that was made to be raced.