2003 Honda Accord 2.0L i-VTEC 5MT (155 HP)

Vehicle Overview

Honda introduced the seventh generation of the Accord in late 2002 for the 2003 model year in Japan, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand, surprising its customers with its sharp design.

After more than a decade of creating rounded-shaped vehicles, the Japanese automaker decided to start the design of the Accord’s seventh generation from a blank sheet of paper. Kunihiko Tachibana and Hiroshi Ishibani penned the vehicle in 2000, and the car was ready for launch two years later. The car didn’t inherit anything from its predecessor and was entirely new from tip to toe. Unlike the sixth generation of this nameplate, which carried over some of the F and H family of engines, the 2003 Honda Accord came with the K-family of powerplants for the gasoline versions, while the 2.2-liter turbodiesel was also new. It was the first oil-burner engine made by Honda for automotive applications, and it won the 2005 Engine of the Year Award in its category.

Design-wise, the seventh generation of the European Accord came with an angular, aggressive styling. Its pentagonal-shaped grille pointed downwards where the badge took center stage. The headlights followed the same design language with clear lenses and distinct headlamps that also integrated the turn signal lamps. On the lower side of the bumper, in the apron, the automaker placed a second air intake that helped to cool the engine, flanked by a pair of scoops for the available oval-shaped fog lamps.

From its profile, the ascending waistline of the vehicle was adorned on the door panels with chromed trims. The raked windshield and curved roof formed a spacious greenhouse, while at the back, the car ended into a short and horizontal deck, slightly curved on its outer sides. Finally, at the back, the 2003 Honda Accord featured angular-shaped taillights that sported a distinct design with round lamps. Below the bumper, the automaker installed different exhausts, depending on the engine version, with one or two exhausts.

Inside, customers found a tall dashboard with a rounded-shaped instrument cluster fronting the driver, where the speedometer took center stage and was the largest dial. It was flanked on its left by the tachometer, while on the right were the gauges for the fuel level and coolant temperature, similar to the pattern seen on the 1993 Accord. Unlike that model, the 2003 model year came with buttons on the steering wheel and a taller center stack. There, depending on the options, Honda installed a CD Stereo for the lower grades, while the upper ones were fitted with sat-nav. The automatic transmission and the sunroof were available as options across the range, depending on the country.

Under the hood, Honda installed a choice of two gasoline and one turbodiesel engine. The former two had 2.0 and 2.4-liter displacements, respectively, while the oil burner was a 2.2-liter unit. All engines had met the Euro 4 emission standards but were ready to be quickly adapted for the Euro 5 norms that followed after 2005. The four-wheel independent suspension remained one of the most significant advantages of the Accord.