It's a Honda Accord, but not as we know it

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The new Honda Accord just made its world debut here on the first morning of the 2008 Geneva auto show, but we could have sworn we'd seen it somewhere before--with an Acura badge on it. From a distance, the Euro-only Accord is essentially a rebranded version of the new Acura TSX, which is set to debut in the United States later this month. However, beneath the surface, there are few differences.

(Credit: CNET Networks)

The first is that the Euro Accord comes in both sedan and station-wagon models.
Second, the Accord has some safety tech features that have not been announced for the TSX, including a Lane Keeping Assist System (LKAS), Adaptive Cruise Control, and the Collision Mitigation Braking System (CMBS), which is currently only on Acura's flagship RL sedan in the United States. Finally, the Euro Accord is offered with a choice of gasoline and diesel engines, and one of the models on show was sporting Honda's new 2.2-litre i-DTEC engine (147 horsepower and 258 pound feet of torque)--the first time it has been shown in a car. Usually this last point would not be cause for too much interest (European diesel-engine equivalents of models available in the US are nothing new); however, it is widely expected that there might be similar news in store for the TSX when it bows in New York. If so, it will be Honda's first diesel passenger in the US.