2009 Honda Accord V6 with Variable Cylinder Management

This is the new Honda Accord V6 and it's available with three engine displacements, all in the same engine. It can be a 3.5 litre V6, a 2.3 litre four cylinder or a 1.75 litre three pot. The secret is Honda's Variable Cylinder Management.

The entire system is intended to reduce fuel consumption of course, which is good because at full blast the 3.5 litre V6 pumps out 202kW and a considerable amount of fuel through the engine.

What Variable Cylinder Management does is shut some of the cylinders down when you don't need the power, closing off both the inlet and exhaust valves to reduce pumping losses. Special active engine mounts reduce secondary vibrations in four and three cylinder operation, and an active noise cancellation system means that you can't even hear the engine note change as the VCM does its stuff.

Don't worry if it's all a little technical as the technology works without you even noticing, save for a little - appropriately green coloured - 'ECO' light on the instrument panel that lights up when you're not in full V6 mode. And unlike many other fuel saving technologies around today, this one actually works.

Honda claims 10.0L/100km in the urban cycle and even Mr Leadfoot here managed a creditable 10.2L/100km. Try that in any other 202kW car.

This is the NZ$46,500 mid level Honda Accord V6 VL, with leather upholstery , sunroof, heated front seats, duel zone air con, power adjustable driver's seat, Xenon headlights and enough safety acronyms to seriously damage your vocal chords should you happen to describe them, including ABS, ESP and EBD. All Accord V6 models have six airbags - two at the front and sides, and two curtain bags.

The Honda Accord V6 is one of those cars that it does its job so well you're hardly aware of it. It's comfortable, quiet, quick, goes around corners in a composed manner - and doesn't have a hell of a lot of character.

There is a manual gear change lever for the five speed auto if you want to be a little sporty, but in a car like this I really doubt that many drivers see the point because it's a nice smooth driving luxury sedan. To many people of course, that's the ideal car, and I shouldn't be mean to the Accord because it failed to get me all excited, apart from the VCM which did get me a little quivery.

Now the previous Honda Accord V6 was a very capable car, but its design was instantly forgettable - blame the American styling for that - but this one is all sharp aggressive edges that come awfully close to making the Accord V6 look like a Mercedes Benz, something that I'm sure isn't going to hurt sales.

What may well hurt sales is the way buyers are staying away from big displacement sixes, so Honda salespeople have their work cut out for them delivering the message that you can have your 202kW luxo cake and eat it too.