Drive
If you liked the old Euro you’ll love the new one. It looks, umm ... like a Euro, only sportier and more masculine.
Under the skin, though, there has been some serious massaging. The result is a roomier, safer and better equipped package, and Honda reckons it performs and drives better, too.
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The new Euro retains the old model’s 2.4-litre four but Honda has polished this gem-like engine with a range of changes.
The result is a class-leading (by naturally aspirated standards) 148kW of power and 234Nm of torque.
On the road the Euro is a keen, sweet and refined performer. While the 2.4 certainly isn’t the hardest hitter at low revs, its characteristics are beautifully linear. Keep the foot floored and it just keeps on building an ever-greater head of steam, and by the lofty 7900rpm cut-out it’s really honking.
It’s a natural through the bends with faithful responses, loads of grip and a responsive yet benign balance. Only the steering, which is precise but lacks consistency in its weighting and feedback, lets the side down.
The Euro is noticeably quieter and more refined than the old model, too, though tyre noise is a constant companion on coarse-chip roads.
At first glance the Euro’s cabin echoes the US Accord. The dash is similarly swoopy, the basic layout is familiar and the switch-gear is all but identical.
It’s functionally impressive, too. The front seats are excellent, with great support and a wide array of adjustability, and the steering adjusts for tilt and reach. The controls fall nicely to hand and work with well-oiled precision.
With six airbags, stability/traction control, anti-lock brakes, brake assist and a steering system that countersteers to help the driver regain control following a loss of front or rear grip, the Euro looks well placed to improve on its predecessor’s four-star NCAP rating.
Widen the focus to the mid-size segment in general and the Euro looks no less classy or competitive.
