Honda’s New Accord e:HEV Achieves 4-Star JNCAP Safety Rating for 2025

The new Honda Accord (ACCORD e:HEV) has been a highly popular flagship sedan for many years. On March 20, 2025, it underwent partial improvements and added the top-grade “Honda SENSING 360+”. The results of the JNCAP (Japan New Car Assessment Program) were announced on April 21, 2025, by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport, and Tourism and NASVA (National Agency for Automotive Safety and Victims’ Aid). This article summarizes the evaluation results, explains each performance item, and compares it with other high-ranking vehicles in terms of safety performance.

Also, read Honda’s new Accord e:HEV with hands-off possible Honda SENSING 360+, to be released on May 30, 2025.

JNCAP Overview

JNCAP is a safety performance evaluation program for vehicles implemented jointly by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport, and Tourism and NASVA. The program aims to provide a basis for general consumers to judge vehicles when purchasing. It evaluates vehicles based on three pillars: “preventive safety performance,” “collision safety performance,” and “automatic emergency reporting device.” The overall evaluation is displayed using a five-star rating system, with the highest rating being “★★★★★ (5 stars)” and the vehicle with the highest score being awarded the “Five-Star Grand Prize.” From 2025, the detailed scores will be disclosed after the award ceremony in May.

New Accord’s JNCAP Overall Evaluation: ★★★★☆ (4 Stars)

In the 2025 JNCAP evaluation, the new Honda Accord (ACCORD e:HEV) achieved an overall evaluation of “★★★★☆ (4 stars),” which is the second-highest rating. Although it obtained an “A rank” in the preventive safety performance evaluation, it received a “B rank” in the collision safety performance evaluation, failing to achieve the highest rating of “★★★★★ (5 stars)”. This result is notable, especially considering the high expectations for Honda’s flagship sedan.

Preventive Safety Performance Evaluation: A Rank (Highest Evaluation)

The new Accord achieved a high evaluation in all seven items of the preventive safety performance evaluation, resulting in an overall A rank, the highest evaluation. The details of each item are as follows:

• Damage reduction brake (pedestrian: daytime): Level 5/5
• Damage reduction brake (pedestrian: nighttime): Level 5/5
• Damage reduction brake (bicycle): Level 5/5
• Damage reduction brake (intersection): Level 5/5
• Lane departure suppression: Level 5/5
• High-functionality headlights (Adaptive Driving Beam): Level 5/5
• Pedal misoperation acceleration suppression: Level 4/5

The new Accord’s preventive safety performance is highly evaluated, thanks to the standard equipment of Honda’s advanced safety system, “Honda SENSING 360” and “Honda SENSING 360+” in the top grade.

Collision Safety Performance Evaluation: B Rank

The collision safety performance evaluation resulted in a B rank. The evaluation of each item is as follows:

• Full lap frontal collision (driver’s seat): Level 5/5
• Full lap frontal collision (rear seat): Level 5/5
• New offset frontal collision: Level 5/5
• Side collision (driver’s seat): Level 5/5
• Rear collision neck protection (driver’s seat): Level 3/5
• Rear collision neck protection (passenger seat): Level 3/5
• Pedestrian protection (head): Level 4/5
• Pedestrian protection (leg): Level 5/5
• Seat belt usage reminder (rear seat/passenger seat): Level 5/5

Although the new Accord achieved the highest level of 5 in five items, including full lap frontal collision and side collision, the rear collision neck protection evaluation was level 3, which is a major factor in the overall B rank evaluation.

ACCORD e:HEV Honda SENSING 360+

Automatic Emergency Reporting Device: Advanced Type

The new Accord is equipped with an advanced-type automatic emergency reporting device, which enables rapid emergency response in the event of an accident.

New Accord’s Main Safety Equipment

The new Accord’s safety equipment includes Honda SENSING 360 (standard on all grades), which features collision mitigation brakes, lane-keeping assist system, adaptive cruise control, and road departure mitigation. The top-grade Honda SENSING 360+ is equipped with a 360-degree safety support system.

ACCORD e:HEV Honda SENSING 360+

Comparison with NASVA Five-Star Award Winners

Compared to other vehicles that have received the NASVA Five-Star Award, the new Accord’s evaluation results provide a clearer understanding of its position. The current NASVA evaluation score ranking shows that the top-ranked vehicles have high scores, with the Subaru Impreza/Crosstrek (2023 evaluation: 193.53/197 points) and Toyota Crown (2023 evaluation: 188.39/197 points) ranking first and second, respectively.

New Accord e:HEV Specifications and Price

The new Accord’s basic specifications and price are as follows: The body size is 4,975 mm in length, 1,860 mm in width, 1,450 mm in height, and 2,830 mm in wheelbase, providing a spacious sedan proportion. The powertrain is an e:HEV (hybrid) exclusive, featuring a 2.0L inline 4-cylinder engine and two motors, achieving a WLTC fuel economy of 23.8 km/L. The price is 5,999,400 yen (including tax) for the ACCORD e:HEV (Honda SENSING 360) and 6,000,000 yen (including tax) for the ACCORD e:HEV Honda SENSING 360+ (2025 price after partial improvement).

Purchase Considerations for the New Accord

When considering the purchase of the new Accord, it is essential to understand that a 4-star evaluation does not necessarily mean that the vehicle has low safety. The new Accord achieved the highest A rank in preventive safety performance, demonstrating its high ability to prevent accidents. Although it received a B rank in collision safety performance, mainly due to the rear collision neck protection evaluation, its frontal and side collision safety evaluations were highly rated. The new Accord remains an attractive option for users seeking high preventive safety performance and a high-quality sedan body.

Conclusion

The 2025 JNCAP evaluation results for the new Honda Accord (ACCORD e:HEV) showed a preventive safety performance A rank, collision safety performance B rank, and an overall evaluation of ★★★★☆ (4 stars). Although the Honda SENSING 360/360+ provided high preventive safety performance, the rear collision neck protection performance was a weakness, preventing it from achieving the Five-Star Grand Prize. As a flagship sedan priced around 6 million yen, the new Accord is expected to improve its collision safety performance in the next model change. The detailed scores and final award-winning vehicles will be announced at the award ceremony in May 2025.