Turn Your 2018 Honda Accord 2.0T Into a Civic Type R-Beater for $695

The redesigned 2018 Honda Accord is quick, hitting 60 mph in a Motor Trend-tested 5.7 seconds with Honda’s new 10-speed automatic and a 2.0-liter turbo-four, a detuned version of the engine found in the new Civic Type R, that makes 252 hp and 273 lb-ft of torque. Thanks to the Honda tuners at Hondata, more horsepower and torque can be extracted from the turbocharged engine in different stages.

Using Hondata’s FlashPro device, the company claims gains of between 10-40 hp and has posted a dyno sheet of one tune–possibly the first stage–that shows increases of about 10 hp and roughly 40 lb-ft. When Hondata put a factory Accord 2.0T on a dyno (see the video below), they recorded a baseline of 266 hp and 292 lb-ft to the wheels, well above Honda’s advertised power ratings. The estimated gains are based on those dyno numbers, so that puts the Stage 1 reflashed Accord at 276 hp and a healthy 332 lb-ft to the wheels using California’s 91 octane gas. That’s already more torque than the Civic Type R makes (306-hp and 295 lb-ft).

If Hondata was able to get 10 hp and 40 lb-ft from this tune, imagine the torque increase from the tune that gets you 40 hp. Well, we don’t have to imagine as Hondata posted a video of the dyno run with the Stage 2 tune showing peak torque of 375.8 lb-ft–a gain of about 80 lb-ft over Hondata’s baseline figure. Additionally, the Stage 2 reflash adds 50-55 hp in the middle of the power band, which is said to dramatically affect the driving experience.

The FlashPro only works on model-year 2018 or newer Accords with the turbo 2.0-liter engine and connects to the OBDII port without any ECU modification, but you will need a computer with a USB 2.0 connection. The FlashPro device retails for $695, and appears to enable both Stage 1 or Stage 2 tunes. However, it’s unclear if any additional aftermarket parts are required for either reflash.

Honda is slowly phasing out its naturally aspirated engines in favor of turbocharged engines. While Honda purists may cry foul over this, many enthusiasts are taking advantage of the impressive power gains that come from tuning a turbocharged engine. Check out the power gains Hondata got from the Accord’s 2.0-liter turbo-four in the video below, and also check out their baseline run to see how much power the new engine really makes.

Source: Hondata

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