Honda Accord CL9 powertrain consisted of a 2.4-litre inline four-cylinder engine, a six-speed manual transmission (which featured a special casing, to reduce weight), and a front wheel drive layout. A five-speed semi-automatic was optional and did not incur extra cost in the U.S. based on MSRP; however such was not the case in Canada.
2005 was the second year of the Honda Accord CL9 and Honda Accord updated it with XM Satellite Radio, heated door mirrors, a four-way power passenger seat and illuminated the steering wheel-mounted audio and cruise controls. In 2006, the Honda Accord CL9 was updated with slight tweaks to the engine (adding 5 hp); a sportier exterior styling featuring a slightly new front and rear treatment, standard side skirts, and standard, integral fog lights; and restyled wheels. State of the art interior features have been added, including a Multi-information Display (MID) in the instrument panel, more standard safety features, and luxury features such as an auxiliary MP3 player input and Bluetooth-compatible HandsFreeLink. In 2007, a new Tire Pressure Monitoring System and an improved electronic rear view mirror were added, and the 2008 model year brought a few additional features and a new color to the Honda Accord CL9.
The Truth About Cars named the 2007 Honda Accord CL9 to its top ten best cars list, saying this was badge engineering done right.
