Honda introduced a mid-life cycle refresh for the European Accord’s fifth generation in 1996 and brought slight exterior changes and improved its features.
Starting with the fifth generation, the U.S. Accord and its European cousin with the same name were different. While they shared some underpinnings, their design was completely different. The European version was longer and featured a sloped rear window with a smaller glass area between the C- and the D-pillars. Its overall shape was designed to fit the European customer’s tastes.

The facelifted version featured a new front fascia. As an element of distinction, the hood was curved toward the bumper and incorporated the grille. Its headlights were slightly more prominent than on the non-facelifted version and featured a curved shape instead of angular ones from the 1993 model year.

Inside, Honda installed a new CD-player fitted as standard instead of cassette-players, hidden behind a swing-up lid on the center stack. The carmaker installed a dual-airbag system to protect its occupants, and it improved the anti-theft systems. Other than that, it kept the same materials for the seats, and there were no modifications for the interior space.

Under the hood, the Japanese carmaker introduced a new engine range that started with a 1.8-liter and moved up to a 2.2-liter, which became the top version. The latter replaced the older 2.3-liter that the Accord shared it with the Prelude. Understanding the importance of a diesel engine, Honda installed a 2.0-liter turbo-diesel paired to a five-speed manual.