Honda Accord news - Tease time - 2008

Competent and capable the Honda Accord may be, but it's hardly the car to set the adrenaline coursing through your chilled, wintry veins.

So, in preparation for the official launch of the new Accord at the Geneva show in March, Honda has released a few teaser images of its all-new Mondeo rival, presumably to garner some sort of frisson in the big car community.

Think of it as a tantalising glimpse of flesh before the full denuding. Actually, don't. That's a disturbing simile.

The shots reveal that the Accord Tourer - for 'tis the estate model - has doors and lights and even a roof rack, all of which is good news. Looking closer, it seems to be a smart design not too far away from the Accord Tourer concept we saw back in Frankfurt.

No technical details yet, but expect the current Accord's 2.2- and 2.4-litre petrol engines to remain. The Accord will also be the first Honda to get the new 2.2-litre i-DTEC diesel engine, which we'd expect to be the big seller in the range.

The new Accord will take the fight to the Mondeo et al in late summer, when it goes on sale in the UK.