Honda Accord with refreshed interior shown in Japan

The venerable Honda Accord got a big glow-up in 2023 that gave it more mature styling and an improved interior. Though it’s still fresh, the sedan’s getting a few changes, at least to the international variant, which debuted on the automaker’s media site a few days ago.

While it might not be a direct translation to what we’ll see in the American car for future releases, changes to the Japanese Accord include a reshaped dash, revised climate controls, and a removal of the physical gear shift lever. The previous climate setup included several buttons and a few knobs to quickly change settings, but the new configuration relies on a single dial. Called the “Experience Selection Dial,” the single control can be used to change climate, audio, lighting, and other functions in the car.

In place of the physical shift lever, Honda installed a series of buttons with selections for park, reverse, neutral, and drive. The new configuration is flanked by the car’s parking brake and drive mode selection buttons. Images show an infotainment interface that does not appear to have changed with the update to a new control system. Honda also mentions updates to its Honda Sensing safety system, which include a new 360-degree camera for Japan, and plans for an expansion of the car’s hands-off driving capabilities for 2025.

Honda’s Japanese press release mentions a “newly developed” hybrid system with two motors, a CVT, and a 2.0-liter four-cylinder, which probably refers to the powertrain it debuted in the next-gen cars in 2022. There’s no mention of the gas car for global markets.

While these changes are debuting in Japan for the 2024 Accord, the 2024 model we get doesn’t have the same updates. Its interior retains the gear shifter and physical climate controls, and Americans can choose between gas and hybrid powertrain options. If these updates come to U.S. Accord variants, they’ll likely arrive in 2025 as part of a mid-cycle refresh.