AC

The next Honda Accord is being revealed today, a sleeker, more-fuel-efficient sedan that faces tough rivals. At least Honda has great timing: The current Accord has re-established itself as a best seller after a difficult year in which supplies were interrupted by Japan's tsunami. Last month, Accord was second only to Toyota's Camry as America's best-selling car, and it was the fourth-best-selling vehicle of any kind. Honda says the new look for 2013 is more sculpted. "It doesn't scream and shout, but it's sophisticated and refined," says Vicki Poponi, an assistant vice president. The new Accord is 3 inches shorter than the one it replaces but retains about the same interior size. The trunk is a cubic-foot larger. Honda engineers have an "obsession with getting the most interior (space)," she says. The ninth generation of Accord will compete in the big but ever-tougher midsize-car market, where automakers are placing huge bets. New products have poured into the segment. Besides...