New Accord will feature Honda's answer to Ford's SYNC

Honda desperately needs to hit a home run with its all-new 2013 Accord, a car that's perennially on the best-seller list in the United States.

The current Accord, which is in its eighth generation, debuted in 2008 before most of the latest and greatest technological advances began filtering their way into the interiors of mainstream cars and trucks. As such, Honda's family sedan offering is a ways behind in the infotainment and navigation categories.

For 2013, Honda will launch HondaLink, its next-generation infotainment package, in the Accord. Though the technology will see a much smaller debut in the Fit EV (as seen above), that rollout won't hit the masses the way it undoubtedly will in the Accord.

According to Wired, it's not yet clear if Honda will rely on satellite data or if the automaker will incorporate a cellular modem into the package, but either way, Honda's Aha Radio service will make its first appearance in the 2013 Accord. There's also a possibility that the Accord could be the first machine to use Siri integration from Apple, though that's nothing more than speculation at this point.

We certainly look forward to see what Honda has cooked up for its bread-winning model. After all, as shown most notably by Ford, having the most built-in technology, especially in its first generation, isn't always a slam-dunk with mainstream consumers.