Honda introduced the seventh generation of the European Honda Accord in 2002 and prepared a facelift for it four years later. Despite its small engine range, the Accord's seventh-generation was very successful on the European market. Its new design language and the car's features made it a desirable vehicle by many, especially in the sedan version. For 2006, the carmaker made a mild update even though the eighth generation was almost ready to enter production. From the outside, the 2006 model featured a new front fascia. For specific markets, Honda sold a Euro R version that featured a black plastic grille instead of the one with a horizontal chromed slat across it. The bumper was redesigned with outer side air-intakes, and the fog-lights moved toward the center. Depending on the trim level, it featured chromed or body-colored door handles. Inside, the carmaker made some changes on the center stack and inside the instrument cluster. It replaced the red lettering with white and blue ones to calm down the heavy-footed drivers. Like its predecessor, it offered the car in three trim levels: elegance, comfort, and executive. The only three options available were the sunroof, navigation system, and, depending on the engine, the automatic gearbox. For the facelifted version, Honda introduced a six-speed manual gearbox for the 2.0-liter gasoline and for the 2.2-liter turbo-diesel engines. That brought better fuel efficiency on the highway.