A well-judged styling package, stiffened suspension and generous equipment levels bring a sporty edge to Honda's Accord. Despite this, the Sport GT model's strengths remain the refinement and economy of its diesel engine along with its impressive chassis. A Type-R would have been nice but the Sport GT is a markedly more sensible ownership proposition. Get it in white.

Type-R is the widely recognised shorthand for indecently fast Hondas. Noteworthy models to carry the famous branding in recent times have included the fiery Integra, various maniac versions of the Civic and the previous generation Accord. Today's Accord was launched in 2002 and as yet, no Type-R version has been forthcoming. Don't hold your breath either because we're unlikely to get one at this late stage but Honda have made a small concession to fans of a sporty drive and a feisty exterior. It's called the Accord Sport GT and it's a diesel.

Honda wants to lever itself upmarket. The firm has been surmising that there's a rosier future to be accessed in the prestige market sectors than in the traditional ones where cut-price offerings from South East Asia are growing increasingly adept and the Chinese will soon be entering the fray, putting a bigger squeeze on the mainstream brands. When the latest generation Accord was launched in 2002, it aimed to leave the Mondeo-dominated medium range saloon market to its own devices, instead intending to gatecrash the lower reaches of the compact executive party.

It success in this endeavour has been mixed - but at least a start has been made. Brand equity isn't something that can be constructed overnight and the Accord with its quality feel and premium pricing has undoubtedly moved Honda in the desired direction. The Sport GT model looks like another small step up the ladder, bestowing an extra sporty element that the Accord conspicuously lacked.

"Honda's Accord remains a very competitive product. The Accord GT proves it?."

If there's a sound that characterises Type-R Hondas, it's the shrill metallic crescendo of a performance-tuned VTEC petrol engine as it homes in on its favourite stomping ground, the red line. The Accord Sport GT manifestly isn't a Type-R and if there's a sound that characterises this car, it's the muted hum of Honda's i-CTDi 2.2-litre diesel. The unit may lack the visceral drama of Honda's high-revving petrol units but it's arguably more impressive. One of the most refined diesels currently available in any market sector, the engine goes about its business with a creamy smoothness that isn't very diesel at all. On paper performance is unremarkable. The 0-60mph sprint takes 9.3s and it will reach 132mph all in but torque of 340Nm from 2,000rpm helps make the i-CTDi Accords relaxed companions.

The Sport GT benefits from firmed-up sports suspension which makes better use of the excellent grip and balance of the Accord chassis than that standard set-up. The steering feels alert and accurate while the taut body control makes the Accord Sport GT an enjoyable car to hurry along. The lack of wind and road noise in the cabin ensures that the full benefit of that hushed engine is felt.

The Accord Sport GT is no performance car but that hasn't stopped Honda trawling through the parts bin in an effort to make it look like one. Indeed, from a visual perspective, only the Type-R badge is missing, with the Sport GT cutting a seriously aggressive figure on the road thanks to smoked headlights, foglights, a rear boot spoiler and a very fetching dark chrome finish for the door handles and front grille. There are also 17" alloy wheels for the saloon version with the Tourer estate getting 16" versions. The standard Accord's sharky good looks have been enhanced in some style and Honda are offering a special Premium White Pearl paint option that's exclusive to the Sport GT as a finishing touch. White, it seems, is rapidly becoming the fast car colour du jour.

Being a Honda, we expect certain standards of build quality from the Accord and it doesn't disappoint. The interior is solidly put together, the dash design is neat and the controls are very simple to fathom at a glance. The only real drawback is the quality of some of the plastics which don't quite live-up to the billing that Honda gave the Accord as a challenger to the compact executive elite. It's small details like this that will need to be sorted if the Honda brand is to gain an equal footing with the likes of BMW and Audi. That said, the Sport GT does a good job of masking any shortcomings in basic materials quality with some natty sports detailing. There's a carbon-effect inlay for the dash and the instruments illuminate in red which successfully raises the tone.

Accord Sport GT customers aren't faced with a minefield of options to tiptoe through. There's one engine and the standard specification is high enough to leave the options list looking distinctly under populated. There's voice-activated satellite navigation, cruise control, a premium audio system with a 6 CD autochager and a Bluetooth hands free telephone system. Tourer models, meanwhile, get rear privacy glass. All of the above comes at a very reasonable £20,767 for the saloon model so while the Sport GT may not be particularly quick, it's unlikely to be hanging about in showrooms for long.

Fuel economy is a definite strength of Honda's 2.2-litre i-CTDi engine. The unit turns in a sparkling showing of 49mpg on the combined cycle which will do wonders for your bottom line over the typical ownership period. The 145g/km CO2 emissions will prove similarly cost-efficient and with Honda's reputation for reliability, it seems unthinkable that the maintenance costs will be anything other than reasonable.

Buyers in the market for a quick family saloon or estate car are unlikely to be seduced by the Accord Sport GT. Beneath the car's racy exterior, it's basically just another diesel Accord. The appeal of the Sport GT is centred around the all-round competence of that Accord i-CTDi package with the added bonus of the Sport GT trim level which sharpens up the styling and enhances the driving experience while piling on lots of extra equipment.

The Sport GT may well be as close to a Type-R version of this Accord as we'll get. The fact that it still falls short by a considerable distance is less important than the car's slick styling, low running costs and the enjoyable driving experience. The Accord may be getting on in years but the Sport GT demonstrates that it remains a competitive product. At under £22,000, it looks a good value one too.