Over the past decade or so, all sorts of automakers have produced all sorts of answers to the question of “What happens when sedan sales keep trending downward?” From the compact crossover wars to Toyota replacing the Avalon with the crossover sedan Crown to the seemingly eternal shelf life of the current Nissan Altima, there’s no silver bullet. Perhaps that’s why, according to Automotive News, Honda is reportedly working on a hybrid Accord crossover to rival the Subaru Outback.
The midsize model, called the “Accord SUV” in a Honda planning document, is expected to enter production in mid-2029, potentially in Marysville, Ohio, a person with knowledge of the plan told Automotive News.
The strange part is, this isn’t the first time Honda’s tried turning an Accord into a crossover. However, given how that one went, it’s a strange facet of recent history to mine for sales ambitions.
Back around the turn of the 2010s, Honda launched two midsize swoopy-roofed crossovers that shared virtually nothing in common. One was the Acura ZDX, which may have been the result of an elephant sitting on the back of an MDX. Same platform, same powertrain, you know the drill. The other was the Accord Crosstour and it was much, much weirder. For one, it looked like this.
Now that we’re in an age of the BMW XM, the Accord Crosstour isn’t that ugly, but it was downright shocking more than 15 years ago. Sure, there’s a whiff of Accord in here if you squint, but the bulbous silhouette, then-enormous grille and strange details like the surfacing around the fog lamps and black liftgate applique rendered the Crosstour visually divisive.
In some ways, the controversial styling was a shame because it hid the Crosstour’s general usefulness. Underneath that huge hatch sat a commodious cargo area and a cavernous hidden cubby under a false floor for keeping valuables out of sight. Rear legroom matched that of the Accord midsize sedan, but available all-wheel-drive gave the Crosstour the edge in slippery conditions. With a choice of four-cylinder or V6 engines, the foundation seemed solid, but Honda didn’t get the build-up right out of the gate.
In addition to the styling, it probably didn’t help that if you needed a Honda with a ton of space in 2010, you could get into a base-model Pilot for thousands of dollars less than the cheapest Crosstour. That’s not quite an apples-to-apples comparison, as the cheapest Pilot was a fairly basic LX trim while the cheapest Crosstour was a more well-equipped EX trim, but a third row and an extra 35.7 cu.-ft. of maximum cargo volume are hard to argue with if room and cost mattered more than features.
As such, sales never really took off despite a 2013 facelift to make the Crosstour look more normal. From the start of production in 2009 through the final year of production in 2015, Honda sold 107,990 Accord Crosstours in America. It took another two years to sell 731 leftover examples, resulting in total sales of 108,721. For context, Honda sold 311,381 Accords in 2010. Ah.
Mind you, the market has changed considerably over the past eleven years. The sedanocalypse took a big bite out of both sedan offerings and sales figures, fastback SUVs have only been gaining popularity, and the squared-off two-row Passport means a new Accord-based crossover could operate in a different price bracket than the Crosstour. It’s a different path than, say, bringing the Prelude back. That’s Honda’s 11th-generation Thunderbird, a date-night car for empty nesters.
If Honda really wants to compete with the Subaru Outback, it would need something hugely practical with an aggressive starting price. A hybrid powertrain sounds unique, but it only feels like a matter of time before Subaru stuffs its e-Boxer hybrid system in the Outback to level the playing field. Of course, this purported Honda could still just not happen, given how 2029 is three years away, and much can change in three years. We’ll just have to wait and see how this plays out.
Top graphic image: Honda
When these first came out, I thought they were terrible. Then I happened to be in a Honda showroom in late 2012 and took a look at one. Once I saw all the cargo space, I got it. A few years back I was casually looking for one, but nice ones seem to actually command something of a premium now.
I still think it would make a decent mtb hauler or camping vehicle.
Why not do this with a Civic? There’s absolutely nothing that’s small that has any sort of rugged ability for work. I just went on a long trip with my Corolla hatchback, and it was fine, but I would have loved a little bit more ground clearance, and all-wheel drive. I ended up renting a side-by-side to go off-road, but the point is if you’re not interested in a Subaru because they’re garbage, you really don’t have a lot of choices
I 100% agree. Why can’t I have a Honda or Toyota Crosstrek? The Crosstrek is the perfect size and shape, plus they look cool, but it is plagued inside, out, and underneath by being a subaru.
Isn’t that just the current HRV?
Like many others have said, these were not appealing to me when new, but I find them to be kind of charming now.
Also, honestly with how much of an over-styled, boxy monster Subaru turned the Outback into, Honda will probably make theirs look a lot better. If this comes out and is wagony, it may be a contender for my next “dad car”
I thought these were homely when they came out, but have kind of grown on me over time. I think the coupefied BMW and M-B offerings are a lot dumber and uglier.
I REALLLY wanted a Crosstour, but ended up with a Ford Edge instead. It was a decent family-hauler for a few years.
I considered the Crosstour years ago, got a VW CC instead. Did not regret it.
Used to work with two guys who loved these. One had a ZDX and the other a Crosstour. When the Crosstour got hit he searched and replaced it with another Crosstour. Those guys raved about them, how much space and how useful they were. Seems like one of those “if you get it, you GET IT cars.
My sister-in-law got a great price on hers when she traded it in because the dealership basically had a customer on speed dial waiting for them to have a Crosstour available.
To me, it’s a bit more of “if you like it, you LIKE IT” cars, like most unconventional funky vehicles. xB, Element, FJ Cruiser, maybe even Malibu Maxx. They were niche, appealed to a small number of people who really dig them and are loyal, but can’t bring in enough buyers to justify a new run.
The cross tour looked great. Fastback accord wagon. Since we can’t get real Accord wagons, it’s the next best thing.
Of course the knee jerk crossover haters also hate the cross tour for reasons. “It’s a compromised vehicle” or whatever. Guess what, a sedan is a compromised vehicle too: poor storage and terrible access to it. A truck is compromised. Everything is a compromise, except maybe a Lotus Elise (her real name).
I dug the cross tour and would buy one if my RDX died and a well-sorted cross tour came up for sale.
This is the best news I’ve heard all day. I own a 2020 Outback and I really like it, but part of the reason I like it is because it’s fundamentally a car, not a truck. The new generation Outback, I fear, has lost that. (Okay, I haven’t driven one, but that’s my worry.) I just want a station wagon, dammit–and if Honda is going to build one with 50% of the Accord’s sheetmetal and 90% of its mechanicals, that’s bodes really well for when I finally want to replace my Subaru.
I agree with you fully. We’re a Subaru household, and I planned to get another Outback at some point in the future, but their current design immediately eliminates it for me. I’m a wagon guy, and just hate how they look. On the other hand, I think the new Accord looks great, so I really hope they pull this off.
I think there is a place for properly sporty sedans to exist but if you just focus on “cheap” the consumer base at large has indicated they are willing to spend a bit more to get more cargo room / ground clearance. so you have to emphasize performance and style.