Honda Releases First Images of 2010 Accord Crosstour CUV
With the 2009 Toyota Venza filling a perfect niche between a crossover and a sedan, Honda is quickly following suit with the upcoming 2010 Honda Accord Crosstour. After teasing a pair of images, Honda has finally taken the wraps off the new model for all to see. The bad news for Honda is that the design of the all-new Accord Crosstour doesn't seem to be making any friends, but the good news is that the Acura ZDX is suddenly starting to look much more attractive. Shortly after Honda's countdown page expired and a pair of images were released, the 'Honda Accord Crosstour' Facebook page was suddenly inundated with negative feedback.
Since early development mules were using the Honda Accord Tourer (a European-spec station wagon) as its premise, many people were expecting Honda to introduce its wagon to the U.S. market. As spy photos began pouring in back in June, it was clear that Honda wasn't willing to risk bringing an unpopular station design to North America instead option to give Accord Crosstour more of a four-door coupe attitude. Giving the new crossover a bit of familiarity among the current-generation Accord, the Crosstour actually uses design cues from both the Accord coupe and sedan while adding a rear hatch area that looks oddly similar to the recently released Porsche Panamera. Giving the new model a much more rugged look and stance than the Accord sedan, the Accord Crosstour should offer at least eight inches of ground clearance.
According to Erik Berkman, vice president of American Honda Motor Co., Inc., the Accord Crosstour is looking to capitalize on the shift away from larger SUVs and crossovers without sacrificing the comfortable interior space many have come to appreciate from the full-size, eight-generation Accord sedan. "We know SUV buyers like the commanding view of the road that comes with a high eye-point and like the comforts of living with an SUV," Berkman said. "This vehicle meets the needs of buyers looking for those attributes yet at the same time want an image that is different from a conventional SUV."
Like the Venza, the Accord Crosstour will be limited to just two rows of seats with a five-passenger layout. Not much else is known about the cabin, but the sloped roofline should somewhat reduce the overall cargo capacity compared to the maximum 70 cubic feet offered in the Venza.
Considering its underpinning are derived from the popular Accord sedan, we expect that the 2010 Accord Crosstour will likely come with a duo of fuel-efficient engine options, but like any crossover, it will also offer the added safety and convenience of all-wheel drive. Base Accord models use a 2.4-liter inline-4 that is rated at either 177 or 190 horsepower, while the upper trim level models get a 271-horsepower 3.5-liter V-6. The latter engine also benefits from Honda's Variable Cylinder Management which is a cylinder deactivation system to improve overall fuel economy. Comparing fuel economy estimates of both the Venza and the Accord sedan, the new Crosstour will likely offer fuel economy ranging from the low-20s in the city to upper-20s on the highway for inline-4 models, while the V-6 models should get somewhere in the upper teens in the city and the mid-20s on the highway.
Adding to the popular Accord coupe and sedan, the all-new Crosstour crossover will sit at the top of the Accord lineup in terms of size and price. Although pricing, vehicle specs and interior photos have not been released yet, Honda says the 2010 Accord Crosstour will go on sale this fall. We expect pricing to be very competitive with the 2009 Venza, which starts at $25,975 for front-wheel drive models and $27,425 for all-wheel drive.