Accord SUV, Take One
Over the years, the Honda Accord has come in a variety of body styles. It was originally, a two-door hatchback, but a four-door sedan was later added, along with a coupe, a wagon, and in Europe, even as a liftback. Today, the Accord is as simple as it gets. You can get it in any form as long as it’s a sedan.
That said, things took an unusual turn in 2009 with the introduction of the Accord Crosstour. Based on the eighth-generation model, it was supposedly a more practical version of the popular midsize sedan. In essence, it was a jacked-up Accord with a bulbous rear and made to look like an SUV.
Mind you, the Acura TSX Sport Wagon was on sale at the same time, which was literally the Japanese and European-market Accord wagon sold stateside. The Crosstour easily outsold the TSX Sport Wagon, which probably proves that Americans will buy the less practical body style for as long as it has more ground clearance. But either way, it was a comparative flop compared to the regular Accord.
Revisiting the Idea
So, the Crosstour flopped, but the idea is reportedly being revisited again. The ‘Accord SUV’ is said to come by mid-2029 alongside the next-gen Accord. Mind you, it’s not set in stone just yet, but the fact that reports like these have been floating around suggests Honda wants to keep that nameplate relevant in a world now dominated by crossovers.
Now, a report from Japanese publication Response has claimed that it won’t simply be a reboot of the Crosstour, but the principle is the same. Instead of a liftback with extra ground clearance, it might actually be wagon-shaped. If so, that should address one common criticism of the original Crosstour, which was its divisive design.
Acura
What Can We Expect?
It should have a new chassis by then given that the current-gen Accord will be pushing seven years by then. It’s either that or it will utilize an extensively updated version of the current platform. Either way, it’s touted to be a competitor for the now SUV-fied Subaru Outback, as well as the Toyota Crown Estate that’s better known as the Crown Signia stateside.
With that in mind, the report of it looking more wagon-like has more merit, and the design might look less polarizing should that be the case. Do note that an Outback-like Honda vehicle has been spied driving around in Japan, although that model is said to be the Avancier. Still, it’s actually possible for it to be called an Accord Crosstour should it be sold in the U.S.
Response also said that the lifted Accord wagon could feature Honda’s next-generation hybrid system. It’s an evolution of the current system that’s dubbed e:HEV in most parts of the world, and it’s expected to roll out sometime in mid-2027 for certain models. Should this actually push though, it will be the first time in over a decade that the Accord gets a tailgate and not just a trunk.
Honda
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