Accord crosses over

Shuffling through crisp yellow leaves, cheeks pink from the brisk air, a sixty-something couple with (presumably) grandchildren in tow watched as we snapped a few shots of the Honda Accord Crosstour against a colourful gorge background.

“Is that a new model?” the older gent asked. “It's very stylish”.

Honda would be comforted by that comment. After an ill-fated Facebook launch featuring advance photos of the new Crosstour met with an avalanche of derision, it would appear that the Crosstour's swoopy styling is not for everyone. To be sure it's a polarizing look, similar to BMW's X6 Crossover with a bit of Saab thrown in.

Beauty is, as they say, in the eye of the beholder.

Jerry Chenkin, Executive VP of Honda Canada says that “Honda distinguishes itself by making sure there's money to move forward.” The Accord Crosstour (and next year's Acura TSX Sports Wagon) is the “fruit of its investments in a rapidly changing marketplace”.

Based on the Accord platform but offering available 4WD, the Crosstour also retains the Accord name, capitalizing on the sedan's popularity with consumers. It's a bit of an odd duck—its sedan-like handling and low centre of gravity (due to lowered engine and fuel tank to offset its increased height) give it an edge over regular crossover competitors, and its price point (projected to be mid $30,000) puts it up against Honda's own CRV - with less headroom and cargo space.

There's one powerplant offered: the same 3.5 litre V6 found in the Accord sedan. Variable cylinder management provides better fuel economy by shutting down 2-3 cylinders under light load.

Unlike Toyota's Venza, no four-cylinder will be available; according to Honda engineers, the fuel savings would be negligible. Honda doesn't see the Venza as a competitor anyway, claiming the targeted buyer is a more upscale, active empty-nester.

Riding on a double wishbone front and multi-link rear suspension, the Crosstour handles nicely - although not as planted as it could be with a wider track or beefier tires. In order to create that large, flat cargo space, the spare tire is located underneath the trunk, limiting the space for wider wheels.

An exceptionally rigid chassis eliminates body-roll, enhanced by the transmission's gear-holding capability while cornering—as well as a rev-matching downshift feature. Front shocks feature internal rebound springs for more rigidity, and front brake callipers and rear rotors are larger than the Accord sedan's.

There's over 728 litres of cargo space in the easily accessible, low lift-over rear hatch, but surprisingly the lift-gate isn't power-assisted. Under the cargo floor is a 54 liter utility box, ideal for stowing dirty or wet outdoor gear.

Those familiar with the Accord will feel at home in the Crosstour's cockpit. Materials are high quality, with double stitching on available leather surfaces, although our tester's black interior is a bit sombre. Like the sedan, the swooping centre console is button-busy and the nav screen hard to see in bright sunlight.

The Crosstour may appeal to a small segment—like our tester's gentleman admirer, who'd always owned Hondas and was looking to down-size from a mini-van. Such a buyer will no doubt find the Crosstour's practical “duality” to his liking.

Honda hopes to sell 3,000 Crosstours, with the 4WD model making up the majority of purchases.