Honda hopes that in the wake of the Outback's transformation into a more traditional SUV, buyers will flock to a reimagination of the Accord Crosstour. Remember when the Subaru Outback was a proper station wagon? Honda is considering a lifted Accord aimed at former Outback buyers left in the lurch after the latter abandoned the wagon format for a more SUV-like approach.
Honda hasn't actually committed to building the lifted Accord yet. According to a new report by Automotive News, the automaker is still considering the model, with production—assuming it is greenlit—expected to begin in mid-2029, possibly at the plant in Marysville, Ohio, which already assembles the Accord sedan. An internal Honda planning document referred to the model as the "Accord SUV," a source familiar with the matter told the outlet.
View Price on AmazonThe SUV would arrive alongside the next-generation version of the Accord sedan. The production timeline lines up with a report of delays across Honda's lineup, with the next-generation Accord sedan slated to arrive in 2030. Both the sedan and the rumored SUV would utilize Honda's next-generation hybrid powertrain, which utilizes a new direct-drive motor, new generator motor, and a new battery.
Should the proposed model come to fruition, it would be a modern successor to the failed Accord Crosstour (which later dropped the Accord prefix). That model, which arrived for the 2010 model year, was somewhere between a large hatchback and a lifted station wagon. It shared the Accord's 3.5-liter V-6, but rode considerably higher and measured several inches wider. Honda discontinued the Crosstour after 2015 due to slow sales, but increased demand for crossovers could mean more interest this time around.
In a statement to Car and Driver, Honda said, "This information is not based on any announcements from Honda. We have no plans to make this type of vehicle."
Source: caranddriver.com
