No automaker has a perfect track record when it comes to new vehicle launches. Even Honda, which has managed to keep its lineup trim and successful, has had a few flops. A big one arrived about 16 years ago: the Accord Crosstour. It was derided mainly for its odd looks, which translated into poor sales. Yet, for some reason, Honda may take another stab at the idea if a report from Automotive News is to be believed.
2012 Honda Accord Crosstour Burgundy Rear Angled ViewHonda
It Would Take On The Lifted Wagon King
Automotive News cited an anonymous source in reporting that Honda will launch an Accord-based crossover that may arrive at the same time as the next-generation model as a 2030 model. That model will be a full redesign, rather than the heavily refreshed Accord that’s reportedly arriving next year. Odds are both models will take design cues from the Hybrid Sedan Prototype Honda revealed in May. In fact, that concept had a fastback roofline not entirely unlike the original Crosstour. Hybrid powertrains would also seem a given.
This is all assuming that the model does happen. We reached out to a representative from Honda who told us the following:
“This information is not based on any announcements from Honda. We have no plans to make this type of vehicle.” — Honda Representative
Typically automakers just give no comment regarding future products, so a more direct denial puts a bit of a damper on the idea. This could mean no Accord SUV directly, but something else in that range with a different name. Time will tell whether this one pans out.
This hypothetical Accord crossover would pretty obviously be targeting the Subaru Outback, and, to a lesser extent, the Toyota Crown Signia. They’re about the only remaining midsize wagon-like crossovers on the market. The Subaru sells in quite large numbers, too. Last year, nearly 160,000 examples found homes. That number eclipsed the regular Accord last year, so even a chunk of those Subaru sales could make it a worthwhile endeavor.
2013 Honda Accord Crosstour Turquoise Front Angled View DrivingHonda
No Mainstream Automaker Has Replicated The Outback’s Success
The other model mentioned is arguably more important, though. Toyota recently replaced the RAV4-based Venza with a more upmarket and wagon-like model in the Crown Signia. Last year, Toyota only sold about 20,000 examples, and it’s on track to sell about the same amount this year. Not only is that a fraction of the Outback’s sales, it’s not that far off of the sales of the original Accord Crosstour.
In the Crosstour’s first full year on sale, Honda sold a little more than 9,000 units, and about 11,000 after that. The next three years saw sales roughly between 15,000 and 20,000. Its best sales year was also its last with more than 28,000 units. If the Signia is any indication of where a new Crosstour-like vehicle would land, it’s not any better than when Honda cancelled it.
2026 Toyota Crown SigniaToyota
Admittedly, the Crown Signia isn’t as directly targeted at the Outback as the Honda could be. The Signia doesn’t focus on rugged capability to the same extent. It hardly has any plastic cladding. However, neither the Signia nor the Crosstour are the only examples of people coming for the Outback and missing. Buick tried with the Regal TourX, which was clearly a wagon with cladding and a fairly attractive price point. It didn’t even come close to staying on the market as long as the Crosstour at just three years. Buick didn’t break down sales from the regular Regal, but the Regal in total only sold about 10,000 units in 2019, so it was hardly a success.
The Other Problem Is Already In The Showroom
When Honda launched the Accord Crosstour, the closest competitor in the lineup was the Honda CR-V, which was arguably a size class smaller than the Crosstour. The next largest SUV was the Pilot. That’s not the case anymore. Honda has the Passport now, which is a midsize, two-row crossover. It also has a particularly rugged image. All of this makes it a natural Outback competitor, even if its shape is more traditional SUV than the Subaru.
2026 Honda Passport TrailSport front three-quarter view.Ian Wright/CarBuzz/Valnet
If Honda launches this hypothetical Accord crossover, it could very easily poach sales from the Passport, rather than from the Outback, which would be completely counterproductive. Either that, or customers will just ignore the Accord and keep buying Passport. The Passport is also more successful than the old Crosstour ever was. Last year Honda sold more than 55,000 of them.
CarBuzz Insight – Why This Matters:
This report adds to the evidence that automakers see off-road vehicles and those targeted at people with active lifestyles are going to continue being popular. However, Honda’s possible move seems somewhat ill-advised. It’s taking on a niche product with a diehard following that will make it difficult to pull customers away. It would clearly need to be a better Subaru than Subaru can make, and even then, it wouldn’t be a guarantee, and it could just harm the competitor Honda already sells.
Source: Automotive News, Honda
