Honda may revive Accord Crosstour to rival Subaru Outback

The model is expected to be intended for the American market. Its production will likely be set up in 2029 at a plant in the state of Ohio.

Honda is continuing to restructure its development strategy in the American market: the brand previously decided to focus on hybrids, scrapped several fully 'green' projects, and is now preparing to retire the electric SUV Prologue. The company is also thinking about new models that could appeal to brand enthusiasts in the future. One of these could be a crossover based on the Honda Accord.

Automotive News reports on the Japanese manufacturer's plans: according to the agency, Honda is currently considering a new model with the internal working name Accord SUV. Production is expected to be set up around mid-2029 at Honda's plant in Marysville, Ohio, USA. It is anticipated that this new model will go on sale in the States at the same time as the updated Accord saloon.

In all likelihood, the unofficially announced new model, as well as the entire facelifted Honda Accord family, will later be equipped with next-generation hybrid systems, which the company is currently developing. Details about these will emerge later.

It is possible that for this new model, Honda will revive the name Accord Crosstour: a car with that name was present on the American market from 2009 to 2012, but did not achieve particular popularity. The peak year for this crossover with a sloping roof was 2010, when US dealers sold around 28,900 units.

The manufacturer has likely decided that the model was 'ahead of its time' and that interest in a similar vehicle will be greater in the near future. It is assumed that the so-called Accord SUV will be a 'raised' liftback with increased ground clearance, larger wheels, plastic body cladding around the perimeter, and a spacious boot. The platform, however, will be the same as that of the current mid-size saloon.

It is expected that on the American market, Honda's new model will compete for customers with the Subaru Outback. For context, the current seventh-generation crossover debuted in spring 2025 at the New York Auto Show. Its standard ground clearance is 221 mm, the maximum wheel diameter is 19 inches, and the boot volume when loaded to the roof is 980 litres.

The current Outback is offered in the States with a choice of two petrol four-cylinder boxer engines: either a 2.5-litre naturally aspirated unit (power – 183 hp, maximum torque – 241 Nm) or a 2.4-litre turbocharged engine (264 hp and 376 Nm). The gearbox is the same across the board – a Lineartronic CVT, and drive is exclusively all-wheel drive. The model also gets a recalibrated version of the proprietary X-Mode driving mode selection system, and the desired mode can be activated directly from the steering wheel.