2010 Honda Accord Crosstour Preview

Model Lineup
Honda is positioning the Crosstour at the top of the Accord lineup. It will be sold only in EX and EX-L trim levels, and options will be limited to a navigation system and 4WD on the EX-L. Key standard features on the Crosstour EX include dual-zone climate control, 360-watt audio system, power moonroof, 17-inch alloy wheels, projector beam headlights, compass, exterior temperature display, and privacy glass. The EX is offered only with front-wheel drive.

The Accord Crosstour EX-L adds leather upholstery, heated front seats, 18-inch wheels, auto-dimming rearview mirror, automatic headlights, Bluetooth, Homelink, USB port, XM satellite radio, cargo cover, and a memory system for the driver’s seat and side mirrors. A navigation system is optional on the Crosstour EX-L, and it includes a reversing camera. If you want Honda’s Real Time 4WD system, you must buy the Crosstour EX-L model.

Design
Based on the Honda Accord sedan platform, the Crosstour is a 5-door, 5-passenger hatchback raised to provide a minimum of 6 inches of ground clearance. Though thematically similar, it is not related to the recently introduced Acura ZDX, which shares its platform with the Acura MDX.

Honda calls the Accord Crosstour “sleek, aerodynamic and sporty,” and a spokesperson told us that the choice of body design was determined, in part, on customer input. Aside from the general profile, other styling elements that distance the Crosstour from the Accord include a bolder grille, deeper front air dam, and lower body styling that Honda says provides a “durable” appearance. The Crosstour also has a character line that changes from an indentation in the front fender and door to an outward crease on the rear doors and rear quarter panels.

Inside, “premium and active” were the guiding philosophies for the Crosstour’s design. To fulfill that mission, plush interior carpeting, upscale loop-style cargo area carpet, and a polished metal kick plate at the cargo area’s edge are intended to make the car feel a cut above. The Crosstour EX-L’s leather is double-stitched, and the car can be equipped with a Charcoal Black or Ivory interior colors, complete with woodgrain trim. On models with Ivory décor, the top half of the dash and the upper door panels are charcoal black, creating a two-tone look and reducing glare on the glass.

The Accord Crosstour’s cargo area can handle 25.7 cubic feet of cargo with the rear seats in use, and 51.3 cubic feet of maximum cargo space with the rear seats folded. That’s less than both primary competitors, the Nissan Murano and Toyota Venza, but not unexpected given the dramatically swept roofline. Under the cargo floor, which is composed of reversible panels that can be flipped to handle dirty items, is a 1.9-cubic foot compartment with a removable liner—perfect for wet stuff.