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Honda Officially Announces Crosstour Is Dead, So Say Your Goodbyes

We've all heard the rumors, and it appears they were true - Honda is going to discontinue the Crosstour. Nicknamed the Hunchback of Notre Dame, this Accord-based crossover model has not performed according to expectations and after the 2015 model year is finished (probably in a few months) production will stop.
2013 Honda Crosstour 25 photos
Photo: Honda
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The Crosstour is basically a mix between the driving prowess of an Accord, the body of a wagon and the suspension of a crossover. The design could be compared to BMW's 3 Series Gran Turismo model, but arguably less successful.

Honda explains its decision by saying the crossover market has matured, and people no longer want to strike an odd balance.

"However, the crossover segment has evolved and we believe the all-new 2016 Honda HR-V launching later this spring will create new value for crossover shoppers and play a more significant role as a gateway model for the Honda brand to drive light truck sales growth. This move will allow the East Liberty Plant to focus on meeting demand for the CR-V and a refreshed 2016 Acura RDX and, as announced last month, expand light truck production in early 2017 with the Acura MDX," he added.

Considering how well the CR-V is doing and the overwhelmingly positive response to the 2016 Pilot, we think Honda stands to boost its sales after the Crosstour is canceled.

The car company has also decided to move production of Accord Hybrid models from Marysville Auto Plant in Ohio to the Sayama Plant in Japan. Thus, they will be able to focus on the Accord sedan and coupe models that in high demand right now, plus the Acura TLX and its smaller brother, the 2016 ILX.

About the Honda Crosstour

The Crosstour launched as a 2010 model year but entered production in September 2009. Formerly, it was also called an Accord, but the name was dropped because it created confusion.

There are two engines available, either a 2.4-liter base model that makes 192 HP and 162 lb-ft of torque, or a 3.5-liter V6 mill that churns 278 HP and 252 lb-ft of torque.

For the 2013 model year, they introduced the facelift you see above, which had more SUV features to let customers know this is an off-road vehicle. They included protective body cladding, metallic skid plates and some changes to the overall design. The price was also reduced by around $500 while V6 models jumped from a 5-speed to a 6-speed automatic.

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About the author: Mihnea Radu
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Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida.
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