Some articles ago this blog has mentioned the huge importance of respecting each market’s preferences when it comes to cars, due to the simple reason of this being how to give the customers what they want. The eighties have proved that imposing the same vehicle to many countries doesn’t sell well, although the mathematics prove that sharing parts between several cars reduces production costs. This “economical art” is what stimulates the release of cars such as the Nissan Titan of said article, and the crossover you’ll read about here.
Crosstour is a good example of that combined strategy because it filled a gap in Honda’s North-American showroom without demanding an exclusive project. In other words, if CR-V is a small crossover and Pilot is a full-size SUV, they managed to put the new car between them in size and with a much more sporty proposal, so the three don’t converge into attracting the same public, using no more than the US Accord’s platform. This car is a conceptual rival for Toyota Venza, and both of them work as cheaper versions of BMW X6’s idea: starting from the typical crossover base, they exchange the five seat’s space for a much more casual style, giving a urban look instead of resembling an SUV. 2013 will see a slightly facelifted Crosstour, whose biggest visual changes are a cleaner-designed and more imponent front. The front and size pictures show that this car has a really elegant resemblance with the youngest Accord and Pilot, but Honda’s problem was don’t knowing when to stop: there’s a black plastic part right above the rear license plate, which tries to remind CR-X’s (and its hybrid successor CR-Z’s) two-party windshield – besides those cars used this solution to improve the aerodynamics, splitting it with a big spoiler makes this area unattractive to a crossover with much bigger size.
However, it’s undeniable that Honda’s crossover is very stylish. This fastback-like design gives it a bigger dynamism sensation than Venza and even X6 because those ones have taller rear ends. But if they haven’t done their best with the rear design, the interior has improved a lot. There are design changes to give a “tougher look”, material changes to improve the overall quality and a new multimedia entertainment system, with a big touchscreen on the central console. Opening the hood reveals the biggest improvement: Crosstour has received the new Earth Dreams engines. This new family uses lots of technology to reduce consumption and emissions, and here is shown with a 192-hp 2.4 and a 278-hp V6 3.5, this one with full traction available. Those are a more sophisticated interior and more efficient engines to a car which preserves the huge internal space seen at the pictures. Since this car’s sales are exclusively focused in North America, it makes total sense that Honda showed the concept-car at the last New York Motor Show and now plans to show the official version at the Los Angeles show. Its sales will begin right after, starting from US$ 27.230.
