Honda is planning to expand one of its most venerable passenger-car nameplates into new territory with a lifted, hybrid-powered Accord crossover. This is according to Automotive News, which reports that Honda aims to have the Accord SUV variant ready for a 2029 launch.
Designed to compete directly with the Subaru Outback, the proposed vehicle aims to bridge the gap between traditional passenger cars and conventional crossovers. This is not to say Honda plans to replace its long-running Accord sedan; the new variant will act as a higher-riding extension of the lineup, offering greater ground clearance, a rear liftgate, wagon-like practicality and a higher driving position.
If that all sounds kind of familiar, it’s because you’re remembering the Accord Crosstour, launched in 2010. That model struggled commercially and was discontinued by 2015, but evidently, that’s not discouraging Honda from giving the idea of an Accord-derived crossover another go.
Honda may have good reason to take another shot. Industry analysts note that market conditions have shifted dramatically over the past decade. With utility vehicles now accounting for more than 85 percent of new vehicle sales in North America, car-based crossover designs, for example the Toyota Crown Signia, have gained widespread consumer acceptance.
Here’s some pertinent data that surely got the attention of Honda executives: Data from Edmunds shows that former Honda owners have consistently migrated to the Subaru Outback since 2020. An Accord-based crossover would give Honda a direct competitor to retain those buyers while positioning the vehicle between the compact CR-V and the larger Passport in its showroom layout.
The folks at AutoForecast Solutions suggest sales of the lifted variant could eventually surpass those of the traditional Accord sedan as consumer preferences lean further toward utility.
The project aligns with Honda’s broader electrification strategy, recently revised to go heavy on hybridity as opposed to purely electric powertrains. The Japanese automaker plans to introduce 15 new hybrid models globally by 2030, supported by a next-generation hybrid system promising improved power, fuel efficiency and towing capacity.
Several core North American Honda nameplates—including the Accord, CR-V, Pilot, Ridgeline and Odyssey—are expected to transition to hybrid-only configurations by roughly 2031.
While Honda is following the usual industry policy of declining to comment on future product plans, the reported 2029 model indicates that Honda intends to leverage 50 years of Accord brand equity, retain the passenger-car driving dynamics many consumers insist they still want and chase the SUV demographic, all in one neat package. Here’s hoping that package does better than the Crosstour.