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2014 Honda Crosstour | new car review


 Looks
When I first saw the Crosstour in the showroom I went over in a whirlwind of intrigue to find out more. At first glance it actually looks quite good for a car that doesn’t seem to belong to any specific class. The front is large and neatly arranged, the sides are smooth, but the back does look a bit bottom heavy, almost like it needs a workout to shed some pounds. It appears to have combined an Audi A7, Volvo XC60, Subaru Outback, and BMW X6 (?!) and come out somewhere else. It even has a spoiler! It’s not strictly pretty or ugly, but interesting to say the least.

 Feels
A vast, cavernous space lies within the mutant body of the Crosstour. Because it is based on the Accord (it was previously known as the Accord Crosstour) the interior is largely identical, which is of course not a bad thing at all, the usual comfort and finesse is present. But it isn’t an Accord, so you will arguably feel cheated: you have made a conscious effort to deliberately not buy an Accord, yet somehow have ended up with one.
 Engineering
The Crosstour has within it acres of space, but look closely… The rear wheel arches deplete the footprint of space considerably, and as the car has a fastback tailgate the boot loses functional space. There is a clever compartment in the floor, but it won’t fit much. Beyond that, the Crosstour comes with Honda’s Variable Cylinder Management system as well as 4WD.
What’s on offer?
There is only one version of the Crosstour available, and it comes with a 3.5 litre V6 and a AED 149,000 price tag. The motor emits 271 hp and provides a solid 340 Nm of torque. Eleven litres of fuel will give you 100 km in distance and it will reach a top speed of 194 kp/h.
 Summing it…
The Crosstour is a car without a class, so if it has its own, it is by default the best and worst. There are a few issues, such as the rear spoiler – identical to that found on the Civic hatchback – impedes your rear-view, which is already sub-standard on account of the fastback tailgate. But through all the drag and glitter, it is still an Accord. Which does make you wonder, why buy it if you can buy an Accord for AED 30,000 less? It’s a car for the indecisive, for those on the fence who can’t decide whether they want a saloon, a fastback, an estate, or an SUV. Its nearest rival seems to be the BMW X6. And that, I think, probably says it all.

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