Why did Honda stop making Crosstour?
Honda discontinued the Crosstour, a crossover vehicle that blended elements of a sedan and an SUV, due to declining sales and a shift in consumer preferences towards more traditional SUV and truck models. The Crosstour was introduced in 2010 as a replacement for the Honda Accord Wagon, but it failed to gain traction with buyers over its 8-year production run.
The Rise and Fall of the Honda Crosstour
When the Crosstour was first launched, Honda positioned it as a more stylish and fuel-efficient alternative to traditional SUVs. The vehicle featured a unique hatchback design and offered more cargo space than a typical sedan. However, the Crosstour's unconventional appearance and positioning between sedan and SUV segments ultimately worked against it.
Key Reasons for the Crosstour's Discontinuation:
- Declining Sales: The Crosstour struggled to find a consistent customer base, with sales declining year-over-year. In its final year of production in 2015, the Crosstour sold just over 8,000 units, a far cry from its peak of nearly 30,000 units in 2011.
- Shift in Consumer Preferences: As consumer demand shifted towards more traditional SUVs and crossovers, the Crosstour's niche positioning became less appealing. Buyers were drawn to the increased cargo space, ride height, and rugged styling of dedicated SUV models.
- Overlap with Other Honda Models: The Crosstour's positioning between the Accord sedan and the CR-V crossover meant it competed with its own stablemates, potentially cannibalizing sales of other Honda vehicles.
- Lack of Distinct Identity: The Crosstour's design was seen by some as an awkward compromise, failing to fully commit to either the sedan or SUV form factor. This made it difficult for the vehicle to establish a clear identity in the market.
Ultimately, the combination of declining sales, shifting consumer preferences, and a lack of a distinct market niche led Honda to discontinue the Crosstour after the 2015 model year. The company's focus shifted towards developing more traditional SUV and crossover models to better meet the demands of the modern automotive market.
