By THEODORE OPARA
THE Honda Place,(THP), has expanded the Honda Accord model lineup with the introduction of the all-new Honda Crosstour, a car that combines the attributes of a Sedan, Coupe and Crossover. The Accord Crossover was presented to the Nigerian Motoring Press at The Honda Place showroom in Victoria Island and the presentation was followed by a test drive on the Island.

The powerful look of the Honda Crosstour made it the cynosure of all eyes on the Island during the test drive as admirer focused attention on the car that shares similar look with the BMW X6 and Porsche Panamera.

Briefing journalists about the car the Honda Place Sales and Marketing Director, Mr. Deepak Daryanani, and the company’s Sales Manager, Mr. Gidado Ayodeji, spoke on the unique features of the vehicle.

They described the Crosstour as a versatile crossover utility vehicle, which combines the unique features of a coupe, a sedan and a sport utility vehicle.

The Crosstour, according to them, is a product of a research conduct among 100 young car freaks between the ages of 25 and 35 in Dubai. The respondents were mostly the users of Avalon, Lumina, CX-9, Murano and Prado.

Gidado said, “The Crosstour is the latest variant of Accord that seamlessly blends car & crossover into one practical package.

“The wider and longer body of Accord Crosstour has more imposing presence; it offers an efficient package with coupe styled body, sedan like comfortable interior and SUV like large space and four-wheel drive.”

It comes with a 3.5-litre V6 that produces 271 horsepower and 254 pound-feet of torque. A five-speed automatic is the only available transmission.

Its Variable Cylinder Management can switch of the vehicle’s cylinders when full power is not required, which will change effectively change the engine from six cylinder

The crossover wagon is available in EX and EX-L trim levels. The EX comes standard with 17-inch wheels, foglights, a sunroof, power front seats (10-way driver, four-way passenger), a multifunction steering wheel, dual-zone automatic climate control with second-row vents, a 60/40-split-folding rear seatback and a seven-speaker audio system with a six-CD changer and an auxiliary audio jack.

The EX-L trim level adds 18-inch wheels, automatic headlights, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, driver-seat memory functions, leather upholstery, heated front seats, a cargo cover, Bluetooth and an upgraded stereo with a USB port and satellite radio. The lone option is a navigation system. It is only available on EX-L models, and it includes voice-activated controls and a back-up camera.

It also has a paddle shift system, which gives the thrills of driving a manual transmission vehicle with the convenience of automatic transmission. In other words, the vehicle can quickly accelerate with a rapid kick-down using the down-shift paddle.

Honda says with the D-mode, driver can shift up and down by using the paddles. Gear automatically resets to correct selection when a sensor determines the car is cruising.

And the S-mode allows driver to shift up and down using paddles. However, gear holds at same position to enjoy a manual transmission-like driving feel, the firm adds.

The Crosstour’s Active Sound Control system helps reduce low-decibel, high-frequency sounds by using microphones in the headliner to detect unwanted sound frequencies entering the cabin.

According to Honda, the system responds by emitting precisely timed reverse-phase audio signals through the vehicle’s speakers to cancel out the undesirable noise.

It has a remote entry system with power window control, power door locks, lower the power windows—even open the moonroof. It’s a convenient way to vent the interior of the Crosstour as you approach the vehicle.

The vehicle also has memory-linked side mirrors with reverse gear. When you shift the Crosstour EX-L into reverse, the side mirrors automatically tilt down to provide the driver with a better view of the curb or parking area.

Setting the mirror-adjustment switch to the right position activates the right-side mirror; setting it to the left activates the left-side mirror.

Safety features

The vehicle is equipped with features such as the dual-stage, multiple-threshold front airbags, front side airbags with passenger-side Occupant Position Detection System, all for the maximum safety of its occupants.

Its other safety features are side curtain airbags with rollover sensor; driver’s and front passenger’s active head restraint, vehicle stability assist with traction control

It also has an anti-lock braking system, electronic brake distribution and a brake assist.