Honda killing off Crosstour in big production shift

Chris Woodyard | USA TODAY

Honda said Wednesday that it is killing its Crosstour, a car-like crossover that never caught on with consumers.

In a shakeup of its manufacturing in the U.S., Honda says that no longer producing the Crosstour at its East Liberty plant in Ohio will free up space on the production line for two hot sellers, the Honda CR-V and Acura RDX. In 2017, the plant will also start making the Acura MDX.

Crosstour had the front end of an Accord, but the rear was a fastback shape with a rear hatch intended to make it handy for carrying cargo without being considered a station wagon. It's the same basic idea as a BMW X6.

"The Crosstour, introduced in 2010, served a positive role in helping the Honda brand target crossover buyers," wrote American Honda's Executive Vice President John Mendel in a statement. "However, the crossover segment has eveolved and we believe the all-new 2016 Honda HR-V launching later this spring will create new value for crossover shoppers.'

The HR-V is the new smallest SUV in the Honda lineup, built on the platform of a Honda Fit. Honda thinks it will appeal heavily to Millennials, meeting their needs for a car that easy to park in crowded cities while have lots of interior space for hauling.

Mendel also said production of the Accord Hybrid, another slow seller, will be transferred from Maryville, Ohio, to Sayama, Japan to "better optimize our global production capabilities."