2013 Honda Crosstour: Can a Redesign Save this Struggling Crossover?

As we quickly approach the New York Auto Show, automakers are coming out of the woodwork announcing that they are debuting new cars or simply reveling redesigned versions of existing cars. One car in need of a boost is the upcoming 2013 Honda Crosstour – yes, Honda misses the mark sometimes too – and Honda plans to reveal its 2013 Crosstour Concept at the upcoming auto show.

Honda hopes that new exterior styling on the 2013 Crosstour will help boost its sales. We will be the first to admit that the Crosstour is in desperate need of a redesign, but the redesign will have to be significant to make a difference. Fortunately for Honda, the Crosstour isn’t the only strange looking crossover vehicle in for a reveal, as Toyota plans to reveal a redesigned Venza at the same auto show.

With additional competition from the firmly entrenched Subaru Outback, which also has a redesign to show off in New York, Honda needs to pull out all the stops to save the suffering Crosstour, which has sold just 51,380 units since its 2010 debut. Even worse, only 1,991 units have made their way into people’s driveways two months into 2012.

Will this refresh and the new four-cylinder be enough to save the Crosstour from elimination? Well, given Honda’s conservative nature, the 2013 Crosstour Concept will only receive very mild changes. Also, given the fact that it always has been and likely will remain based on the popular Accord, we wouldn’t expect anything drastic. Of course, no one expected Honda to do what it did to the Civic in 2006.

Honda has kept a pretty tight lid on this release, so we will all find out together on its April 4th release.