The Honda Crosstour will be available with a new 4-cylinder engine and two trim levels next month. It will be cheaper than it's V6 predecessor and also more economical – the mpg has gone up with 3 and 2 points (EPA) respectively for urban and extra urban driving.

In terms of design, the Crosstour is a warehouse on 17' wheels, wrapped around in a curvy, slippery body. Two new paint finishes, with matching door handles, will be available for these newcomers - Twilight Blue Metallic and Basque Red Pearl II. Inside, at the back there is an under-floor compartment which adds to the practicality and reversible cargo floor panels that can be used for transporting dirty items.

In the cabin, equipment is abundant. The Crosstour EX, which is the lower trim line, gets as standard auto-on/off headlights, USB audio interface and an electrochroming rearview mirror as well as back-up camera display with integrated guidelines. The list goes on as we get also projector-beam headlights, a moonroof, body-colored defrosting electric side mirrors, electronic front-door windows and air conditioning with second-row ventilation. Multimedia indulgences include a 360-watt AM/FM 6-disc audio system with seven speakers and a steering wheel with controls on it for the cruise, audio and phone systems. The EX-L (the higher trim line) gets all of that plus a leather interior, heated front seats, setting memory storage for the driver's seat and side view mirrors'  position, dual-zone automatic climate control and an even better audio system with Kevlar® cone speakers and front aluminum dome-type tweeter speakers. Also available on the Crosstour EX-L is the Honda Satellite-linked Navigation System.

2012 Honda Crosstour EX-L (4-cylinder)

The power necessary to move all that technology around, comes from a 2.4 16-valve DOHC i-VTEC® engine that delivers 192 horsepower at 7,000 RPM and 162 lb-ft. of torque at 4,400 RPM. This is quite respectable considering the fact that the combined fuel economy stands at the affordable 24 mpg (EPA). One way to achieve such efficiency is to fit a clever 5-speed automatic gearbox with Grade Logic Control as standard to all trim lines. And that is just what Honda have done.

Safety has been addressed thanks to the Advanced Compatibility Engineering™ (ACE™) body structure that the Crosstour gets. The key is in the shell's functional design which aids occupant protection and offers increased crash tolerance in frontal collisions. Other safety features on the Crosstour include Vehicle Stability Assist™ (VSA®), anti-lock brakes with electronic brake distribution and brake assist, side curtain airbags with a rollover sensor, driver's and front passenger's side airbags with passenger-side Occupant Position Detection System (OPDS), dual-stage, multiple-threshold front airbags, and active front seat head restraints.

The 2012 Honda Crosstour comes with a 3-year/36,000-mile new-car limited warranty, a 5-year/60,000-mile powertrain limited warranty, and a 5-year/unlimited-mile corrosion limited warranty.

Source: Honda