Powertrains are not yet known, but the motors currently found in the USDM Accord seem like a safe bet. We observed this mule testing alongside an Acura RDX. We also noted this mule accelerated rather briskly, so the 2.3L, four-cylinder turbo motor from the RDX may have a chance of making it into the Accord CUV.

We are talking about Honda here......who of late have not been very smart.

Not wanting to let Toyota steal all the limelight with its all-new Venza, Honda is preparing to launch a new CUV based on the Accord. Called the Crosstour, a series of early spy photos released elsewhere this morning have incited a full-boil debate among Honda enthusiasts as to whether the Crosstour shares its platform with the upcoming Acura ZDX. The answer? Nope.

While the current economic climate may seem ripe for rebadging, that won’t be the case with Honda’s new CUV duo.

The 2010 Honda Crosstour will be riding on a modified version of the Honda Accord chassis. This should come as no surprise as months and months of rumors of an “Accord-based” CUV have circulated the Internet. What most fans of Honda may not have guessed is that the 2010 Acura ZDX crossover will be riding on the chassis used by the Acura MDX and Honda Pilot.

Baring any delays, production of the Crosstour is currently slated to start in September at Honda’s East Liberty, Ohio, plant. The ZDX should start rolling down the line at the Alliston, Ontario, plant in August.

Spy photos depict a mule - not the production model
At first glance, the vehicle in our spy photos of the a test mule may look like nothing more than the European Honda Accord Tourer. Closer inspection reveals that is not the case. For starters, a U.S. market Honda Accord front end has been grafted onto the body. The production Crosstour will likely feature a similar snout, but it won’t be quite identical to the Accord’s, as we can see on the photos nabbed by a VWVortex user.

We can also see fender flares that have been tacked onto the body and covered with tape that matches the color of the paint. These flares indicate that the wheel track has been widened slightly. Looking directly behind the rear doors, it quickly becomes apparent that a few extra inches of sheet metal and glass have been added to the body, suggesting the final product will be a few inches longer than the current European Accord Tourer. This development vehicle is also riding higher than a standard Accord Tourer and actually resembles and Audi allroad in person.

The production car will lose the wagon-like tail and instead feature a long, sloping hatchback more akin to the Toyota Prius. A long rear overhangand bulging bumper on the production car will seem at odds with the more restrained nose.

The Crosstour will slot in-between CR-V and Pilot and will look to do battle with Toyota’s new Venza CUV.

Powertrains are not yet known, but the motors currently found in the North American Accord seem like a safe bet. We observed this mule testing alongside an Acura RDX and we also noted this mule accelerated rather briskly, so the 2.3-liter, four-cylinder turbo motor from the RDX may have a chance of making it into the Accord CUV.

One thing we can say for sure about this vehicle is that AWD will be an option. A close look at this prototype reveals that it has a rear differential. More than likely, this means the car has Honda’s VTM-4 AWD system

The production car will lose the wagon-like tail and instead feature a long, sloping hatchback more akin to the Toyota Prius. A long rear overhangand bulging bumper on the production car will seem at odds with the more restrained nose.