The Honda Crossroad refers to two specific types of SUVs made by Honda. The first one is a rebadged Land Rover Discovery sold in Japan between 1993 to 1998, while the other is a vehicle developed by Honda for the Japanese market that was introduced in 2007.
Honda marketed the Crossroad in the Japanese market.[dead link] Honda replaced the Crossroad with its CR-V.
To date, the Crossroad is the only Honda ever have a V8 engine. Even the flagship sedan and the sports car never had it.
The Crossroad had been marketed for a short time in Japan from October, 1993 to 1998.
Problems had emerged regarding the marketing of the Crossroad in Japan. For instance, Honda had threatened to end ties with Rover after the news that it was going to be sold to BMW.
Not only were there marketing issues related to the vehicle, but mechanical ones as well. Since the Crossroad was a rebadged Land Rover Discovery, it also had Land Rover's reliability issues carried over. In 1997, a recall was issued by Honda on the advice of Ministry of Transportation due to a malfunction locking mechanism on the SUV's driver-side front door that could make the vehicle open while driving. Around 4,754 vehicles made from July 1995 to December 1996 were affected by the recall.
The Crossroad name was resurrected as a new crossover SUV for the Japanese market in February 2007. The vehicle combines the exterior design of an SUV with the convenient size of a compact car and the 3-row seating and 7-passenger capacity. The Crossroad is designed for people to enjoy their active new lifestyles, targeting young couples in their 20s and 30s with small children.
Under the hood, the Crossroad sports one of two straight-4 engines of 1.8 L and 2.0 L in displacement. Both will be mated to the only available transmission: a 5-speed automatic. Honda's Real-Time AWD system has been thoroughly revised for the Crossroad. It now works in conjunction with stability and traction control as well as ABS brakes. For the first time in a Honda, the Crossroad will be equipped with Hill-Start Assist which temporarily maintains brake pressure after the brake pedal is released when starting on a hill. Under normal driving conditions, the Crossroad behaves as a FWD vehicle.
According to AutoWeek, Honda said it won't import the Crossroad to North America, since their similarly-sized Element takes its place. Honda's crossover SUV lineup in the United States and Canada already has the smaller Element, the mid-priced CR-V and the larger Pilot, as all three models are made in North America.
It was reported that Honda did not export the Crossroad to Europe because of a voluntary commitment by the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association to reduce average CO2 emissions in its European fleet to 140 grams per kilometer by 2009. As a result, Honda was reluctant to offer larger vehicles without technological breakthrough.
On August 25, 2010, Honda posted on its Japanese website that the Crossroad was discontinued.
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