honda to target outback with lifted accord hybrid suvHonda is eyeing a lifted Accord-based hybrid crossover for 2029, a move that would put one of its best-known passenger-car nameplates into the Subaru Outback's territory, according to an Automotive News report. The publication described the future model as a "lifted 'Accord SUV' hybrid" aimed at the Outback's "sweet spot," signaling a taller, utility-focused extension of the Accord line rather than a conventional sedan replacement.Honda has tried the Accord SUV tactic before, and failed rather miserably with the Accord Crosstour - a model that was deemed so unsuccessful that they eventually stripped the Accord name from it so as to distance it's failure from the Accord's success.The report frames the proposed Accord SUV as part of Honda's broader shift toward hybrids. The model would build on that strategy as the company moves more of its core lineup away from standalone gasoline configurations. Several Honda nameplates are expected to become hybrid-only by 2031, including the CR-V, Accord, Pilot, Ridgeline, and Odyssey, according to the report.AdvertisementAdvertisementThat list matters because it covers much of Honda's U.S. volume foundation: compact crossover, midsize sedan, three-row SUV, pickup and minivan. The Accord SUV would extend that same hybrid push into a space where Subaru has long used wagon-like proportions, extra ride height, and all-weather positioning to keep the Outback distinct from more conventional two-row crossovers.The key detail is positioning. Honda already sells the CR-V as its mainstream compact crossover and the Pilot as its larger three-row entry, while the Accord remains its established midsize car. A lifted Accord variant would give Honda a separate entry between sedan and SUV formats, closer in concept to the Outback than to a traditional crossover. The strategy points to a hybrid model that would use familiar nameplate equity while reaching buyers who want more ride height and utility than a sedan provides.The timing also places the model near the end of the decade, before the reported 2031 hybrid-only shift for multiple Honda nameplates. If the plan proceeds as described, the Accord SUV would arrive during a period when Honda's hybrid strategy is expected to expand across both passenger-car and light-truck lines. The report specifically includes the Accord itself among the nameplates expected to become hybrid-only by 2031, tying the sedan and the proposed lifted variant to the same broader powertrain direction.For Honda, the report points to another use for the Accord name as the market continues to favor higher-riding vehicles. For Subaru, it identifies the Outback as the benchmark Honda is watching. The available details stop short of showing how closely Honda will follow the Outback formula, but the target is now defined: a hybrid, lifted Accord variant built to compete where wagons, crossovers, and legacy nameplates overlap.
