Honda is one of the most famous automakers in the world, with a rich history that goes back decades, with countless models produced and sold all over the globe. While some, like the Civic or the Accord, have achieved international fame and become household names thanks to their ubiquitous presence on the roads in the US and beyond, others have stayed out of the spotlight. Among the latter category we find several models that were only ever sold in their home market of Japan: one of these lesser-known JDM Hondas is an SUV called the Crossroad.The most recent generation of this model was only in production for three years. Its predecessor, which stuck around only a couple of years longer, was notable for being the only Honda SUV with a V8 engine on board. Let’s take a closer look at the most recent Crossroad, its earlier incarnation, and the wider history that surrounds it. The Second-Gen Honda Crossroad: A Short-Lived JDM Crossover HondaThe second generation of the Honda Crossroad was introduced in 2007, nine years after the first had come to an end. This model was, however, very different from its predecessor. Rather than being a rebadged version of a Land Rover Discovery, it was designed in-house by Honda, blending elements of the SUV and the compact car. Despite being agile and city-friendly, it had three rows of seating and capacity for up to seven occupants. The model was targeted primarily at active young families.Power came from a choice of two inline-four engines, respectively 1.8 and 2.0 liters in size, which produced 138 and 148 hp. Only one choice of transmission was available, a five-speed automatic, which sent power to either the front wheels or all four wheels depending on the chosen configuration.Honda One thing the new Crossroad had in common with its predecessor was geographical region: both generations were only ever sold in their home market of Japan. The new Crossroad was never exported to the US as Honda’s American lineup was already quite crowded on the crossover and SUV front, thanks to models like the Element, the CR-V, and the Pilot. The Crossroad did not last very long on the market, eventually being discontinued in 2010 after just a handful of years in production. Can I Buy A Used Crossroad Today? Unfortunately, for the second-generation model, the answer is no, or at least not yet. Having only been around since 2007, the second-gen Crossroad will have to wait another six years before becoming eligible for import. A few examples of the first-gen model, however, have already been imported as they are old enough. You can find them on specialized websites for prices ranging between $6,000 and $10,000, depending on factors such as mileage, age, and condition. The Crossroad's American Counterpart: The Element Honda One of the main reasons why the Crossroad was never sold in the US was because there was already another Honda model occupying its space in the American lineup: the Element. The Element was ahead of its time, but roughly the same size as the Crossroad, and its core offering (family-friendly practicality, affordability, compact size) was fairly similar.Honda The model had been introduced a few years earlier, making its debut in concept form at the 1998 North American International Auto Show in Detroit. It then went on sale for the 2003 model year. The Element’s design combined aspects of the pickup truck and the SUV, creating an odd-looking but highly practical vehicle geared towards the demands of family life.Power came from a 2.4-liter inline-four engine. Its output was initially 160 hp and 160 lb-ft of torque, however, from the 2007 model year onward, it increased to 166 hp and 162 lb-ft. Transmission options included a five-speed manual and a four-speed automatic (changed to a five-speed unit in 2007). Power was sent to either the front wheels or all four wheels, for models equipped with the optional “Real Time 4WD” system. This system automatically adjusted the amount of power sent to each wheel in response to front wheel slippage.The Element was discontinued after the 2011 model year, and did not get a successor until the Passport was brought back for a third generation in 2019. What Came Before: The Only Honda V8 SUV… Honda The second-gen Crossroad was the successor to a model that holds an important place in Honda’s history. The first vehicle to wear the Crossroad badge was the only SUV ever produced by Honda to be powered by a V8 engine. Honda is not commonly associated with the V8, making the first-gen Crossroad an interesting historical anomaly. Its engine was a 3.9-liter Rover V8, which produced 178 hp and 230 lb-ft of torque. It was paired with a single choice of transmission, a four-speed automatic.The reason why the Crossroad was powered by an engine atypical for Honda was that it wasn’t really a Honda at all. The first-gen Crossroad was, in fact, a rebadged Land Rover Discovery. The close relationship between Honda and British Leyland (the parent company of Rover and Land Rover) had started back in the late '70s, and would remain in place until the mid-'90s. Both brands carried out joint development work and sold badge-engineered vehicles, which helped Honda break through on the European market. Despite being sold exclusively on the Japanese market, the first-gen Crossroad was built in the UK.The Crossroad was sold in both three- and five-door versions. It was created to give Honda a competitive edge against brands such as Mitsubishi, Nissan, and Toyota, all of which were embracing the off-roader category at the time. The three-door version, however, was discontinued as part of a model refresh in 1994, which also brought about a few other changes. These included the addition of new safety equipment (such as ABS and twin front airbags), a reworked dashboard, grille, and wheels, and the addition of front and rear anti-roll bars. Comfort features such as leather upholstery, an upgraded air conditioning system, and a double sunroof were added as well.Honda Production of the Crossroad eventually ended in 1998, after a few years marked by a major recall due to a faulty locking mechanism and the breakdown of the relationship between Honda and Rover. The Crossroad name went on hiatus for several years, before being brought back by the second-gen model nearly a decade later. ...And The Model It Was Inspired By: The Land Rover Discovery Bring A Trailer The first generation of the Crossroad was a Honda-badged version of a far more famous model: the Land Rover Discovery Series I, the earliest incarnation of the legendary Discovery nameplate. This model had arrived a few years before the Crossroad made its debut, being unveiled in 1989 at the Frankfurt Motor Show and going on sale a few months later that same year.The Discovery Series I was created to be a simpler and more affordable sibling to the Range Rover. The two models shared a chassis, suspension, and 4WD system, but the Discovery had smaller engines in its lineup and, initially, just two doors (although a pricier four-door version arrived not long afterward).In 1994, five years after the Discovery’s debut and one year after the Crossroad had gone on sale in Japan, the Discovery Series I underwent a facelift. Among other updates, this involved cosmetic changes, a new gearbox, and the addition of a 3.9-liter Rover V8 to the engine lineup.That same year, the Discovery finally landed on the US market. While, elsewhere in the world, the Discovery offered a wide variety of inline-four and V8 engines (ranging from 2.0 to 3.9 liters), in America the model was exclusively fitted with the 3.9-liter Rover V8. Later on, this was upgraded to a 4.0-liter unit.Bring A Trailer The Discovery was a highly successful model. The Series I was followed by four further generations; however, the connection to the Honda Crossroad was broken after 1998, when the first-gen Crossroad went out of production. When Honda brought the Crossroad name back, the new model was no longer based on the Discovery, having been designed in-house by Honda instead. The fifth and current generation of the Land Rover Discovery was introduced in 2017, and is still in production today.Sources: Honda, Land Rover