So we got a 2010 Honda Accord Crosstour

We’re one of the first people to test the all-new 2010 Honda Accord Crosstour in the GCC. So fresh it is that this is the same opal-green car that was displayed at the Atlantis launch event less than a week ago, and it still has less than 400 km on the clock. We’ll have to say though, that the car isn’t really as revolting in person as it is in photos. In fact, we’d go as far as calling it “nice” in an oddball way.

First of all, this lifted Accord offers a driving position that is exactly at eye-level with the driving position of our Chevrolet Cruze loaner, which was a bit of a surprise.

But then, looking at the specs, the Crosstour actually has more ground clearance than a Ford Edge or a Nissan Murano, which we confirmed simply by having a second look at the car’s belly. It does ride rather high.

The controversial styling will take a while to sink in for most people, what with the angular front end and the swoopy rear. Notice that it shares no frontal parts with the sedan.

Honda’s global marketing people actually describe the Crosstour as having a “thick face.” Somebody needs to get fired for coming up with that term.

The high-riding rear offers limited visibility, even with a little window slit between the tail lamps, though so far we haven’t encountered a situation where that’d be a problem. There are no parking sensors.

The interior is pure Accord, right down to the lack of a trip computer. However, the Crosstour does come with paddle shifters. The ambience feels premium too, even if the upper dash is hard plastic. There are enough soft-touch areas to negate that.

The seats are powered up front, moderately bolstered, upholstered beautifully and very spacious.

The rear is also very spacious, even if it has slightly less headroom than the sedan.

The real reason to get a Crosstour would be for its cargo-carrying versatility.

The rear seat can split-fold 60:40 at the pull of two separate levers. Also, the carpeted floor can come out in three pieces to reveal compartments underneath.

All three panels can be flipped over to make a rubberised floor, for wet dirty items after a day at the beach.

And here is the largest of three underfloor compartments, whose cover can even be held up with a hook on a string.

The Crosstour rivals Honda’s own CR-V in terms of versatility. But for enthusiasts, it beats out the CR-V simply by having a beefier V6 engine. More in the full review.