Autoblog

click above image to high-res gallery with 55 images

Honda has officially revived the Crossroad name today for a new small CUV that will only be sold in its home market of Japan. If you read Autoblog on a regular basis, you will remember the stir this vehicle caused when it was spotted in L.A. and snapped by a reader. We eventually deduced it was going to be the Crossroad, a name Honda hasn't used since it sold rebadged Land Rover Discoveries back in early '90s.

The new Crossroad, however, is no Land Rover, but rather a suburban runabout that to our eyes looks rather large for a JDM vehicle. It's got front-wheel drive standard, but can be ordered with all-wheel drive. With only 1.8L and 2.0L i-VTEC engines to choose from, however, don't expect to be doing hand-brake drifts or four-wheel powerslides around the twisty streets of Tokyo. The 1.8L four-cylinder managed to muster 140 bhp, though the 2.0L can only bump that number up an additional 10 ponies. Still, this little CUV has got three rows of seating and can swallow seven people, which makes it a very useful tool in everyday life. It's also an attractive box on wheels, with thick pillars, brawny fender flares and a squared-off jaw. Indeed, though it looks as if the Crossroad would be right at home on American roads, currently Honda has no plans to bring it over. Apparently the quirky Element is doing just fine for Honda on its own.

Check out the full press release after the just for more details, and view our ginormous gallery of high-res pics here.

UPDATE: Gallery is fixed. All images will display correctly now.

[Source: Honda]