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NOVI, MI – Loyal customers of the Honda brand may find many reasons to like the all-new Accord Crosstour cross/utility vehicle, including its world-class engine and DNA shared with the well-regarded Accord sedan.

But the styling is bound to alienate some potential buyers, with its oversized rear end, grille and wheel wells. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, so the customer ultimately will decide whether the Crosstour’s styling is ahead of its time – or behind the times.

Many Honda fans already have spoken online and aren’t impressed with the sheet metal.

Subjective matters aside, the new CUV offers a potent mixture of performance and compact functionality, with a well-executed interior and clever storage, including a removable (and washable) storage box below the cargo floor.

The 5-seater is the Honda brand’s attempt at a CUV that is more “cross” than “utility,” at least compared with the Honda Pilot. Although technically a CUV, the Pilot boasts old-school SUV proportions.

On sale Nov. 20, the Accord Crosstour is in the same more-car, less-SUV vein as the Toyota Venza, Ford Edge, Chevrolet Traverse and Nissan Murano.

As its full name suggests, the Crosstour is based on the Accord, Honda’s best-selling midsize model, which includes sedan and coupe variants.

Consider the Crosstour a late successor to the Accord wagon, discontinued years ago. It may look like the new Acura ZDX CUV, but Honda says it comes from a different platform.