What is a CUV? - And Why Should I Care?

Some designations about cars are really starting to confuse me. I know what a sedan, coupe, and station wagon are, but I'm getting a headache trying to keep up with the CUV designations.

According to Wikipedia:

A Crossover — variously called CUV, for crossover utility vehicle — is a marketing term for a vehicle that derives from a car platform while borrowing features from an SUV or Minivan.

The crossover combines, in highly variable degrees, the design features such as tall interior packaging, high H-point seating, high ground-clearance, or all-wheel-drive capability of the SUV — with design features from an automobile platform such as car-like handling, ride, or economy. A crossover also uses a car's unibody or monocoque construction while forgoing the body on frame construction in use on most SUVs.

Ok, now that we know, do you agree that the following are CUVs?

• Compact to mid-sized sedan-derived CUVs: e.g., BMW X3, Cadillac SRX, Honda CR-V, Lexus RX 350.
• Full sized minivan or sedan-derived CUVs: e.g., Saturn Outlook/Chevrolet Traverse, Toyota Highlander, Ford Flex
• Station wagon or hatchback-derived CUVs: e.g., Subaru Forester, Ford Freestyle
• Minivan-like vehicles: e.g., Dodge Journey, Kia Rondo, Mazda 5 (Mazda Premacy).

The reason I'm asking is that there is another one on the near horizon. Honda has taken out the name "Crosstour". Spy pictures are starting to show up, and all kinds of guesses are being made.

The photos of the new Accord-based CUV, posted on the Temple Of VTEC, show what looks to be a Honda Accord Tourer, the European version of the Acura TSX, with the front end of the U.S.-spec Accord grafted on and some kind of extension in the rear.

So next year we might have a new Honda Accord.

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