Actually I see it too. Damn photoshop! You can see near the rear door/gas cap that it was cut and paste together.

 

These seem to be legit shots guys:












Yuck.

 

That's because it's a test mule, not a photochop.

Also notice the tape covering the car's fenders. Has that been photoshopped on there as well ?

The final vehicle probably won't look exactly like that, but the proportions are likely to be final. In terms of proportions, this thing is pretty ugly.

 

If it was that bad a photochop, then why would AUTOWEEK puts its name on it? AUTOWEEK is not a fly-by-night outfit.....they are a credible publication.

 

doubt it will look anything like that. Seems like that is the Euro Accord wagon with the American Accord front grafted on it. Doors, windows are all from the Euro Accord wagon (TSX), but the rear lights are slightly different from the pics I've seen, as is the rear bumper.

 

That doesnt mean they wont post photoshops, which they have in the past.

Either way, this is an actual mule, and not a photoshop.

 

That's real.

 

USA always gets the ugly cars in the family.

if i were CEO, i'd bring ALL the cars over from europe

 

Then you'll probably top Yahoo's Yang as the worst CEO...

I like most, if not all, Honda's JDM/Euro models as well (also some of the JDM/Euro Toyota models) but the reality is that the general buying population (read: not the enthusiasts) has not graced the Euro/JDM models well with their wallets. The majority of the American simply have a different taste than European and Japanese when it comes to cars.

Sad I know...

 

I'm fairly certain they're real pictures. Brenda Priddy is a fairly well established and documented automotive test mule photographer.

Rear bumper looks useless as anything would hit the rear door first.

 

Here's what I call a real wagon.



And VW sells close to none of them in the US. I would love to know the reason anybody would take this sad vehicle over that Passat wagon - what, they want to be higher up? Between the Passat's engine choices, build quality and driving dynamics, Honda could once again only wish they had the prowess that those Wolfsburg engineers have. Honda will release this, with an inferior AWD system to 4 Motion, an inferior interior, and inferior powertrains coupled with inferior driving dynamics.

The Honda is an ugly piece of garbage. Look at how cheap that body is. Honda's of late are notorious for mis-matched body paint and panels - so much for quality American manufacturing. Their turbo motor in the RDX, if used in this application, is already vastly inferior to VW's 2.0T FSI powerplant. Good luck Honda, but I wish the American public would see this garbage for what it really is. Venza all the way.

Mind you, I own two late model Accords - that just says where I think Honda is heading - down the same path Detroit has already mastered for years - intense cost cutting everywhere you look, with gimmick features (cylinder deactivation?) to fool you. The new 8th generation Accord is a big, bloated, ugly, cheapened car from the last generation. Ditto on the Acura models. Sad, sad, sad. Toyota and VW are going to start eating their lunch, and I can't wait to see it happen. It's about time Honda realized that cheap is not the way to go. I don't know if it's the mentality from their motorcycle upbringings, but Hondas have always had a sense of "springy-ness", which isn't always a good thing. Light imprecise steering, wait until redline powerplants, and low levels of noise control, always loud. Toyota has their share of quality problems (cheapened interiors), but the platform of the car is always engineered to a high level. VW of course, usually sets class standards for everything BUT reliability

 

goodness that thing is ugly.

 

Honda is no worse than a lot of other manufacturers on the cheapness of their materials, and better than many of them. Part of it is, as you note, cost-cutting, but part is the need to get vehicle weight down to comply with ever-tightening gas mileage/emission rules.

The new Honda CR-V, for instance, has some of the best materials and fit-finish I've ever seen on that class of vehicle, though its overall styling is rather quirky. Feel how solid the outside mirror housings are, for example (a weak point in many domestic cars), and how smooth/slick they swivel and lock into place. This jewel-like assembly is typical for Honda.

 

for styling points.

 

Definitely a photochop. I've been working in photoshop for over 10 years and can spot a bad chop. This chop is BAD!!