Despite the rise of SUVs and crossovers, Honda is sticking with the Accord. At the recent driving event of the all-new Accord, CarBuzz sat down with Toru Kanke, the development leader of dynamics for the Honda Accord program.

In addition to Honda confirming that it will take advantage of the sedan void left by other manufacturers, Kanke provided more insight into why he thinks the Accord will stick around for the foreseeable future. "The sedan market has been dropping. That's not just the case in the United States but worldwide," said Kanke. He then pointed out that these are his personal views and might not be shared within the Honda group, but Kanke thinks that demand will remain where it's at.

Speaking of demand, Honda's best-selling car is the CR-V SUV, which is probably why it'll be the first mainstream model to be equipped with next-generation hydrogen technology.

Honda sold 238,155 CR-Vs in 2022. The Accord was the second-highest seller, with 154,612 units. In third place, we find the Civic on 133,932 units, proving that the sedan and hatch are still alive.

Kanke says that he's fond of sedans. "I think there are a lot of other people around the world that are just like me," said Kanke. "I think sales might drop a little bit, but there are still people like myself who want a sedan. It fills a particular need."

He also makes a valid point about the generation gap, using his son as an example. According to Kanke, all of the adults from his generation drive minivans, which is why their kids don't want them. "I think there's a big possibility those kids will go back to sedans if only because they don't want to drive the same cars as their parents," said Kanke.

He would not confirm whether the Accord would continue but said that he would like to see it live on.

Kanke touches on another interesting point. People have been predicting the decline of the SUV and the crossover for at least 20 years, but it has yet to happen. If anything, these cars only appear to get more popular.

But there is an entirely new generation of shoppers entering the market that have spent their school years in the back of an SUV or crossover. The first batch of Generation Z is already on the road, but the vast majority will hit the streets within the next five years. Raised by Generation X, who bought into SUVs and crossovers in a big way, they'll be looking elsewhere. It's also worth keeping in mind that Gen Z is environmentally conscious, which is likely why Honda thinks the Accord Hybrid will be such a big hit.

While these are Kanke's personal views, they do fit in with Honda's product portfolio, which includes a nice blend of pragmatic sedans and hatches, all the way to the Gen X catnip like the CR-V and Odyssey.