Honda Went to the Drawing Board and Out Came the New Pilot

The Honda Pilot has been for a long time a vehicle that goes its own way with regards to styling. The shape was basically a box on wheels but the performance needed has always been present for this SUV. However, for the new Pilot will take on a look that is much more contemporary and resembles more of the rounded edge styling of other SUVs making it more attractive to a larger audience. The style is not all that has changed on the Pilot, in fact there isn’t much that is the same as before.

Entering the third generation of the Pilot, Honda chose to take advantage of some serious redesign needs. This SUV takes some of the same path as many of the other new vehicles coming out for 2016 by adding greater rigidity with aluminum parts. This helps to not only offer the structural strength increase desired but also gives the Pilot a weight loss of as much as 300 pounds. Even though the new Pilot will actually come in larger than the used SUV the weight has been reduced; a new phenomenon in the automotive world.

Adding to the new structural integrity, the platform is the same unibody one used by the Odyssey and Ridgeline to help give the stronger overall frame with less materials. Of course the frame and body are not all that has changed, the New Honda Pilot will be powered by a new 3.5-liter V6 engine with direct injection, cylinder deactivation, and the start-stop feature to help improve the fuel mileage. This will be attached to a new set of transmissions which includes a six-speed automatic and a nine-speed automatic in the higher trim levels. A first for the Pilot will be the option for 20-inch wheels giving a larger footprint to this SUV.

Having the new engine gives the Pilot a power output that is expected to be in the neighborhood of 278 horsepower and 252 lb.-ft. of torque. The fuel efficiency is also expected to increase significantly, making this new Pilot extremely affordable to drive.

With everything else brand new of course the new Pilot has to have a new interior as well and it does. The new features and appointments give the Pilot an upscale appearance that offers soft upholstery and a massive amount of new high-end features including five USB ports, an HDMI port for video games, two 12-volt outlets and a 115-volt power point to ensure you and your passengers can continue to stay powered up and connected.

The dashboard is full of great new features to enjoy as well giving the Pilot all the modern elements you could want. When the Honda design team went back to the drawing board and came out with the Pilot they certainly showed up big. The new Pilot should be an awesome SUV for anyone to enjoy with the new style, better engine, and long menu of amazing features to replace the old boxy style and outdated equipment.