Because it did in earlier many years, Honda has used one other maker’s automotive to enter a brand new US phase.
Honda is commonly referred to as the world’s largest maker of inside combustion engines—greater than 14 million of them a yr. It sells these engines in quite a lot of containers, from house turbines and garden mowers to ATVs and cars. Over time, the corporate has pioneered a variety of superior powertrain applied sciences, together with each pure gasoline and hydrogen gas cell autos.
None of these have been battery-electric autos, nevertheless.
That left Honda severely behind within the international race towards long-range electrical autos that Tesla kicked off in 2012 with its Mannequin S. Since then, in North America, Honda has offered two pure EVs in tiny numbers: the 2013-2014 Honda Match EV (82 miles of EPA vary) and the 2017-2019 Honda Readability Electrical midsize sedan (89 miles of vary). Each have been purely compliance automobiles.
Now, lastly, Japan’s third-largest automaker (and maybe that nation’s most Americanized automotive model) is promoting an actual EV. It’s the 2024 Honda Prologue, a midsize crossover utility with roughly the footprint of Honda’s midsize two-row, gasoline-powered Passport. A spacious five-seat utility automobile, it’s EPA-rated at 273 to 296 miles of vary.
Information since gross sales began in March means that the Prologue has achieved nicely for Honda—greater than 5,400 have been offered in August 2024 (the latest month earlier than this text closed). A Honda exec advised Charged in February he was assured they’d obtain 40,000 Prologues from the manufacturing unit in Ramos Arizpe, Mexico, throughout calendar 2024.
It’s value noting that the Prologue presently carries heavy incentives, from the federal $7,500 point-of-purchase rebate to Honda’s personal inside spiffs. As Electrek not too long ago mentioned, “With as much as $14,250 in incentives, the Honda Prologue could be even cheaper to lease than a Civic, regardless of costing almost double.”
Honda did a take care of GM to develop its personal electrical SUV, the Prologue, on Blazer EV underpinnings.
Is it actually a Honda?
The key to this exceptional debut lies in a deal introduced again in 2020 between Honda and Common Motors. GM deliberate to roll out quite a lot of autos based mostly on its Ultium structure, from the luxurious Cadillac Lyriq by means of the rock-climbing GMC Hummer EV to the mass-market compact Chevrolet Equinox EV. A core automobile inside these plans was the midsize Chevy Blazer EV—which shares structural dimensions and physique onerous factors with the extra upmarket Lyriq.
Honda did a take care of GM to develop its personal electrical SUV, the Prologue, on Blazer EV underpinnings. GM would construct the automotive for Honda alongside the Chevy in its Ramos Arizpe plant. Honda would additionally develop an upmarket Acura ZDX crossover on the identical platform—that one can be constructed by GM on the Lyriq meeting plant in Spring Hill, Tennessee.
Whereas the battery sizes, physique onerous factors, and different core traits stay widespread between the Blazer EV and the Prologue, Honda made a number of revisions to offer the Prologue extra of a Honda really feel. For one factor, it declined a rear-wheel-drive model, providing the Prologue solely with front- or all-wheel drive, to protect the anticipated on-road habits from a model that has by no means offered a four-seat, rear-wheel-drive automotive within the US.
Whereas the battery sizes, physique onerous factors, and different core traits stay widespread between the Blazer EV and Prologue, Honda made a number of revisions to offer the Prologue extra of a Honda really feel.
One other tweak was a number of refinements to the multi-link suspension, entrance and rear, to offer the Prologue extra of a sporty really feel on the highway. Lastly, the Prologue gives each Android Auto and Apple CarPlay as commonplace. That compares to GM’s new EV lineup, which incorporates 8 years of free Google Maps navigation, however doesn’t mirror telephones utilizing both working system. As a substitute, GM-branded Ultium EVs give consumers 3 years of App Entry free—after which that functionality alone prices them $14.99 per 30 days, for the flexibility to do what they used to do free of charge on their telephones. How that can play out stays to be seen; clearly Honda didn’t wish to run that danger.
Behind the wheel
In each a January media drive by means of California’s Napa Valley and an August week in upstate New York with a Prologue take a look at automotive, we got here away with the identical impressions: Honda is promoting a nice, massive, spacious midsize EV crossover.
Powertrain specs for the Prologue are much like these of its GM counterparts. All variations are powered by an 85 kWh battery pack underneath the cabin ground. Within the all-wheel-drive model with two motors, Honda quotes energy of as much as 212 kW (288 hp) and 333 lb-ft of torque. The bottom front-wheel-drive mannequin is rated at 155 kW (212 hp) and 236 lb-ft.
That gives sufficient acceleration and cruising to maintain up with nearly any type of site visitors a household is prone to encounter. Steering is considerably obscure, and the Prologue is a happier automobile on vast, flat suburban arteries than being tossed by means of curving, irregular canyon roads. Its one-pedal driving is exceptionally well-executed, with commonplace and powerful ranges out there (additionally none in any respect). Drivers of different EV manufacturers will discover that the Prologue accelerates extra intentionally than the hair-trigger thrust of another makes.
Honda mentioned it tuned accelerator response and different traits to make the Prologue really feel “extra like a Honda,” however you received’t discover many similarities to the sunshine, tossable Civic compact sedan on this SUV of 5,000 kilos or extra. Right here, the objective was inside area, consolation and battery vary greater than efficiency.
Just a few peculiar points doubtless mirror the mix of fastened GM structure beneath with Honda’s strategy to controls and knowledge format. As an illustration, there’s no entrance trunk.
Just a few peculiar points doubtless mirror the mix of fastened GM structure beneath with Honda’s strategy to controls and knowledge format. As an illustration, there’s no entrance trunk, which looks like a serious misplaced alternative in a lowish SUV with a protracted hood designed to imitate the proportions of an SUV with a giant engine up entrance.
Trims and specs: all beneath $60k
Honda laudably stored onerous controls—knobs and buttons—for a majority of the automobile capabilities. Its heart console has massive cupholders for giant bottles or smaller espresso cups, decrease storage, an higher tray, and area to your cellphone. However in comparison with the crisply executed cabin of a Civic, the supplies—Honda floor styling over GM underpinnings—can appear a bit chaotic or unfinished.
Three trim ranges are provided: a base EX, a midlevel Touring, and a top-of-the-line Elite. All share an identical propulsion methods, whether or not front- or all-wheel drive (a $3,000 possibility on EX and Touring, commonplace on Elite). They’re differentiated largely by trim and look objects and know-how options.
Pricing begins at $48,795 for the EX in FWD kind; the AWD EX at $51,795 could also be one of the best worth for a lot of consumers. A top-trim Prologue Elite—which provides niceties like perforated leather-based upholstery, heated and cooled entrance seats and heated wheel, 21-inch wheels, a head-up show, and even an AC outlet for rear passengers—is available in at just under the essential $60,000 mark: $59,295. All costs embody Honda’s necessary $1,395 supply payment.
We anticipate the Prologue to seek out takers pretty simply amongst its prospects who’re EV-curious however would by no means take into account a home model—and should have been underwhelmed by the Toyota bZ4X.
We anticipate the Prologue to seek out takers pretty simply amongst its prospects who’re EV-curious however would by no means take into account a home model—and should have been underwhelmed by the Toyota bZ4X.
Cheaper joint EV program: cancelled
So how’s the Honda-GM partnership figuring out? The Honda Prologue and Acura ZDX are presentable, competent and aggressive. However that won’t have been sufficient. After 12 to 18 months of GM delay in getting its Ultium autos into collection manufacturing—by means of an lack of ability to scale up the automated meeting of battery modules utilizing new gear—in October 2023 Honda canceled plans for a previously-announced second GM partnership to develop more cost effective, extra inexpensive EVs utilizing next-gen know-how.
In October 2023 Honda canceled plans for a beforehand introduced second GM partnership to develop more cost effective, extra inexpensive EVs utilizing next-gen know-how.
Simply three months later, Honda introduced that its first autos on an internally developed Honda 0 Sequence platform will hit the market in 2026, sooner than beforehand anticipated. Prototypes proven embody a modern Saloon (aka sedan) and a extra boxy Area-Hub van/SUV. The collection was developed utilizing three precepts, mentioned Honda: skinny, gentle and smart. In Asia and Europe, the corporate has had its subcompoact Honda e three-door hatchback on sale for a couple of years. However with doubtless US vary underneath 200 miles and a smaller measurement than most People would take into account, that automobile was by no means meant for North America.
In the meantime, the Prologue and ZDX will signify Honda within the mainstream sector for EVs in north America. They’ll doubtless run at the very least by means of 2028—with GM underpinnings, constructed by GM in its personal factories.
Honda’s deal to leap into a brand new phase utilizing one other automaker’s merchandise shouldn’t be all that stunning. College students of auto trade historical past will recall that Honda rebadged an Isuzu Trooper because the Acura SLX, whereas Honda in flip offered Isuzu with an early technology of the Odyssey minivan—which Isuzu relabeled an Oasis and offered for the 1996 by means of 1999 mannequin years. The minivan didn’t assist the smaller Japanese firm, which exited passenger automobiles in 1993 and the US market altogether in January 2009.
It appears secure to recommend GM most likely received’t undergo that destiny.
This text first appeared in Problem 69: July-September 2024 – Subscribe now.
Honda offered airfare, lodging and meals to allow Charged to carry you this first-person report.
