2016 Honda Pilot Revealed (UPDATED: Packs 280hp V6 and "SH-AWD Lite")

[Gecko]

For those interested, Honda took the wraps off the 2016 Pilot in Chicago... well, digitally, at least. Pics below, but info should be out tomorrow.

More here: http://www.carscoops.com/2015/02/2016-honda-pilot-these-are-first.html

 

[krew]

Disappointed with this -- always been a Pilot fan, but this has removed all of its exterior appeal.

 

[RAL]

Reminded me of the Chevy Traverse . . . wouldn't think they would want it to do that . . .

 

[corradoMR2]

^^^Yeah, first vehicle that came to mind when I saw it today at the CIAS was the Chevy Traverse. A totally bland and dated design from 10 years ago while this light blue color could not be a worst match for this type of vehicle.

 

[spwolf]

that back end looks like an afterthought... Honda used to be "cooler" manufacturer than Toyota before... they should try to find some magic again, get inspired like what Akio did for Toyota. For FY2015, Honda predicts 4x lower operating profit than Toyota. They are basically 2x less profitable per car, despite having much lower number of low priced vehicles worldwide.

 

[mikeavelli]

It has most of the same features of the MDX and some like a dual pano roof, captains chairs etc...The 9 speed on the console is straight from the TL. As long as they continue this route, Acura will continue to be seen as a Buick competitor at best.

The Highlander inside and out looks more upscale and more mature. It's actually quite impressive. That said I'm sure Honda will sell plenty of these since it seems to tick most of the boxes for the 95% of the population and Honda is usually very good at making nifty interiors that work for people and families.

 

[spwolf]

it is not just about the specs.... there is no reason for Pilot to look like as if they added a box to properly done vehicle.

 

[flipside909]

Honda has lost their touch in design. It looks like an uppercutted Odyssey or a rebadged Traverse as everyone has mentioned.

 

[GiantsFan]

Upgraded interior ... but that exterior is just not doing it for me

I think the current gen looks much better!

 

[krew]

That rear is hideous, looks half-finished. Not impressed with Honda in general lately.

(I was a big fan of the first Pilot, my friend has owned one for 6 years without a single problem, still looks good.)

 

[CIF]

Not a Honda fan at all (those on the forum who know me will attest to that), but I do give respect to Honda when they deserve it. In this case they obviously don't. A hideous and disappointing redesign. Honda over the last decade has been rife with disappointment, and I have yet to see any organizational or executive/management changes within Honda Motor Co. that lead me to believe otherwise. Soichiro Honda continues to roll in his grave.

 

[Och]

Looks very minivanish.

 

[mikeavelli]

In most Honda surveys, believe it or not "looks" is not a reason for purchase, they are actually a "dislike" or "things I would improve upon" in the survey. As long as people buy them, don't expect any changes lol.

 

[Gecko]

Honda has released a spate of details on the all-new, third-generation Pilot, building on the information that was distributed way back at the car's 2015 Chicago Auto Showdebut. Included in this latest release are power figures for the 3.5-liter Earth Dreams V6, a breakdown of trim levels and details on the new Intelligent Traction Management system.

Let's start with that V6, which makes the Pilot the latest vehicle to be fitted with Honda's Earth Dreams technology. Regardless of whether it's mated to the standard six-speed automatic or the optional nine-speed gearbox, the 3.5-liter mill produces 280 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque. That's 30 more hp and 7 more lb-ft than the current model. While Honda isn't quite ready to release fuel economy figures, we have high hopes for the V6/9AT combo.

The other big announcement coming today regards Honda's new Intelligent Traction Management system. The technology functions a lot like Land Rover's Terrain Response, Jeep's Selec-Terrain and Ford's Terrain Management System, providing owners with a number of condition-specific presets for the throttle response, shift mapping and stability control to maximize performance on the selected terrain.

What makes the Honda system different, though, is that it's not limited to all-wheel-drive models. That said, the front-drive model is neutered to a degree, with its ITM only offering a Snow mode, compared to the all-wheel-drive Pilot's Mud, Sand and Snow settings. Still, considering the big Honda's role as a family hauler, a dedicated setting for driving in the snow will likely be welcomed by family types, especially in northern climates.

Speaking of that AWD model, it uses a new system, called i-VTM4 (short for Intelligent Variable Torque Management for all Four Wheels). If you dig past the marketing speak, though, you'll find this system has a lot in common with the Acura Super Handling All-Wheel Drive system, in that it transfers torque not only between the front and rear axles, but laterally between the rear wheels. We reached out to Honda to see what, if any, differences there are to the system, but they didn't get back to by press time.

Source: http://www.autoblog.com/2015/04/10/...wer-intelligent-traction-management-official/

 

[CIF]

AWD and powertrains won't fix the ugly. Also looking at the interior again, am I the only one that thinks that center console design looks very uncomfortable? It doesn't look like it's designed to comfortably rest your elbow there.

 

[mikeavelli]

Okay going over specs not sure why the MDX costs so much when this new Pilot on paper seems to meet and beat it.

 

[CIF]

Okay going over specs not sure why the MDX costs so much when this new Pilot on paper seems to meet and beat it.

I think Acura is arrogant with the MDX, and prices it as such simply because they can. I too see very few objective reasons why the MDX is priced at such a higher level. It's priced higher than the RX by a noticeable amount. We'll see what the new RX will be priced at, but the base price shouldn't be dramatically much higher. The ironic thing is that the differentiation between the Highlander and new RX is much more clear than the differentiation between the Pilot and MDX (looks excluded).

Some things never change. I believe Acura will continue to keep being simply a "Honda plus" sort of brand.