2016 Honda Pilot
Honda has given the Pilot a sleek look, after shedding about 300 pounds for the 2016 model. This is aimed at propelling the three-row sport utility vehicle to the top of the sales chart in the crossover market.
The new Honda Pilot unveiled at the 2015 Chicago Auto Show has lost its boxy roots.
The new Pilot adopts a new platform with wider use of high and ultrahigh strength body materials that will reduce noise and vibration as well as improve its handling and the rigidity.
A report by Auto News on Tuesday quoted the manufacturer as noting the overhaul was massive and about the most extensive in the Honda brand, with a body that is 3.5 inches longer than the outgoing version, a new V-6 engine, two new transmissions, new all-wheel-drive system and additional optional safety and creature comforts.
The General Manager, Honda Division, Mr. Jeff Conrad, was quoted in a statement as predicting the redesigned Pilot would set a new benchmark for safety, fuel efficiency and driving dynamics in the midsize SUV segment.
The Pilot had been a dependable mainstay for Honda selling about 1.4 million in North America alone since it was introduced in 2002, accounting for a quarter of the brand’s light truck sales, said a report by an online journal, US Today.
It said, “The Pilot was last redesigned in 2008, as a 2009 model, when SUVs fell out of favour amid spiking fuel prices and the collapse of the US auto market. The Pilot’s overhaul was delayed because of a major earthquake and tsunami that rocked Japan in 2011 and other priorities such as a rush makeover for the Civic compact,” attributing this to some Honda officials.
Fuel economy
Honda said the redesigned Pilot would offer improved and class-leading fuel economy with most of the gains coming from a new powertrain and weight savings.
The outgoing Pilot, which offered only a five-speed automatic transmission, delivered 21 mpg combined for the front-wheel-drive model and 20 mpg combined for the awd model — right on par with its top competitors.
Engine performance
The 2016 Pilot is powered by a 3.5-litre, direct-injected i-VTEC V-6 engine with cylinder deactivation technology.
The engine is mated to one of two automatic transmissions. There will be a Pilot-first six-speed automatic, or a Honda-first nine-speed automatic offered on upper-trim models.
2016 Honda Pilot
In addition, stop-start technology will be available for the first time. The system shuts off the engine when the vehicle is stopped and instantly resumes power when the driver lifts his foot off the brake pedal.
It will be offered in forward drive and awd configurations. The awd system is new.
The latest Pilot, designed in California and engineered in Ohio, has a long list of challenges, an AutoPacific analyst, Mr. Dave Sullivan, said.
He said, “It needs to have a smooth launch with no recalls and deliver quality, fuel economy and comfort,” referring to the troubled launch of the redesigned Fit last year at Honda’s new plant in Mexico.
“These vehicles need to be very flexible to [address] multiple situations: cargo at Home Depot, hauling kids or even commuting. Customers are looking for a no-compromise vehicle.”
The width of the lower portion of the third-row entryway has been increased by 2.5 inches and the step-over height has been lowered by one inch, making it easier to enter and exit the last row.
The redesigned Pilot will also be available with 20-inch wheels for the first time.
Safety
Honda said the new Pilot would feature the most comprehensive set of advanced safety and driver-assisting technologies ever offered on any of its vehicles.
Available gear designed to help the driver identify potential road hazards includes Honda’s LaneWatch display, blind spot indicators and a standard multiangle rearview camera.
Other optional safety features are a collision mitigation braking system, lane-departure warning, forward-collision warning, lane-keeping assist, rear cross traffic monitor, adaptive cruise control and — in a first for Honda — a road departure mitigation system.
“Honda won’t make it unaffordable,” an IHS Automotive analyst, Stephanie Brinley, said, adding, “The Pilot tends to have higher profit margins and it’s [too] important to Honda’s overall image.”
The 2016 Pilot will come available with advanced features such as LED projector headlights with auto high beam technology, LED daytime running lights and taillights and a Pilot-first panoramic roof option.
Interior/ Infortainment
The interior will offer an optional heated steering wheel, heated and ventilated front seats and heated second-row seats. Upper-trim Pilot models will also be available with second-row captain’s chairs.
The redesigned Pilot has numerous connectivity and power options. They include about five USB ports, an HDMI port for a gaming console, two headphone jacks, two 12-volt power outlets and a 115-volt outlet.
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