The largest and most powerful SUV in Honda history, the all-new 2023 Honda Pilot is the ultimate family SUV with rugged new styling, more passenger and cargo space, and a class-leading combination of off-road capability and sporty on-road dynamics. The new Pilot TrailSport is the most off-road capable Honda SUV ever, engineered to get weekend adventurers even further off the beaten path with special off-road features including a raised off-road tuned suspension, all-terrain tires, steel skid plates and expanded all-wheel drive system capabilities. This fourth-generation Pilot goes on sale next month in five trim levels: Sport, EX-L, TrailSport, Touring and Elite. Honda Pilot now belongs on the trail with all-new rugged styling that complements its trail-ready capability. The tough and aspirational design features a large upright grille and a powerful stance accentuated by flared fenders, wider tracks and larger tires. Under its new longer hood is Honda’s most powerful V6 ever, an all-new dual overhead cam (DOHC) 3.5-liter engine producing 285 horsepower.
Inside, Pilot’s all-new interior makes it the new flexible king of the carpool lane with unmatched comfort, versatile seating with an available removable 2nd row seat that can be conveniently stowed under the rear cargo floor. Complementing the interior flexibilty is the most passenger and cargo space in Pilot history, including a more comfortable third row, and Pilot boasts best-in-class overall passenger space and top-class cargo volume behind the third-row seats. The new modern interior is also more comfortable with new front Body Stabilizing Seats that help reduce fatigue on long drives. Sophisticated materials, premium touches and must-have tech features create the most upscale Pilot ever. Standard class-leading safety features include a new and improved suite of Honda Sensing® safety and driver-assistive technologies, a next-generation front passenger airbag, improved front side airbags and new driver and front-passenger knee airbags.
Designed in California, developed in Ohio and built in Alabama, the all-new fourth-generation Honda Pilot further advances the new rugged design direction of Honda light trucks with a tough new look and powerful stance. Complementing its off-road capabilities, Pilot’s all-new styling is tough, aspirational and adventure-ready with a large, upright grille, a strong horizontal beltline and aggressively flared fenders. Pulled back A-pillars and long hood create a longer dash-to-axle ratio for a sportier profile. Sport features gloss black trim and grille bar, a chrome exhaust garnish, standard black roof rails, front fog lights and Shark Gray 7-spoke, 20-inch wheels. EX-L adds flash with chrome trim and grille bar, and machined 5-spoke, 18-inch alloy wheels. A strong horizontal beltline highlights its increased overall length (3.4 inches longer), while a longer wheelbase and wider tracks give it a stronger, more aggressive presence. A sleek body-color roof spoiler and new LED taillights make the fourth-generation Pilot instantly recognizable from the rear.
With clean surfacing, sophisticated materials and premium touches, Pilot’s all-new modern interior builds on the Honda design direction to create the most upscale Honda SUV ever. A clean, uncluttered instrument panel top reduces windshield reflections and improves outward visibility. On-demand 8-occupant flexibility gives Pilot Touring and Elite an extra level of versatility. In the second row, a first-in-class multi-function removable middle seat can be conveniently stored underneath the rear cargo floor instead of being left at home in the garage. Honda Pilot is also more comfortable and spacious, with class-leading passenger space and notably more rear seat legroom in the second and third rows. New Body Stabilizing front seats reduce fatigue over long drives. Second-row legroom is up a generous 2.4 inches and the second-row seats feature up to 10 degrees of recline angle (+4 degrees) for increased comfort. Additional forward tilt range improves entry and exit to the more comfortable third row, which gains 0.6 inches of legroom.The 2023 Pilot has the most cargo room in the model’s history, with up to 113.67 cu.-ft. behind the first row, and up to 22.42 cu.-ft. behind the third row. Expanded cabin storage includes a massive console bin that can swallow a full-size tablet, the return of Pilot’s clever passenger-side instrument panel shelf, and 14 large-volume cupholders throughout the cabin, including eight that will fit wide 32 oz water bottles.
Intuitive easy-to-use technology has been smartly integrated into Honda Pilot’s new modern cabin, including a digital instrument display, standard Apple CarPlay® and Android Auto™ compatibility and an available, notably larger, touchscreen. A new 7-inch touchscreen audio system is standard on Sport with physical knobs for volume and tuning, and a simplified menu structure. Apple CarPlay® and Android Auto™ compatibility are standard. A large multi-use tray ahead of the shifter can accommodate two smartphones side-by-side and features two standard illuminated USB ports, a 2.5A USB-A and 3.0A USB-C port. For second-row passengers, two 2.5A USB-A charging ports are standard. EX-L, TrailSport, Touring and Elite feature Qi-compatible wireless charging and add two 2.5A USB-A charging ports in the third row. A standard 7-inch digital instrument panel features an all-digital tachometer on the left and a physical speedometer on the right side. The display also features user-selectable functions such as Honda Sensing® settings, vehicle information and more. Exclusive to Elite is a configurable 10.2-inch digital instrument display with multi-view camera system paired with a color head-up display.
With even more rugged design and exclusive off-road hardware, including a new trail torque logic off-road system and a new TrailWatch camera system, the all-new Pilot TrailSport is an authentic, off-road capable SUV that has been tested on challenging terrain all over the United States–from the red rocks of Moab, Utah and the deep sands of Glamis, California to the challenging muddy trails in the hills of Kentucky and North Carolina. The new Honda Pilot TrailSport backs up its rugged design with top class off-road performance. TrailSport is the only Pilot with an off-road tuned suspension (which includes a one-inch lift for additional ground clearance and increased approach, departure, and break-over angles). Unique stabilizer bars are optimized for articulation and off-road ride comfort; spring rates and damper valve tuning are also exclusive to TrailSport. Exclusive to TrailSport, an available new Diffused Sky Blue paint color highlights its rugged design and adventurous spirit. In the cabin, TrailSport stands out with rugged details including exclusive orange contrast stitching and head restraints embroidered with the TrailSport logo.
Pilot Trailsport is also the first Honda SUV with all-terrain tires for improved off-road traction and robust skid plates to protect its underbody from damage on the trail. TrailSport’s standard Continental TerrainContact AT (265/60R18) tires are extremely capable in sand, mud, rocky terrain and snow, but still quiet and comfortable on the road. Unique 18-inch wheels with a rugged look are carefully designed with inset spokes to protect them from trail damage and the TrailSport logo cast in the thick, outer flange. In Trail mode, TrailSport’s exclusive trail torque logic off-road system manages the i-VTM4 torque vectoring all-wheel drive system’s distribution of the engine torque based on available traction while simultaneously utilizing the front brakes individually to apply brake vectoring – reducing wheelspin and maintaining traction. Designed in collaboration with Honda Powersports engineers, the thick steel skid plates protecting Pilot TrailSport’s oil pan, transmission and gas tank can support the entire weight of the vehicle crashing down on a rock. Stout recovery points rated at twice Pilot TrailSport’s Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) are cleverly integrated into the front skid plate and the tow hitch situated behind TrailSport’s full-size spare tire. Trail torque logic also controls the amount of power going to the rear axle in certain situations, like climbing a tough off-road trail with V-ditches that can cause a tire to lose contact to the ground temporarily, as much as 75% of available power is routed to the individual tire with the most traction.
