Honda Pilot

Overview

The Honda Pilot is the Japanese manufacturer’s best shot in making an SUV till date, with this big SUV taking a shot on the established body on frame rivals with a more polished and urban approach. The Honda Pilot is being offered with a single powertrain option, which is available in three different variants – LX, EX-L, and Touring and eight colour options – Crystal Black, Lunar Silver, Black Forest, Copperhead Red, White Diamond, Obsidian Blue, Modern Steel, and Steel Sapphire.

Interior & Features

The Honda Pilot has an interesting interior cabin which is a good mix of traditional old school bits as well as cool-looking futuristic aspects, thus making it a beat of both the worlds.

The full TFT instrument console along with a meaty multi-functional steering wheel makes for a great driver’s cockpit which has an appeal of a premium and luxury vehicle. On the other hand, the broad and wide looking centre console looks a bit old school with its layout, but the presence of modern things like a touchscreen infotainment system and buttons for dual-zone automatic climate control make it modern by every means.

This large seven-seater SUV is equipped with many feel-good features like tri-zone automatic climate control, powered, ventilated and heated front seats, Cabin Talk in-car PA system, leather upholstery, multi-angle reverse camera, active noise cancellation, adaptive cruise control, and a premium sound system with 10 speakers and subwoofer. With an ample amount of room and large side windows, the Honda Pilot feels big, airy and spacious on the inside.

Exterior

For an SUV, the Honda Pilot has got the right amount of size and road presence to make it noteworthy wherever it goes. However, the styling overall is a bit too soft for the true blue SUV lovers, who wouldn’t find it too intimidating to look at.

The Honda Pilot comes with a thick T-shaped chrome grille which extends all the way in the middle of the full LED headlamps on the sides. The angular LED headlamps also come with shining daytime running LEDs below them, and are well complemented with thick body cladding with small fog lamps and sleek turn indicators.

The thick body cladding extends all the way to the sides, which along with the large side windows give it a good visual mass which an SUV should possess. The large machined alloy wheels and roof rails are another design elements, which give it the essential SUV flavour.

At the rear too, the Honda Pilot looks simple with C-shaped wraparound tail lams, which come with nice LED inserts and a large rear windscreen.

Ride & Handling

The Honda Pilot, for a big, large and bulky SUV, feels planted and sure-footed in a calm and composed manner, with a soft comfortable setup for suspension. The multiple driving modes which the Honda Pilot offers an equal amount of composure whatever the terrain conditions are.

Engine & Fuel Consumption

Under the hood, the Honda Pilot is blessed with a potent 3.5-litre V6 petrol engine, which is by far the biggest engine in Honda’s current lineup worldwide. This engine, which is coupled to a 6-speed torque converter, belts out a maximum power output of 282 PS, while the peak torque output is rated at 355 Nm. For a versatile driving experience across varying terrains, the Honda Pilot is offered with multiple driving modes – normal, snow, sand and mud.

Braking & Safety

The Honda Pilot is fitted with a number of safety features onboard, like front, side and curtain airbags  ABS with EBD and Brake Assist, rear cross-traffic monitor, blind spot information system, traction control, hill start assist, agile handling assist, vehicle stability assist, tire pressure monitoring system and electric parking brake.

Verdict

The Honda Pilot might not have the intimidating stance of a quintessential SUV, but talk about dimensions and premium appeal, and the Pilot has got them in abundance. The interiors as well a ride quality feel plush and premium for its size, and nowhere you feel that you are seated in such a large vehicle.