Honda Pilot: The Modern Extended Family Car
Published: Thu 21 Jan 2016, 11:00 PM
Last updated: Fri 22 Jan 2016, 8:23 AM
Over the last decade, we have seen large families shifting their purchasing priorities from large sedans and minivans to crossover SUVs, and making that decision easy are the new range of soft-roaders with plenty of third row seating. If you identify yourself as one of those potential spenders, you already know of the ever-popular and relatively affordable Ford Explorer and GMC Acadia. But this week's focus is on the other sister from the same sorority - the Honda Pilot. The second generation Pilot was, quite frankly, as boxy as the container it was shipped in, but this new 2016 model has been re-engineered from the ground up, shedding 135kg in the process. We take a closer look.
DESIGN & AESTHETICS
This 2016 Honda Pilot is as good looking as an SUV from a German brand - a departure from the boxy looks of the previous models. To add room, Honda has made the car longer by about 3.5" and increased the wheelbase by 1.8". Even aerodynamics and fuel efficiency have been improved thanks to the lowering of the vehicle height by about an inch. The size and shine conveys that this is Honda's flagship SUV. It's all swoopy and aerodynamic, with a slanted face and bulges and creases along the sides adding some drama. The 3-slat chrome grille, with the top slat forming part of the front lights, looks very similar to the older Ford Fusion sedan, while the lower bumper is flanked by two faux air-intakes.
In terms of external illumination, EX and EXL grades get halogen lamps, while brighter and whiter LED projector headlights are reserved only for the Touring grade, but all trims get front fog lights, LED tail lights and LED daytime running lights, tailgate spoiler and LED turn signal indicators.
From the sides, the Pilot does resemble a Toyota, with which it's competing. Blacked out pillars, shoulder creases aligned with the door handles and plastic pronounced wheel arches are all pretty standard stuff here. It's more on the safe side of design.
The rear end looks more distinctive, but the rear lights share similarities with those on the previous Camry. It's all LED now, and completely red; no white bits at all. And, for some reason, they have concealed the tail pipes, which seems rather strange in an era where manufacturers are propounding power with large chrome-tipped pipes.
The Touring model runs on 5-split spoke 20" wheels - the largest we have ever seen on any Honda, yet. All other models get 18" wheels with a similar, but simpler spoke design.
The test car had one of the nicer metallic colours, but there are two metallic, four pearl-effect paints and one regular scheme to choose from. It is worth pointing out that maroon was the popular choice with the previous generation. They say that styling is subjective, but there is no denying that the new Pilot looks sportier - a mix of the traditional Honda design with hints of both the CRV and Odyssey minivan.
To climb aboard, you simply click on the new keyfob. Perhaps, Asian customers aren't hassled by the small buttons on the fob, but in the Middle East we could certainly use larger ones. Inside, the Pilot is a typical Honda cockpit with sturdy black plastics headlined by an ergonomic design. To spruce up the cabin further, there is some piano black trim subtly placed on the console and doors; and some grey wood textured tray/lid over the central cubby, both of which we would have liked to see more of in the cabin.
The speedo is a digital readout - something you need to get used to - and is displayed on a 4.2" TFT screen for quick glances at driver-related info. The steering wheel - a 4-spoke variety - comes leather-wrapped and has more buttons on it than you would see in most cars. They are rather intuitive, though, and have a good tactile feel in operation.
True freedom can be felt in the Pilot, be it in the front seats, second or third rows. The driver gets 10-way power adjustability, which makes for a great elevated seating posture, even for persons a little above 6ft. In a 3-row crossover, you would expect a 3-seater second row, but in the Pilot you can also option it with two comfort-oriented individual captain's chairs with armrests. The EX-L and Touring grade has the one-touch second row seats, which, when pressed, drops the second row and opens up a large space behind it.
Unlike namesake third row seats in other vehicles, this one is actually spacious enough for two adults, but, in order to keep the loading bay flat, the seat height has been dropped considerably. It's not just about accommodating people, there is plenty of storage too - the central storage is bucket-large, the second row passengers get two cup holders and third row sitters get six cup holders.
There is a standard 8" touchscreen displaying navigation and other things. The interesting bit is that the screen has a starlit night sky backdrop when it displays the time. The screen itself has a decent response time, but the one niggle was volume control, which needs touch screen input, when we would rather prefer a physical knob.
POWERTRAIN & PERFORMANCE
There is nothing like a pulsating starter button to get you in the mood to drive. Push it in the Pilot and Honda's Earth Dreams powertrain cranks up - a direct injection 3.5L SOHC i-VTEC V6 engine with Variable Cylinder Management that pushes out a robust 280 horses at 6,000rpm. As for filling in your torque discussions, there is 355Nm of it coming on strong at 4,700rpm. Peak engine output is up by 30hp and torque by about 8Nm. Alas, the transmission is a smooth shifting 6-speed unit, which makes us wonder why only the North American markets get the 9-speed.
We know this 3.5L engine is a scorcher in the Accord, but a 0-100km/h in about 7.5 seconds is something we didn't expect in the Pilot. It certainly is a peppy drive. However, Honda should probably retune the engine sound a bit.
On the road, especially around town, the light steering helps, especially for overburdened mums, but on the highway, as the speeds climb, some more weight in the steering would be appreciated. We hope Honda takes note of that - it's a little too much electric power steering for anyone.
The brakes are remarkable. The pedal gives you car-like feel when you stomp on it and the anchoring power comes on quick and strong. The base model comes with two-wheel drive, but all the others get the all-wheel drive with traction management that is capable of transmitting up to 100 per cent of the torque to one of the rear wheels. The 200mm ground clearance and four-wheel independent suspension make this seem like a capable off-roader, but really the Pilot is no more than a glorified soft-roader.
Another big plus for the Pilot is the fuel efficiency. In our time with the SUV, we managed figures not too far off from 9.2L/100km claimed for the AWD version. This is a 'fill-it, shut it and forget it' kind of vehicle. And a big reason for giving that 73.8L fuel tank so much range is the VCM tech, which allows the Honda to run on two fewer cylinders on a light load.
FEATURES & FUNCTIONALITY
There is a lot of functionality in this Honda, for example, it can tow up to 1,600kg. So you can tug your jet skis or quad bikes along with you, wherever you go.
In terms of comfort, specifically climate control, the Pilot has a strong, well-calibrated A/C. Occupants in the second and third rows also get cold air. The Touring also features 'Remote Engine Start', which lets you also start up the automatic climate control before you get in.
Parents would be happy to know that the all-new Pilot received a 2015 Top Safety Pick+ rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). It also comes equipped with Vehicle Stability Assist with Traction Control Systems to reduce power when you run out of traction, ABS, Electronic Brake Distribution, a Hill Start Assist to help you out in case you are stuck in a traffic jam up a slope and a Tire Pressure Monitoring System - but we would like it better if it actually indicated the actual pressure figure.
The typical field of view for a passenger-side mirror is approximately 18-22 degrees, but Honda's Lane Watch, which displays the car's right shoulder area on the infotainment screen, has a field-of-view which is about four times greater - approximately 80 degrees. You also get a mandated set of airbags and ISOFIX mounts for child seats. Quite unselfishly, Honda has also paid attention to pedestrian safety with its comprehensive Pedestrian Injury Mitigation Design for which you would find more details online.
Even with the third row up, you have enough cargo space for two upright suitcases. Drop the third row, which, by the way, splits 60:40, and you have as much as 1,590L of space - enough to squeeze in a two-seater sofa. And with the second row down you get a massive 3,086L. The cargo lid is also reversible - carpeted on one side and hard plastic on the flip side - which is good for stowing wet or dirty things. Honda could have, or rather should have, introduced a proximity sensor or gesture-based unlocking system for the tailgate.
On the technological front, we have a useful Android OS and a Garmin-based navigation system, with a cute little Pilot graphic trotting about around the animated map. We also genuinely liked the sound reproduction of the sound system with the bass and treble coming through clearly. You can hook up to five USBs to it - three up front and two at the rear. There is also a rear entertainment system with a central 9" display screen and two wireless headphones available in the Touring grade.
VERDICT
The 2016 Honda Pilot is a recipe for fuss-free travel for as many as eight passengers and/or large amounts of luggage with plenty of comfort-oriented features. Its new guise has panache, but its strong suit is practicality and reliability. This is a vehicle that does what it is built to do very well. And you can't ignore the 5-year unlimited kilometre warranty either.