2024 Honda Prologue debuts – EV SUV with GM Ultium battery tech; dual-motor AWD; bigger than the CR-V

In the end, Honda has revealed the all-new Prologue, which is a totally electrical SUV set to go in sale within the North America market in 2024. A results of Honda’s collaboration with Basic Motors (GM), the Prologue makes use of the American carmaker’s modular electrical platform and Ultium battery expertise that can also be discovered within the Chevrolet Blazer EV.

For now, Honda isn’t offering specs of its new EV, however reviews declare it’s going to match the Blazer EV. The Chevrolet mannequin will probably be provided with a single electrical motor mounted both on the entrance (FWD) or rear (RWD), with a 3rd possibility being a dual-motor configuration for all-wheel drive.

Essentially the most highly effective SS variant makes use of an AWD setup with as much as 565 PS (557 hp or 415 kW) and 879 Nm of torque, providing as much as 467 km (290 miles of vary). For probably the most vary, the RS is the one to get because it will get as much as 515 km (320 miles) on a single cost.

Whereas the Prologue’s powertrain stays a thriller for now, Honda is very happy to share different particulars. As a begin, the electrical automobile (EV) will probably be positioned above the newest CR-V and alongside the Passport within the line-up.

Breaking out the ruler, the Prologue measures 4,877 mm lengthy, 1,989 mm vast, 1,643 mm tall and has a wheelbase of three,094 mm. For context, the sixth-generation CR-V is 4,694 mm lengthy, 1,864 mm vast, 1,681 mm tall and its wheelbase spans 2,700 mm. Including the Passport to the comparability, the biggest AWD variant of the rugged midsize SUV is 4,803 mm lengthy, 1,996 mm vast, 1,834 mm tall and the wheelbase is 2,817 mm.

The Honda Design Studio in Los Angeles is answerable for how the Prologue appears, with the carmaker saying the SUV follows a clear and easy ‘Neo-Rugged’ design course. The rounded entrance finish incorporates a black panel the place a grille would historically be, flanked by compact headlamps with a thick mild bar on the high of every cluster appearing as daytime operating lights.

A creased part beneath the Honda brand, which ties in with the creased bonnet, factors in direction of the decrease consumption, which sports activities a thick body and is the place you’ll discover two rows of slats sandwiching a panel for the sensors that assist the automotive’s security and driver help techniques. There are additionally air curtains on the corners of the bumper that combine the fog lamps.

Alongside the edges, the clear and easy surfacing is accompanied by comparatively modest physique cladding and in contrast to some EVs, the door handles don’t retract to remain flush with the bodywork. Honda factors out that the debut automobile is provided with 21-inch wheels in a six-spoke design in addition to a panoramic sunroof. The paint end you see right here is named North Shore Pearl and is impressed by the pure magnificence and hues close to Lake Tahoe in California.

At first look, there’s a touch of Vary Rover Evoque on the rear, notably when trying on the taillights. The slim, two-piece association is linked by a trim piece on the tailgate that bears the Honda script, with the typeface showing almost similar to that on the e:NS1 and e:NP1 obtainable in China. Different cues embody a fake skid plate set amongst loads of black trim within the decrease apron, whereas the badges on the tailgate recommend this to be an Elite variant with an AWD powertrain.

Transferring inside, Honda opted towards tacking on the biggest display screen it might probably discover onto the dashboard. As an alternative, there’s simply an 11.3-inch touchscreen, though the thick bezels and inclusion of an easy-to-use quantity dial do take up fairly a little bit of horizontal area.

Under the infotainment touchscreen are slim air vents adopted by loads of buttons and dials to regulate the local weather system. The latter could appear archaic in a world the place carmakers combine such controls right into a touchscreen, however there’s nonetheless a case to be made for not wanting faucet a number of instances on a display screen simply to activate/off a operate.

Elsewhere, one other show measuring 11 inches acts as a digital instrument cluster, whereas the steering wheel options not many buttons. The 2-tier centre console is with none buttons in any respect, with controls for the digital parking brake (with auto maintain), Sport mode and lane centring positioned to the left of the driving force as an alternative.

Honda says it’s going to launch extra particulars of the Prologue within the coming months, so we’ll have to attend to search out out extra about it. The carmaker has set a world aim to realize carbon neutrality for all merchandise and company actions by 2050, with 30 new EVs set to be launched globally by 2030.

In North America, the Prologue will lead the initiative earlier than gross sales of Honda fashions primarily based on its e:Structure start in 2026. The next 12 months, the corporate plans to promote a brand new sequence of reasonably priced EVs co-developed with GM. To assist the rollout of EVs, a three way partnership has already been established with LG Vitality Resolution to supply lithium-ion batteries in america to energy Honda and Acura EV fashions.