2024 Honda Prologue Will Doubtless Deal with a Lot Like a Chevy EV

Don’t anticipate the battery-electric 2024 Honda Prologue, constructed utilizing Common Motors’ Ultium structure, to supply a driving expertise appreciably completely different from that of GM EVs. That’s what Honda’s personal prime brass advised the media at a current roundtable concerning the upcoming SUV.

Honda Senior Managing Government Officer Shinji Aoyama appeared candid concerning the Prologue’s battle to face aside when it comes to on-road dynamics. “We’re restricted as a result of base structure,” he was quoted telling journalists, per Motor1. “To distinguish [them] when it comes to efficiency can be tough.”

As a substitute, the key sauce — when you can name it that — can be within the Prologue’s seems and what your arms contact. That’s what the corporate is relying on to make it really feel like a Honda. “The design — the highest hat — is the place we are going to make our differentiation,” model CEO and President Toshihiro Mibe added.

The honesty is considerably refreshing to listen to from trade gamers, as carmakers have a behavior of embellishing the behavioral variations of two vehicles that bear a typical provenance. Take the GR86 and BRZ, for instance — a pair of rear-wheel-drive sport coupes which might be way more related than they’re distinctive, despite Toyota and Subaru’s respective preferences in suspension tuning. Yeah, the GR86 is a bit more tail comfortable and the Subaru is a bit more balanced, however having pushed each, the gulf is hardly as profound as both would really like you to imagine.

In fact, the Prologue being an SUV, its predisposition for spirited driving is much less important. Vary and charging time are the kind of efficiency metrics that matter right here. It’s not stunning that the Prologue figures to be fairly much like a Blazer or Equinox EV behind the wheel, excusing packaging variations. It’s just a bit stunning that Honda is quickly admitting as a lot so early on.

This was a needed tradeoff, nevertheless, for Honda to throw its “prime hat,” because it had been, into the EV realm right here in North America. Electing to run with GM’s Ultium floorplan will enable Honda to have an electrical SUV available on the market whereas it retains cracking away at its personal e:Structure that may ultimately energy all of its vehicles. Since e:Structure gained’t ship in a Honda till 2026, the automaker wants a stopgap. The Prologue, together with its Acura counterpart, will present that stopgap.

Higher but, because of the legwork GM has already put in to base its EV and battery manufacturing for North America in North America, each SUVs ought to qualify for the total $7,500 federal tax credit score beneath the Inflation Discount Act. That most likely gained’t be true of all of the Prologue’s opponents — a minimum of, not when it goes on sale.

However might the Prologue’s design actually make it distinctive sufficient from the GM set? From the skin, the Prologue doesn’t seem like a Chevy product. (I reckon that’s a good factor, however to every their very own.) From the inside, the road seems to blur considerably.

The Prologue’s steering wheel — notably the left and proper spokes, in addition to the buttons they comprise — is clearly lifted from what you’ll discover within the Blazer and Equinox EVs. So too are its inside door handles and related lock buttons. I’d anticipate the resemblance to bleed into the software program and infotainment facet of issues; it’s all intertwined with EVs anyway, isn’t it? However, once more, we must always have clearer solutions in a couple of yr and alter.