For the primary time in over 5 years, Honda has introduced a brand new EV for the American market. The Prologue, as they’ve referred to as it, is a mid-sized totally electrical SUV. With trendy styling and a spacious inside, the Prologue is about to compete with the choices of fellow Asian automakers like Kia and Hyundai. The Prologue will sit between the CR-V and Passport by way of measurement inside Honda’s SUV line, and is the obvious flagship of its trendy EV line.

The Prologue represents an thrilling new step in Honda’s American choices because the nation shifts in direction of an EV-heavy market. It is an thrilling new launch for Honda and electrical SUV followers. Here are some fascinating notes you’ll have missed.

In order to provide the most recent and correct data attainable, the information used to compile this text was sourced from producer web sites and different authoritative sources, akin to Car And Driver.

1 The Prologue EV Will Start At Over $40,000

Honda has not formally introduced a value for the Prologue at this juncture. However, per its web site the base price is listed at “Upper $40,000”. Pricing data is all the time necessary to shoppers, particularly the way it stacks up in opposition to related autos.

Here’s How It Would Stack Up Against Similarly Priced EVs

The Prologue is barely costlier than most of its rivals with its base launch value. Honda is positioning its first EV SUV to compete with its fellow Asian automakers in value whereas providing extra vary in comparison with their base mannequin.

2 The Prologue EV Was Designed In Los Angeles

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For its new American SUV, Honda used an American design studio. Many could not know, however Honda has a design studio in Southern California. The crew that designed the outside and inside of the automotive labored from the LA Studio.

Facts about Honda’s LA Design Studio and their work on the Prologue EV

• Honda opened the LA Advanced Design Studio in 2012.
• The LA Studio is certainly one of three within the U.S., with others in Torrance, California, and Raymond, Ohio.
• The Exterior design chief was Jiro Ikeda who facilitated the cross-collaboration with Japanese designers.
• Ideka described the design as “neo-rugged”.
• The LA design crew used VR to assist design the automotive. They stated “By simulating and evaluating colors, materials, and even lighting in a virtual 3D environment we were able to explore possibilities that took styling to a higher level.”

Honda hopes utilizing an American studio will poise the automotive for a robust launch within the American market. The LA Advanced Design Studio used probably the most up-to-date strategies to make sure Honda’s success with this new endeavor.

3 The Prologue EV Is Based On A GM Platform And Battery

The Prologue EV would be the first, and probably solely Honda EV ensuing from Honda and GM’s electric partnership. The Prologue shall be primarily based on GM’s Ultim battery and platform.

What we all know in regards to the Honda and GM Collaboration

• GM and Honda partnered in 2022 in an effort to beat Tesla within the American market.
• The battery will ship 85.0 kWh and certain 300 miles or extra of vary.
• The Prologue EV will share a platform with the Equinox EV, Blazer EV, and the Cadillac Lyriq.
• If efficiency is just like the Blazer, the Ultium platform ought to give the Prologue EV a 0-60 time round 4 seconds.
• Unfortunately, Honda and GM have scrapped their EV agreement as of October 2023, that means the Prologue EV often is the solely Honda car really produced within the partnership.

As the settlement has been severed, what may have been a decades-long collection of EVs has been decreased to doubtlessly only one. The Prologue could find yourself as a glimpse right into a world that by no means was for the scuttled partnership.

4 Three Different Trim Levels Will Be Available

Honda is about to launch the Prologue in three separate trim levels. At this level, a number of trim ranges are commonplace observe for automakers, and the Prologue is not going to be an exception.

Here’s what we all know in regards to the three Prologue EV trim ranges

• The three ranges shall be referred to as EX, Touring, and Elite.
• Blind spot monitoring and Google connection shall be commonplace on all three fashions.
• Touring and Elite fashions may have entrance and rear parking help.
• Touring and Elite may have leather-based seats and inside in addition to a Bose sound system.
• Elite fashions will embrace 21-inch wheels and entry to the “North Shore Pearl” paint colour unique to the trim stage.

Honda has supplied good hands-free and security know-how as commonplace, a win for extra budget-conscious shoppers. The leather-based inside, as all the time, will price a bit additional. However, to make your prologue look pretty much as good because the one within the promo photographs, you may must go for the Elite version.

5 The Prologue EV Is Slightly Longer Than The Honda Passport

EV SUVs are inclined to have barely completely different dimensions from their inner combustion counterparts. In the case of the Prologue, its width provides it an fascinating look. The wide body makes the Prologue EV reduce an virtually station wagon line regardless of its SUV construct.

Honda Prologue Exterior Dimensions

(Data sourced from Honda)

Here’s some dimensional data on the Prologue EV

• The Prologue is 192 inches lengthy, which makes it three inches longer than the Honda Passport.
• The 121.8-inch wheelbase is an identical to the upcoming electrical Acura ZDX.
• The inside has 136.9 cubic ft of area.
• The entrance console may have cupholders large enough for 32-ounce cups.

Potential EV patrons shall be blissful to know that the Prologue shall be about as giant as Honda’s second-biggest ICE SUV, the Passport. This squares the Prologue as an choice for folks with households and pets.

6 The Prologue EV Is The Second Honda EV In The American Market

The Clarity EV was the primary one

The Prologue shouldn’t be the primary time Honda has tried to interrupt into the American EV market. The Honda Clarity EV was a completely electrified model of Honda’s hydrogen powered providing. It was obtainable within the US from 2016 to 2019.

Honda Clarity EV shopper data

• The Clarity EV solely had a spread of 89 miles.
• The Clarity EV was solely obtainable in California and Oregon.
• Only obtainable on a three-year lease, American shoppers couldn’t purchase the Clarity EV.
• The Clarity EV took 3.5 hours to cost on its 240V charger, and nineteen hours on a wall outlet.
• The EV was succeeded by a Plug-In Hybrid model of the Clarity.

Honda hopes the brand new Prologue doesn’t have the identical reception because the Clarity. With the restricted vary and lease-only choice, the Clarity was not a very fashionable EV within the U.S. Plus, it was solely obtainable in two states, whereas Honda plans to launch the Prologue EV nationwide.

7 Single- And Dual Motor Versions Will Be Available

As with trim choices, the Prologue may have motor choices as properly. As an SUV, Honda gives a twin motor choice to offer all-wheel energy and off-roading functionality. For the extra budget-conscious, or those who do not plan on leaving the tarmac, there may be the entrance motor model of the automotive as properly.

Prologue Motor Information

• Honda has referred to as the entrance motor choice “2WD” and the twin motor choice “AWD”.
• The AWD choice may have 295 horsepower.
• Honda has but to announce what the value enhance shall be past the “Upper $40,000” base for the AWD choice.

As a usually consumer-friendly model, Honda is providing options to make the Prologue EV attractive to extra shoppers. Those who need some further energy and typical SUV functionality can go for the dual-motor AWD choice. Those who simply take the youngsters to highschool and put groceries at the back of their SUV can go for the entrance motor 2WD.

8 The Platform Will Also Be Shared With The Acura ZDX

Not to be outdone, Honda is releasing a luxurious electrical EV by means of its Acura model, referred to as the ZDX. The ZDX will share the GM Ultim platform with the Prologue EV. The ZDX would be the first-ever Acura EV.

How the ZDX stacks up with the Prologue

• The base value of the ZDX is anticipated to be $60,000, about $15,000 greater than the Prologue.
• The ZDX may have two trim ranges (The A-Spec and the Type S) vs the Prologue EV’s three.
• The twin motor ZDX may have extra horsepower than the AWD Prologue, 340 vs 295.
• The ZDX Type S is a Sport mannequin with 500 horsepower, priced at $70,000
• Despite having the identical wheelbase, the ZDX is even longer than the Prologue at 197.7 inches in size.

As the primary luxurious EV out of the Honda/Acura model, the ZDX is made to shine. With an even bigger price ticket than its youthful cousin, it affords extra energy and even a Sport choice. As it usually does with Acura fashions, Honda has made an upgraded SUV with the identical platform.

9 The Prologue EV Has More Than Three Times The Range Of Honda’s Clarity EV

The Clarity EV was Honda’s first EV in the American market, and it was not successful. The primary purpose for that was its extraordinarily restricted vary of 89 miles. Even in 2016 when it was launched, this was a low mileage quantity for EV sedans. Honda hopes to proper this flawed with the Prologue, succeeding the place the Clarity failed.

The Clarity vs the Prologue.

• The Clarity was a mid-sized sedan with solely 89 miles of vary, The Prologue ought to have over 300 miles of vary
• The Prologue has extra vary than its rivals (by about 100 miles vs Kia, Hyundai, Toyota, and Subaru’s EV SUVs), whereas the Clarity EV had about the identical vary as rivals just like the Nissan Leaf and considerably much less vary than the Tesla Model 3, which got here out in the course of the Clarity EV’s manufacturing run.

Honda has clearly realized some good classes from the Clarity’s flop. As it stands the Prologue EV is about to be a superior choice by way of vary and measurement in opposition to the same electrical choices within the American market. Hopefully, Honda could make their subsequent electrical sedan match this invoice as properly.

10 An 11.3-inch Touchscreen Comes As Standard Across The Board

The Prologue is not simply trendy on the outside, however within the inside as properly. Also designed by the Los Angeles crew, Honda was in a position to carry a mixture of outdated and new kinds to the inside as properly. The spotlight of this design effort is the 11.3 inch touchscreen commonplace on all Prologue EVs.

The Prologue’s inside options

• Below the large contact display are bodily buttons for local weather management, which ought to relieve old-school drivers, as not each management within the automotive has turn out to be a contact button simply but.
• The dashboard has additionally been changed with a big LED display, and an 11-inch gauge readout to enhance the middle display.
• The inside boasts trendy darkish styling with gray and silver accents, a method that may look good within the metropolis, and in addition take the grime and dirt of the nation properly for many who need to get probably the most out of their SUV’s capabilities.
• The column-mounted shifter leaves an enormous aircraft of area under the display to carry regardless of the driver and passenger want.

The time and power put into the Prologue EV present not simply within the inside however in the entire manufacturing of the car. Honda, with the expertise of the Clarity EV’s stumble, and with a vision to electrify all its cars by 2040 has planted its proverbial flag within the sand right here with the Prologue EV.

A good-looking, functional mid-sized SUV, with higher specs than its rivals, all at a good value. EV makers within the American market are now not taking part in in a small area, corporations like Honda have introduced their profitable concepts of straightforward high quality and performance at a good value to the electrical world, and everyone seems to be on discover.