Honda Cars Philippines Inc unveiled early this week its third generation midsize crossover-SUV Honda Pilot. With Honda officials in attendance led by its President and GM Toshio Kuwahara, the new Pilot offers more interior space, a more powerful 3.5-liter Direct Injection i-VTEC V6 engine with Variable Cylinder Management; advanced technologies such as the Intelligent Variable Torque Management and Intelligent Traction Management; plus a host of premium features and amenities.
“This SUV has earned several awards since its formal introduction to the global market at last year’s Chicago International Auto Show. Honda will level up the crossover segment with the new Pilot,” says Kuwahara.
Designed and developed in the United States by Honda R&D Americas Inc, the redesigned SUV has a sleeker front end accentuated by distinctive character lines and an aggressive new face. The LED Projector Type Headlight with Signature LED Daytime Running Lights, and LED tail lights as well as new 18-inch alloy wheels compliment the Pilot’s modern and commanding look.
The cabin boasts an abundant use of high-quality soft-touch material, posh black leather, and ambient lighting. For audio and entertainment, Honda’s latest thinking for advanced technology is incorporated in its eight-inch Touch-screen Display Audio interface powered by a new Android based operating system and more powerful processor. Advanced features, such as Bluetooth, HDMI, USB Connectivity and 7 Speakers also fully extend to the front-line quality of the cockpit’s numerous functions.
For the rear passengers, there is a 9-inch Entertainment System with DVD and HDMI capability available for in-transit entertainment needs. A 10-way Power Seat with memory for the driver and a 4-way Power Seat for the passenger are available. All these features make riding the new Pilot’s commodious cabin a true contemporary experience.
The Pilot retains its exclusive eight-passenger seating configuration with a 60:40 split second row seat that allows maximum passenger comfort.
Designed with versatile utility in mind, the new Pilot carries an additional 3 inches overall length to provide more cargo flexibility for different hauling needs without compromising the third-row seating capability. A Flexible Cargo Management System features a two-position cargo lid that permits item storage in a lower compartment, adjustable to provide higher cargo space.
For its premium safety features, the Pilot was awarded the 2016 Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) Top Safety Pick. This third generation Pilot boasts of the Advance Compatibility Engineering (ACE) body structure, and Honda SENSING, which makes the Pilot the second Honda vehicle in the country to exhibit this system following the Legend luxury sedan.
The Advance Compatibility Engineering (ACE) body structure not only absorbs and disperses the energy of a frontal collision, but also protects the occupants with the efficient ultra-high strength door ring design both from frontal and side impacts.
The new Pilot comes in three color hues, with the White Diamond Pearl as a special color requiring an additional P20,000. The Pilot will fly off Honda’s network of dealers nationwide starting March and it retails for P3,380 Million.
