The Honda Pilot has been the largest vehicle in Honda’s lineup since its debut in 2002, but that could change with a much larger SUV reportedly planned to sit above it. According to a report from Automotive News, the new Honda could be around 8 inches longer than the Pilot and may not arrive until 2032.
A Larger Honda SUV Could Arrive in 2032
Automotive News, citing an anonymous source, reports that Honda is considering an extra-large SUV positioned above the current Pilot. The model would reportedly share a close relationship with a three-row Acura flagship SUV also rumored to arrive around the end of the decade.
The larger size could allow Honda and Acura to increase volume across both brands. On the Honda side, the reported target is 40,000 units per year. That volume would make the vehicle a bestseller for Acura but would represent a slower-selling model for Honda, performing worse than the Ridgeline.
The Honda Prologue sold about 40,000 units last year, and that level of sales did not save it. However, a very large SUV would almost certainly have much better margins than a small to midsize mainstream EV.
Honda’s New V6 Hybrid Powertrain
The new SUV is expected to use Honda’s new V6 hybrid powertrain developed for large vehicles such as the Pilot and Odyssey. The system will use the same basic powertrain setup as Honda’s current four-cylinder hybrids, but with a V6 and much larger electric motors.
It would also use a separate rear motor to drive the rear wheels. The powertrain is expected to first appear in the next-generation Acura RDX by the end of the decade.
The flagship Acura SUV related to this larger Honda is also rumored to arrive around the end of the decade. According to Automotive News, however, the Honda itself would not arrive until 2032.
How Big Could the New Honda SUV Be?
The current Honda Pilot is already one of the larger three-row SUVs in its class. At 200.1 inches long, it exceeds the length of the Ford Explorer, Toyota Highlander, Mazda CX-90 and Nissan Pathfinder.
The Pilot is only 1.3 inches longer than Toyota’s largest unibody SUV, the Grand Highlander, while remaining 4.4 inches shorter than the much larger Chevy Traverse.
An additional 8 inches would put the new Honda well beyond the entire three-row unibody SUV segment and within reach of body-on-frame SUVs.
At that size, it would match the Toyota Sequoia in length, while being 1.5 inches shorter than the Nissan Armada, 1.8 inches shorter than the Ford Expedition and 3.2 inches shorter than the Chevy Tahoe.
Hybrid Efficiency vs. Towing and Off-Road Capability
As a hybrid, the large Honda could offer substantially better fuel economy than those competitors. Its unibody, car-like chassis could also provide more civilized driving dynamics.
However, other key specifications could be more difficult to match, particularly towing capacity and off-road capability.
If the report is accurate, Honda’s future lineup could therefore include an SUV significantly larger than the current Pilot, with the reported model not expected to arrive until 2032.
