Honda Prologue first power: a lovely just right get started

Right here we’re in 2024, and Honda is a little past due to the electrical car sport. Whilst some competition had been pushing electrified choices into the marketplace at a lickity-split charge — I’m taking a look at you Kia and Hyundai — Honda has rested at the hybrid powertrains of the Accord, CR-V, and the soon-to-be remounted Civic, leaving itself in a little of a pickle when it got here to getting an absolutely electrical car to marketplace. Certain, the corporate constructed the Readability EV from 2017 to 2020, nevertheless it’s now not just like the sub-90 mile fluctuate lit the sector on hearth.Input Normal Motors and the Chevrolet Blazer EV. Via becoming a member of forces with the American automaker and agreeing to make use of its Ultium platform for a couple of EVs, one from Honda and the opposite from Acura, the Jap corporate used to be in a position to get an electrical car with just about 300 miles of fluctuate to marketplace a lot sooner. The Honda Prologue, the corporate’s first long-range EV for North The usa, will get started hitting dealerships this spring. And when it arrives, the midsized SUV (kind of the similar dimension because the Honda Passport) will compete with the Tesla Style Y, Hyundai Ioniq 5, Kia EV6, Ford Mustang Mach-E, and sure, even the Chevy Blazer EV — with which the Prologue stocks a powertrain. Honda is a little past due to the electrical car sport“However Emme,” I listen you ask, “didn’t GM simply put out a stop-sale at the Chevy Blazer EV as a result of vehicles have been bricking themselves?”Sure, it did. Alternatively, Honda assures us that whilst the brand new Prologue makes use of GM’s Ultium battery platform and {hardware}, the instrument is all Honda. The oldsters I chatted with on the release of the Prologue in Healdsburg, CA remaining month didn’t appear too eager about the GM stop-sale in any respect. Whether or not that used to be original or now not I will be able to’t know, however throughout my time with the automobile I skilled no system defects. In reality, my power within the Prologue grew to become out to be moderately gratifying — without a bricks crashing the birthday celebration.Vary and chargingThe Prologue might be to be had in EX, Traveling, and Elite trims. The decrease two trims give you the chance of front- or all-wheel power, whilst the Elite trim places energy right down to all 4 wheels completely. Entrance-wheel power fashions have a unmarried motor just right for 212 horsepower and 236 pound-feet of torque. Paired with an 85kWh battery, you’ll get 296 miles of fluctuate.My time is within the Elite trim. This provides a rear-mounted motor and is going as much as 288 ponies and 333 pound-feet of torque. The battery capability is identical, however the dual-motor arrange doesn’t precise an excessive amount of of a punishment, generating 273 miles of fluctuate. If you wish to eke out a little extra, go for the mid-trim Traveling all-wheel power that may move 281 miles on a unmarried rate.The Prologue might be to be had in EX, Traveling, and Elite trimsThe bummer this is that the Prologue can handiest settle for a DC rapid rate of 155kW. This present day that’s hardly ever anything else to write down house about taking into account the Kia EV6 is going larger at 235kW, whilst the Hyundai Ioniq 5 blows the whole thing out of the water at 350kW. When charging at house, the 11.5kW onboard charger is rapid sufficient so as to add 34 miles of juice in an hour, assuming you will have a 48-amp wall unit. The Prologue comes with a CCS charging port, however you’ll sooner or later be capable of use the Tesla supercharging community with the provided NACS adapter. Honda has additionally partnered with EVgo and Electrify The usa, and house owners will be capable of get entry to all 3 charging networks throughout the HondaLink app. This will have to make issues a lot more straightforward on house owners who received’t have the effort of juggling more than one apps and fee paradigms whilst at the highway. Honda has additionally partnered with six North American producers to construct out a charging infrastructure, set to debut this summer time.Patrons additionally get their collection of 3 charging applications that prioritize house charging or charging at high-speed public stations. For instance, consumers can snag a Degree 2 house charging station and set up credit score of $500 along side a smaller credit score at public charging stations, or go for a transportable charging package and a bigger credit score at public stations. People who must boulevard park or differently don’t have any option to rate at house can get $750 towards charging at EVgo. Additional, each Prologue comes with 60kWh of loose charging from Electrify The usa, without reference to which charging bundle you select.After all, power timeDriving the brand new Prologue is a pleasing revel in, due to a well tuned chassis and that immediate electrical torque. Off-the-line acceleration is numerous amusing and freeway merging is a breeze. Punching the throttle even at upper speeds leads to a burst of pace to simply get round that sluggish Prius within the left lane. When the street turns twisty, the Prologue is most probably composed sufficient for the kind of other folks searching for midsized SUVs, nevertheless it’s now not what I’d name grin-inducing. In fact energy supply is clean, however the 21-inch wheels on my Elite tester are wrapped in Bridgestone Alenza all-season tires. Those don’t be offering essentially the most grip, and the small-ish profile manner bumps within the highway are simply transmitted into the cabin. The smaller 19-inch wheels supply extra of a sidewall cushion, which equals fewer bumps. The guidance in Commonplace mode is gentle and direct, and there’s a neat ambient noise that coincides with the automobile’s acceleration and deceleration. My Elite tester additionally will get a Recreation mode, however there are not any adaptive dampers at the Prologue, so the dealing with doesn’t trade in any respect. The guidance will get sooner and a little heavier, two traits I experience very a lot, and the throttle will get a little extra responsive, however that’s about it. And also you additionally get crimson ambient lighting fixtures. I do know, very fancy.Using the brand new Prologue is a pleasing revel in, due to a well tuned chassis and that just right ol’ immediate electrical torqueThe placement of the Recreation button at the decrease left a part of the sprint manner it’s tricky to search out. Integrated within the cluster are the buttons for lane holding help, auto dangle, the sprint lighting, in addition to the digital parking brake. Drivers will most probably get used to the position inside of a couple of weeks, however I felt like I needed to take my eyes off the street for too lengthy to find it throughout my power. Honda didn’t do a lot of anything else to GM’s superb regenerative braking gadget. At max regen, the Prologue brings itself to an entire quit with out the motive force ever desiring to the touch the friction brakes. Even if now not on the easiest stage, there’s a regen-on-demand guidance wheel paddle for a fast shot of max regen. It’s nice, and I like getting power free of charge.The Honda Sensing suite of drivers’ help is usual around the board and contains ahead collision alert and emergency braking, adaptive cruise keep an eye on, blind spot tracking, lane holding help, and the like. All of them paintings as marketed however don’t be expecting any complex hands-free generation right here. We’ll most probably have to attend a couple of years to peer Honda soar up a degree.All this and appears, tooThe design strategy of the Prologue began throughout the covid pandemic with all of the commute restrictions therein. Honda says it trusted VR and AR to percentage concepts between the American and Jap groups, and the result’s a good-looking automotive certainly. The midsize SUV is identical duration and width because the gas-powered Passport, nevertheless it’s decrease to the bottom for a extra streamlined glance. A couple of slender daylight hours operating lighting are stacked on best of jeweled headlamps for a blank aesthetic. Honda calls it “neo-rugged” — no matter that implies. I’ll simply say that it moves an ideal steadiness between conventional Honda designs and a extra sculpted aerodynamic EV aesthetic.There are a couple of standouts right here. The brand new badging is lovely cool, with the logo identify spelled out around the rear hatch in a futuristic font in lieu of the usual Honda “H.” There also are some superb colours on be offering, together with “north shore pearl,” impressed by way of the waters of Lake Tahoe, California.Honda calls it “neo-rugged” — no matter that meansInside, each Prologue will get heated entrance seats, a 10-way energy adjustable motive force’s seat with lumbar fortify, and a dual-zone HVAC gadget with bodily controls. There may be push-button get started, wi-fi charging, and a complete of 4 3.0-amp USB-C 45-watt charging ports. I dig the two-tiered middle console with a garage cubby ahead of the enormous cupholders. The middle armrest garage is spacious as neatly. Your want for monitors is satiated by way of an 11-inch virtual gauge cluster and a somewhat higher infotainment touchscreen with wi-fi Apple CarPlay and Android Auto usual. Google is inbuilt as neatly, so drivers get Google Assistant and get entry to to the options on Google Play.Kind in a vacation spot into Google Maps, and the gadget won’t handiest provide you with charging stations alongside the way in which however let you know how lengthy you’ll wish to rate to achieve your adventure’s finish. The gadget will also precondition the battery for DC charging to reduce your wait time. Those are welcome options, taking one of the most thriller out of commute making plans, as extra other folks make the transfer to EVs.You received’t get a frunk within the Prologue, which is disappointing. Alternatively, at the back of the rear seats is 25 cubic ft of house, increasing to just about 58 cubes when the ones seats are dropped. Be mindful, alternatively, that the ones numbers observe handiest to the EX trim. Traveling and Elite trims include a smidge much less house. It’s greater than what’s discovered within the Kia EV6, although the Prologue falls at the back of what’s presented within the Ford Mustang Mach-E and Hyundai Ioniq 5. In case you haul extra other folks than issues, you’ll be more than happy with the rear seats and their two angles of recline. There also are 4 extra inches of rear legroom than you’ll in finding within the Subaru Solterra and Toyota bZ4X, two different possible competition. Heck, it even bests the Mustang Mach-E rear seat legroom by way of an inch. Alternatively, issues even out a little when evaluating the Ioniq 5 and EV6.Prologue pricingWhile Honda says it’s going to deliver an EV constructed by itself structure to marketplace in North The usa in 2025, consumers can scoop up the Prologue in March of this 12 months. The 2024 Honda Prologue begins at $48,795 together with $1,395 for vacation spot for a front-wheel power EX, whilst the highest all-wheel power Elite trim is a hefty $59,295.In case you’re questioning concerning the $7,500 EV federal tax credit score, as of this writing the Prologue isn’t eligible. Alternatively, that can trade at some point if it fulfills the IRS mineral and battery sourcing necessities. Nonetheless, the Prologue is a smart get started for Honda on its purpose of introducing 30 new EVs globally by way of 2030. We are hoping that long run fashions will rate a little sooner and include some type of hands-free using capacity, however consumers received’t be dissatisfied by way of this primary stab at an electrical providing.Pictures by way of Emme Corridor / The Verge

Author: OpenAI