The Prologue, Honda’s brand-new electric SUV that was co-developed with General Motors, has finally received its initial batch of images. Sometime in 2024, sales of this new SUV will begin in North America.
- On the GM Ultium platform, the Honda Prologue is built.
- receives new, streamlined styling
- Unreleased powertrain information
Honda has lagged behind its Japanese auto industry competitors in all-electric cars, much like most of them.
The company overemphasized hybrids and hydrogen fuel cells, which led to a relatively limited selection of all-electric cars and almost none in North America.
Honda hasn’t produced an all-electric vehicle in the US since it discontinued making the Clarity Electric in 2019.
The Prologue, an electric vehicle that Honda and GM co-developed, has been hinted at for years.
What is Honda Prologue?
The Prologue is constructed on GM’s Ultrium platform, which also serves as the foundation for electric SUVs including the GMC Hummer, Cadillac Lyriq, and Chevrolet Blazer. The Prologue SUV is described as “neo-rugged” by Honda.
Compared to the new Honda CR-V, the Prologue’s wheelbase is 127mm wider and 203mm longer. The SUV has 21-inch wheels and a big black bar in the front that draws design cues from the Honda e electric city car. The Honda logo is replaced by the complete brand name and the “e:” series badging at the back. A distinctive paint finish called North Shore Pearl, which draws inspiration from “the natural beauty and colors surrounding Lake Tahoe in California” will be available only at The Prologue.
Today, Honda unveiled the exterior and interior design of the brand-new Honda Prologue battery-electric SUV, which will go on sale in North America in 2024. The Prologue design has a spacious interior that is equipped for both insides- and outside-the-city exploration, as well as a “Neo-Rugged” exterior and interior.
The Honda Prologue’s exterior looks like this:
With a panoramic roof, 21-inch wheels, all-wheel drive, and a new, very Honda-looking front EV appearance, Honda describes its design as “neo-rugged.” It will be positioned above the CR-V and be the same size as the Passport, which will be replaced this month by the most recent CR-V hybrid.
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The interior of the Honda Prologue electric SUV is shown below:
In a news release, Honda did provide some further design information, including the fact that it would be larger than its well-liked CR-V:
The prologue was created as a contemporary and innovative design that will look great in a store alongside other Honda SUVs. The spacious interior and generous dimensions of the Prologue place the SUV next to the Passport in Honda’s lineup of light trucks. The all-new 2023 Honda CR-V is around 8 inches longer and 5 inches wider than the Prologue, which will have a wheelbase of 121.8 inches.
The interior of the Prologue will be spacious, offering enough room for both people and freight. The Prologue will sport an 11.3-inch audio/connectivity display in addition to a conventional completely digital 11-inch driver display panel, showcasing a technologically advanced interior.
EV-Inspired Technology and Design
Honda stated the e-SUV will only be offered in “North Shore Pearl,” a pearly white that was inspired by the surroundings around Lake Tahoe, California, but the Prologue’s first renderings showed it in a blue tint. The interior of the five-seater will be charcoal and light grey in color.
Although the powertrain specifications have not yet been disclosed, they are anticipated to be the same as the Blazer, which has a range of up to 510 kilometers and a maximum charging speed of 190 kW.
Two screens are located up front: an 11.3-inch infotainment screen and an 11-inch driver panel.
The Prologue’s measurements are as follows:
| Exterior Dimensions Inches |
| Wheelbase 121.8 inches, |
| length 192.0 inches, |
| width 78.3 inches, |
| height 64.7 inches. |
Unfortunately, Honda withheld the Prologue’s specifications. Still, given that Honda is utilizing GM’s Ultrium EV platform, it is anticipated that the Prologue would resemble the Chevy Blazer EV in certain respects.
Since the electric SUV won’t be available until 2024, there is still plenty of time for that information to surface.
How much is the prologue going to cost? When will it be offered?
We can get some cost information by comparing other Honda vehicles, particularly the impending CR-V Hybrid: While the CR-V costs about $30,000, the Passport starts at under $40,000. A similar electric SUV, the Chevy Equinox EV, will cost $30,000, according to General Motors. The Prologue will likely be produced in North America, making it eligible for brand-new federal tax credits for clean automobiles.
Sales of The Prologues are expected to start in 2024, making availability more evident. In the first two years, 70,000 units are expected to be sold. On its e: Architecture platform, which is also built in the United States, Honda intends to create more electric vehicles and sell them by 2026. A new line of “cheap EVs” that was co-developed with GM is scheduled to go on sale in 2027.
However, the firm promised to make them more ecologically friendly by producing additional “flex-fuel” motorcycles in 2023 and 2025 that can run on E20 and E100 ethanol-based fuels. The company also stated that it will continue to create internal combustion engine versions. But those versions won’t be offered in the US.
By 2040, Honda wants its motorcycle industry to be carbon neutral, and by 2030, it wants to sell 15% of its motorcycles as electric versions. All of that adds up to an electrification strategy that is consistent with other automakers like Ford and GM but doesn’t seem particularly urgent.
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Electrek’s Opinion
It looks good. It’s not a particularly ugly SUV.
Honda’s EV plan, in my opinion, is teetering on the edge of financial ruin.
The carmaker provided this timetable for its electric cars in North America:
2024: The Honda Prologue, developed in conjunction with GM, will go on the market.
In North America, Honda will begin selling vehicles equipped with its Honda e: Architecture in 2026.
2027: Beginning the sales of a new range of competitively priced EVs that Honda and GM jointly developed and that are also produced in North America.
Nothing until 2024, and it will be an EV that uses GM technology, and its own EV that is completely original won’t be available until 2026.
That sounds to me like they are essentially giving up on the North American market and it is too little, too late. By 2026, I don’t believe anyone with a sane mind will purchase anything other than an all-electric automobile if they are in the market for a new vehicle.
Honda’s idea for an SUV in India
For the Indian market, Honda is putting the finishing touches on a brand-new SUV that will be based on the City sedan. In India, the company does not currently sell any SUVs.