2024 Honda Prologue EV SUV, All you want to know & watch about a Great Car
2024 Honda Prologue EV SUV First Look Review: Neo-GM? Try “Neo-Rugged”
The new electric Honda co-developed with General Motors steps into the midsize electric SUV fray.
It’s truly the wild west of vehicle electrification across the market right now as practically every automaker not named Tesla is rushing in and trying to grab a slice of the action. There has been some chaos in the deluge. Take the upcoming 2024 Honda Prologue electric SUV, for example, which the Japanese automaker is co-developing with U.S. competitor General Motors for use of its Ultium platform and batteries.
A Honda-GM mashup? Really. The recently introduced all-new Chevy Blazer electric SUV, as well as a planned Acura model coming in the next couple of years, will all have a lot in common. But it’s the Prologue’s moment now, as Honda reveals a new design language for the tip of its all-electric North American lineup.
The midsize Passport SUV remains combustion powered for the near future, and it isn’t going anywhere. We say so because the Honda Prologue is also a midsize SUV, albeit an electric one, to offer customers choice. Compared to that other midsize Honda SUV, the Prologue’s wheelbase stretches 10.8 inches longer—to a super-long 121.8 inches—and overall its footprint is 2.9 inches longer and 0.3 inch narrower, while the roof sits a big-time 6.9-7.5 inches lower (front- and all-wheel-drive Passports are different heights).
Honda is promising a “spacious interior,” which the expanded wheelbase should afford. Power and related specs are mum for the moment with updates promised “soon,” but the images do confirm it will be available with all-wheel drive.
The Honda Prologue was “co-developed” with General Motors in a bid by Honda to cut down development time and get more EVs on the market sooner. Beyond that, Honda has announced a plan for 30 new EVs to be introduced by 2030 targeting global sales volume of 2 million units, and it will fully switch over to zero-emission sales only by 2040.
The automaker plans to begin sales of new vehicles built on its in-house e:Architecture EV platform in 2026, with a lineup of more “affordable” EVs co-developed with GM planned for 2027. Honda also announced a new lithium-ion battery production facility in North America, a smart play considering the federal government’s recent Infrastructure Relief Act that incentivizes domestic U.S. sourcing and production of EVs and their resource requirements.
Neo-Rugged Design
Honda specifies that a young team of talented Los Angeles designers were assigned the Prologue EV project, who apparently have coined a new term to describe their design approach for the vehicle: “neo-rugged.” For Honda, that translates to a very smooth, undecorated body with fairly squared-off proportions and simple details.
Designers were inspired by the global Honda e compact EV design for the broad approach, now stretched and reinterpreted over a midsize SUV package. Honda says it’s capable of adventures “inside and outside the city limits,” and its fairly low ride height means it probably won’t be much of an off-roader beyond fire trails, gravel, or snow and sand, we imagine.
Inside, the Prologue has some vaguely GM-style switchgear—check the gloss-black climate control buttons and the lock switches around the door handles—but overall there isn’t much that smacks of anyone other than Honda having designed this cabin. For example, unlike the 2024 Chevy Blazer EV, the Prologue separates its gauge cluster screen and central touchscreen, with both jutting out of the dashboard like tombstones, much like Honda’s current practice (at least for central displays) in its newest models, including the Civic, HR-V, and CR-V.
Even in the photo above, it appears as though the Honda uses bespoke onscreen graphics and animations, not recycled GM stuff, though someone at Honda has intriguingly blurred out the left-side gauge pod behind the steering wheel, likely to keep some battery, range, or other revealing trip information under wraps until it’s ready for prime time.
Natural beauty was a big inspiration for the team, which incorporated a large panoramic glass roof into the design for natural light, and the Prologue introduces a new North Shore Pearl paint color inspired by the “natural beauty and colors near Lake Tahoe in California.”
The interior charcoal and light gray interior colorway was inspired by “fresh fallen snow on the mountains.” The Prologue will spell out “Honda” in the center of the light bar in a new typeface for its rear badging, instead of adorning a simple “H.” It’s joined by Honda’s new “e:” branded badge above the “AWD” label on the tailgate.
Special Lease Offer On A… CR-V?
Honda also has announced that it plans to encourage the sale of its electrified CR-V and future Accord and Civic hybrids. Company research has shown that “hybrid-electric customers are among the first to move into full-electric products.” If Honda can get more people in its hybrids today, then it seems more likely buyers will eventually adopt a fully electric vehicle from Honda in the future, like at the end of their lease term.
The Prologue is planned to go on sale within two years in 2024, so any short new leases signed today will begin to expire. With that in mind, Honda has announced a new special short-term two-year leasing offer on the hybrid CR-V model “in ZEV states” when it goes on sale this fall.
Although Honda doesn’t detail which states specifically, ZEV states are generally considered to include: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington, and sometimes Washington, D.C.
Those interested in updates about the Prologue’s development and imminent rollout can sign up for updates on Honda’s website.
2024 Honda Prologue EV SUV Shows Its GM Roots
We knew Honda’s electric crossover would use GM’s Ultium battery packs, and a prototype in these new photos has similar proportions as the Chevy Blazer EV.
- The 2024 Honda Prologue looks similar to the Chevy Blazer EV in these various photos of prototypes and styling bucks.
- We already knew the Honda EV would use GM’s Ultium battery packs.
- The Prologue will go on sale starting in early 2024.
The 2024 Honda Prologue is starting to take shape, and that shape is curiously similar to the recently revealed Chevy Blazer EV’s. Spy photos of a Prologue prototype, plus a new video that shows a styling buck of the new EV SUV, show that the Honda has similar proportions as the Chevy and will likely occupy the same mid-size crossover category when it launches in 2024.
We already knew, of course, that Honda was collaborating with GM for for this upcoming model, as the two companies already announced that the Prologue and the upcoming Acura electric SUV would use GM’s Ultium battery packs.
These new images suggest that the similarities go deeper than just the powertrain, as the Prologue prototype has the same stance as the Blazer, with a long wheelbase, short overhangs, and a similar side profile. The Honda does appear to have distinct front- and rear-end styling, and we think its interior will be somewhat different from the Chevy’s as well.
The Prologues seen here are not the final production versions, meaning that the look could end up being more different than the Blazer’s once the headlight and taillight designs, along with other details such as wheels and trim pieces, are finalized. Honda has also previously showed a sketch of the Prologue previewing its styling as somewhat more rugged than the sporty-looking Blazer.
Given the apparent overlap between the two vehicles, recently released specifications for the Chevy may give us a good idea of what to expect from the Prologue in terms of power output and driving range. We’re not sure if the Honda will offer as wide of a range of configurations, however, as the Blazer will come in front-, rear-, and all-wheel-drive configurations with either single- or dual-motor setups.
The high-performance Blazer SS claims 557 horsepower (Chevy has yet to release power numbers for the lesser configurations), and range estimates span from 247 miles at the lowest to 320 miles in the highest.
Honda says that the Prologue won’t go on sale until calendar-year 2024, while the Blazer is scheduled to arrive in 2023. We’ll likely have to wait quite a while for full specifications on the Prologue, by which point this new Honda entrant into the EV crossover space will likely face a wide range of competitors.
2024 Honda Prologue Starting at $45,000 est
Overview
The 2024 Prologue SUV, Honda’s second attempt at an EV after the ill-fated Clarity sedan, appears to be on track. This time around, the company’s efforts promise to be competitive thanks to a joint development agreement with General Motors. Some details are still hazy, such as the powertrain and driving range, but now that Honda has released official images we can see Prologue’s styling and interior appointments, and get a sense of its overall size. It will sit above the CR-V in the Honda lineup and is similar in dimensions to the mid-size Passport.
The exterior design is handsomely understated. The Prologue pictured sports 21-inch wheels, a panoramic sunroof, and simple LED lighting elements. Inside, it pulls design cues from other Honda models, including an upright tablet-style infotainment display, a streamlined dashboard design, and a clutter-free center console.
The Prologue will ride on a platform developed jointly with General Motors; it will use versions of the Ultium battery packs already powering GM’s new EVs, including the Blazer EV—with which the Prologue appears to share components. If the Blazer’s specifications are any indication, expect a driving range of around 250–320 miles per charge depending on the configuration. Honda’s Acura luxury brand is also expected to offer a version of the Prologue, which is likely to bear the name ZDX.
What’s New for 2024?
The Prologue is on track for a 2024 on-sale date, so we expect to learn more about the new model in the coming months.
Pricing and Which One to Buy
Honda hasn’t released information about the Prologue’s pricing or trim levels yet, but we expect the new model to start around $45,000 and go up from there. Honda’s traditional LX, EX, EX-L, and Touring trim levels are likely to make an appearance here, but we won’t know which one will represent the best value until those details are released.
Interior, Comfort, and Cargo
While there are clues to the Prologue’s Chevrolet roots in the interior, Honda has done well to infuse the cabin with a design that looks recognizable as one of its own. Its simplified dashboard design has none of the flourishes we can see in the Blazer EV, neither the Chevy’s round vents, brightly colored surfaces, nor tilted infotainment display.
Instead, the Honda’s layout mirrors that of the Civic compact sedan and Passport SUV, with a clutter-free design rendered in muted tones. Honda says the Prologue’s wheelbase is 8.0-inches longer than the CR-V’s and that the EV model is 5.0-inches wider too, so we’re expecting a roomier cabin with additional space for cargo.
Infotainment and Connectivity
Standing tall and proud in the middle of the Prologue’s dashboard is an 11.3-inch infotainment touchscreen. We aren’t sure if the system will run a version of Honda’s latest software interface or if it will switch to a reskinned version of GM’s Google-based system. In either case, we expect features such as wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, in-dash navigation, a Wi-Fi hotspot, and a wireless smartphone charging pad to be available.
The 11.0-inch digital gauge display shown in the photos is also likely to be standard. From photos, we can see a Bose stereo system with tweeter speakers in the Prologue’s A-pillars, but we expect a non-branded stereo with fewer speakers to be the base offering.
Warranty and Maintenance Coverage
The Prologue will come with the same warranty that’s standard on all other new Honda models, which is similar to other electric SUVs from mainstream automakers. Honda’s usual coverage package also includes two years of complimentary scheduled maintenance as a bonus.
- Limited warranty covers three years or 36,000 miles
- Powertrain warranty covers five years or 60,000 miles
- Complimentary scheduled maintenance is expected to be covered for two years or 24,000 miles