First all-electric SUV from Honda
Roseville, Calif.- Although Honda has been developing electric vehicles for three decades, the Japanese automaker altered its strategy along the way toward hybrids and has rarely produced true EVs.
So it came as a mild surprise this year when it introduced the all-new 2024 Honda Prologue, the company's first all-electric SUV. Honda has plans to make up for lost time. It boldly says the goal is producing more than two million EVs annually by 2030. If that's the case, we suggest Honda get busy – really quick.
Off to a promising start
The Prologue is a five-passenger all-electric midsize SUV that is several inches longer than the midsize Passport. Note that the Prologue has more of a compact feel because it sits about 7 inches shorter in height than the Passport.
Honda previously produced several EVs, most notably the Fit, which was available as an EV, hybrid and gas-powered subcompact sedan. It was a popular car for over a decade, but sales dropped 19 percent in 2020 and the Fit was discontinued. The company also had an abbreviated history with the Honda Clarity, an EV that used a hydrogen fuel cell as its main power source. It was released in 2017 and gone by 2021 due to meager sales and a high starting price of $71,200.
Honda is off to a promising start with the Prologue, with expectations sales will rival two of their SUVS (Passport, Pilot). The Prologue's third quarter sales reached 12,644, second behind the Ford Mustang Mach-E (13,392) among non-Tesla EVs in the U.S.
It's obvious people are excited about Honda's new EV. At least a half dozen curious people stopped to ask us about the Prologue, which was a beautiful color that Honda calls North Shore Pearl. Designed by an LA-based team, the Prologue exterior looks both sporty and rugged. It shares the same platform as the newly released Chevrolet Blazer EV, its sibling.
Performance disappointment
There is some disappointment with the Prologue's performance. The single-motor powertrain is a standard front-wheel drive SUV that generates 212 horsepower and 236 pound-feet of torque. It travels 0-60 mph in 6.6 seconds. If more power is the goal, there's also a dual-motor all-wheel drive that produces 288 horsepower and 333 pound-feet of torque with a clocking of 0-60 mph in 5.9 seconds.
The Prologue comes with an 85kWh battery and a range that varies from 273 to 296 miles before a charge is required. The Prologue goes from 20% to 80% in 35 minutes on a DC fast-charger. Honda says it gets 91-107 MPGe.
The ride is smooth and comfortable. Standard driver safety features include forward-collision warning, pedestrian detection, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assistance, blind-spot warning with steering assistance, and adaptive cruise control.
AT A GLANCE – 2024 HONDA PROLOGUE
- Performance: single-motor, 212 horsepower; dual-motor, 288 horsepower
- Mileage estimate: 91-107 MPGe
- Price estimate: $47,500 to $57,900
- Warranty: 3 years/36,000 miles; Drivetrain: 5 years/60,000 miles; Roadside assistance: 3 years/36,000; Corrosion: 5 years/unlimited; Battery 8 years/100,000 miles
A Look Inside
The Prologue interior has received some criticism, with its detractors saying the General Motors (Chevy) influence has the SUV being more GM-like and less Honda influence. The layout is not complicated and features physical buttons and knobs for climate and audio controls, yet the majority of the settings require using the 11.3-inch touchscreen. We didn't care for the Prologue's low roofline that hinders visibility.
The EV offers a Google-based infotainment system and has a helpful voice-controlled virtual assistant. The Prologue has a standard wireless smartphone charging pad and wireless connectivity for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration.
The seating is roomy and comfortable in both rows and the cargo area is 23.7 cubic feet behind the second row and increases to 57.7 cubes with the seats folded down.
It appears the 2024 Honda Prologue will be universally embraced and provide a good kickstart to the future of the company's EV journey.