Modern, Sleek, & Muscular: 2016 Honda Pilot SUV
The all-new 2016 Honda Pilot SUV, with seating up to eight passengers is the flagship in an expanded lineup of innovative, benchmark-setting Honda SUVs. It is the third generation of Honda's popular three-row SUV to be designed, developed and manufactured in America. Reengineered from the ground up, virtually every aspect of the 2016 Pilot has been thoroughly redesigned to better accommodate the needs of all its occupants – the driver and all passengers – delivering more family-friendly utility, more advanced technology, and more premium attributes and amenities than ever before. The all-new design of the 2016 Pilot sports a modern, sleek, yet commanding and muscular form incorporating new premium features, including standard LED taillights, and available features such as LED projector headlights, LED daytime running lights, 20-inch wheels and first-ever panoramic glass roof.
Available in LX, EX, EX-L, Touring and Elite trim levels, the 2016 Pilot also ups the ante for premium refinement with major upgrades to interior quality and more standard comfort and convenience features on all trims, along with the addition of a new, line-topping Elite version that offers a series of Honda-first features including 20-inch wheels and tires, ventilated front seats, heated second-row seats, a heated steering wheel, a first-ever panoramic glass roof and many other luxury features.
Power for the 2016 Honda Pilot is generated by a new engine from Honda's EarthDreams® Technology powertrain series – a direct-injected 3.5L i-VTEC® V-6 engine with Variable Cylinder Management™ (VCM®). Torque for LX, EX and EX-L trim levels is communicated to the pavement through a new six-speed automatic transmission. Touring and Elite are equipped with a new advanced nine-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters and Shift-By-Wire technology. The automaker’s class-defining all-new intelligent variable torque management (i-VTM4™) AWD system with Intelligent Traction Management and torque vectoring capability is an available option. (N/A LX)
The 2016 Pilot also adopts the next generation of Honda's Advanced Compatibility Engineering™ (ACE™) body structure along with a new "3-bone" underbody frame design and new hot-stamped ultra-high strength steel door rings. Taken together, these engineering features and technologies deliver major gains to the Pilot's collision avoidance and collision protection capabilities.
Inside the passenger cabin, designers have applied high quality, soft-touch materials throughout the cabin and added thoughtful details such as LED map lighting. Additional high-end amenities include a standard 4.2-inch color display, available heated and ventilated front seats, a heated steering wheel and heated second-row seats. For the first time, the top-of-the-line Elite trim includes second-row captain's chairs, providing for easy walk through between the second and third rows for a 7-passenger configuration, in addition to the standard second-row three-person 60/40 split seat for 8-passenger seating capacity.
The new Pilot delivers the connectivity and power access that modern families demand, including up to five USB ports, four that provide better recharging with 2.5-amp output – fully adequate to charge iPads or smartphones while they're in use. Additional available ports and plugs include an auxiliary jack for nearly any audio player, an HDMI port for a gaming console or other similarly connected device, two headphone jacks, and up to three 12-volt power outlets and a 115-volt AC outlet to power a range of compatible devices.
The Pilot's new center console features a cavernous storage compartment capable of accommodating items as large as a full-size iPad or a purse. And with its seamless cover in the closed position, the console provides a convenient, non-slip surface for items that the driver or front passenger may need close at hand.
The new Pilot builds on its reputation for versatility and utility with 3.5 inches of added overall vehicle length, enabling an inch longer tandem seating distance and a 1.3-inch longer cargo area that can hold an 82-quart cooler without compromising third-row seating capability. Third-row entry and exit is made even easier and more intuitive courtesy of the new available one-touch second-row seat on EX-L and above models, and larger third-row entryway. Compared with the current Pilot, the width of the lower portion of the third-row lower entryway has been increased by 2.5 inches with an inch lower step-over height.
Dimensions & specifications
Wheelbase: 111.0; overall length: 194.5; width: 78.6; height: 69.8
All vehicle measurements are in inches.
Engine: 3.5L V6 – 280 hp at 6,000 rpm and 262 lbs-ft of torque at 4,700 rpm.
Transmission: six-speed automatic, nine-speed automatic
EPA Fuel Economy: 6-speed automatic – 19 city/27 hwy. (2WD), 18 city/26 hwy. (AWD); 9-speed automatic – 20 city/27 hwy. (2WD), 19 city/26 hwy. (AWD).
Cargo capacity: 109.0 cubic feet
Towing capacity: 5,000 lbs.
Safety features
Dual front airbags, front seat mounted side-impact airbags, dual three-row side curtain airbags with rollover sensor, four-wheel disc brakes with anti-lock, electronic brake distribution, brake assist, vehicle stability assist, traction control, multi-angle rear view camera, daytime running lights, tire pressure monitoring system with tire fill assist, LED brake lights, remote keyless entry, security system, push button engine start, and Bluetooth hands-free phone system. EX adds LED daytime running lights, Honda LaneWatch, automatic headlamps, Smart Entry system, fog lights, HomeLink Remote system, and HondaLink next generation. Touring adds collision mitigation braking system, road departure mitigation system, forward collision warning, lane departure warning, lane keeping assist system, adaptive cruise control, and navigation system. Elite adds automatic high beam headlights, automatic LED headlights, and blind spot information system with cross traffic monitor.
Warranty
Basic: 3-year/36,000 mile Bumper-to-bumper
Powertrain: 5-year/60,000 mile
Corrosion: 5-year/unlimited
Pricing
The base Manufacturers Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) for the 2016 Honda Pilot SUV starts from $29,995 for the LX (2WD) upto $46,420 for the Elite (AWD) with navigation and rear entertainment system. Destination charges add $900.