Honda is finally ready to enter the global electric vehicle market with its first fully electric SUV, the Honda Prologue. The Prologue, which will be available in early 2024, promises to deliver a stylish, sporty, and spacious driving experience with an anticipated EPA range rating of 300 miles. The Prologue is also the result of a collaboration between Honda and General Motors, as it uses the latter’s Ultium battery technology and platform. Here’s what you need to know about the Honda Prologue, the first global EV from the Japanese firm.
Design and Features
The Honda Prologue has a neo-rugged design concept that combines simple and clean lines with muscular and robust proportions. The exterior features LED headlights and taillights, a darkened strip between the rear lamps, a panoramic sunroof, and 21-inch aluminum alloy wheels on the Elite trim. The interior offers a spacious and tech-rich cabin with over 136.9 cubic feet of room, leather-trimmed seats, a Bose premium 12-speaker audio system, and an 11.3-inch center display that supports Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and Google built-in.
The Honda Prologue also comes with a range of advanced safety and driver-assist features, such as blind zone steering assist, parking assist, adaptive cruise control, lane keeping assist, collision mitigation braking system, and road departure mitigation system. The Prologue will be available in three trim levels: EX, Touring, and Elite, with either front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive configurations.
Performance and Range
The Honda Prologue is powered by an Ultium battery pack that has a capacity of 85 kWh. The front-wheel drive version has a single electric motor that produces around 210 horsepower, while the all-wheel drive version has two electric motors that deliver a combined output of 288 horsepower. Honda claims that the Prologue will have an anticipated EPA range rating of 300 miles on a single charge, which is comparable to other midsize electric SUVs such as the Volkswagen ID.4 and the Ford Mustang Mach-E.
The Honda Prologue also supports fast charging via a high-speed DC system that can provide approximately 65 miles of range after 10 minutes of charging. Additionally, Honda offers various charging solutions for its customers, such as discounts on home chargers, free AC cord-sets, public charging credits, and a smart charging system that optimizes the charging time and cost.
Price and Availability
Honda has not revealed the exact price of the Prologue yet, but it has said that it will start in the upper $40,000 range. This means the Honda Prologue will be more affordable than some competitors, such as the Tesla Model Y and the Kia EV9. However, it will also face stiff competition from other electric SUVs that are priced similarly or lower, such as the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and the Fisker Ocean.
The Honda Prologue will be available for buyers to order by the end of 2023, with the first deliveries scheduled for early 2024. The Prologue will be manufactured at GM’s Spring Hill plant in Tennessee, where GM also produces its own electric vehicles based on the Ultium platform. The Prologue is part of Honda’s electrification strategy, which aims to achieve 100% zero-emissions vehicle sales by 2040.
Conclusion
The Honda Prologue is an important step for Honda to enter the global electric vehicle market and to catch up with its rivals. The Prologue offers a compelling package of design, features, performance, range, and price that should appeal to many customers who are looking for a sustainable and enjoyable driving experience. The Prologue also showcases the collaboration between Honda and GM, which could lead to more innovative products in the future. The Honda Prologue is not just an electric SUV; it is a prologue to Honda’s electric future.
