Honda’s first mainstream electric vehicle in the U.S. will offer 288 horsepower (in some trims). It will offer around 300 miles of range (in other trims). And it’s not entirely a Honda.
The 2024 Honda Prologue is a midsize, all-electric SUV and Honda’s first electric vehicle in the U.S. It will likely be a good choice for longtime Honda loyalists looking for a way to go electric with a car that feels familiar. But the car is curiously less Honda than it might appear.
Honda says it will start “in the upper $40,000s, before the application of any government incentives or tax credits.”
Built on a GM Platform
The Prologue is a midsize SUV — a little larger than a CR-V and smaller than a Pilot — built on GM’s Ultium architecture thanks to a partnership that gives Honda a shortcut to electric vehicles (EVs). The company is developing its own EV platform but plans to use GM parts for the Prologue and its Acura ZDX luxury sibling.
Honda plans to offer it with a choice of two powertrains. In what has become a common move, it has offered just a few details on each, emphasizing their strengths. That can obscure what the car is actually capable of.
Honda says it “will offer Prologue in both single-motor (front-wheel-drive) and dual-motor (all-wheel-drive) configurations with three trim levels — EX, Touring, and Elite.”
Partial Performance Details for Now
The SUV will offer a range of up to 300 miles in FWD EX form, Honda says. It doesn’t offer driving range estimates on any other versions.
“Prologue’s 85kWh lithium-ion battery pack can recharge 65 miles of range in about 10 minutes,” Honda says, connected to a public DC fast charger of the type often found along highways.
Horsepower will push as high as 288 in AWD form, but Honda lists power for the FWD models as “TBA.”
Suspension is a multilink setup both front and rear, which bodes well for a comfortable, responsive ride.
Uncluttered Look Inside and Out
What we can know for certain is how it looks — an attractive but simple shape, curvier than most current SUV design trends. You could be forgiven for thinking it was a future Audi.
Early photos show it riding on big 21-inch wheels that make it look sleek, but those will be an added-cost option.
The cabin looks like exactly what it is — a mix of GM and Honda parts. Honda’s high-mounted central touchscreen is here (11.3 inches this time) next to an 11-inch driver’s instrument screen. But they sit mounted above HVAC switchgear from GM vehicles.
One key difference, though, stands out — the cabin “features standard Google built-in plus wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility.” GM has promised to remove the popular phone mirroring systems from its EVs.
Designers have emphasized an open, airy feeling. A flat floor (EVs have no transmission hump down the center of the cabin) and a shifter mounted on the steering column leave room for a spacious center console with storage space beneath.
Many Automakers Going Electric in the Same Way
To make the purchase more convenient, Honda dealers will include a Level 2 home charger and part or all of the installation costs in the vehicle’s financing.
Most automakers have chosen to enter the EV market with a midsize SUV priced around $40,000. So the Prologue will compete with entries like the Ford Mustang Mach-E, Kia EV6, and the Chevy Blazer EV, with which it shares many parts. But it will bring an upscale look and Honda’s sterling reputation to the contest.
