In the first year the new Pilot was offered Honda sold more units than it did in any of the previous 10 years. However, in 2016 the sales dropped mostly because it now faces a lot of competition. In order to get back at the top of its class, an update is expected quite soon. The 2018 Honda Pilot should not only solve most of the car’s current issues but also add a few new features as well. This is not going to be an all new car though. The new Pilot is still going to use the same platform as before while most of the interior will definitely remain identical to the one before it. One of the largest issues with the current car has been the way it looks. Honda moved from a rather bulky looking crossover to something that resembles a minivan with a slightly higher ground clearance.
For the 2018 model Honda is expected to adjust the car’s exterior to look a bit more like an SUV but more on that later. The NVH levels have been quite good but the car didn’t excel at it. Also, the Pilot lacked the driving capabilities of some of its competing models. In order to change that Honda might revise the suspension system and also add better tires. The current model gets 245 section tires on either 18 or 20 inch rims which are both aimed at low noise and decent fuel consumption. The 2018 Honda Pilot might not only get wider tires on some of its models but it should also get a better compound for them. This will mean better braking distances and better overall grip with the expense of fuel consumption.
Source: motor1.com
2018 Honda Pilot Price and Release date
Regarding the regular model, the price will most likely go a little up. This kind of refresh always brings changes which merit that small increase in price. This would make 2018 come at the cost of $31,000 for the base FWD LX trim; the EX trim would go for $33,500; the EX-L $37,000; and the Touring version for estimated price of $42,500. If you have needs or desires to add AWD, it will cost you additional $1800 on each trim. The top tier trim called Elite which will as usually come only with AWD will cost you in excess around $48,000. The good news in terms of the price come with short wheelbase Pilot which will, thanks to its reduction in size come at a lower price. At this time we don’t have exact information just how much will this alteration be priced but as soon as we find out we will give you an update. Logically it will go under the entry price that stands at $31,000. Good news from Honda.
With all this talk about shortening the wheelbase (more about it bellow in the article), Honda released something that can be described as a part of the release date. They announced that the start of production for a short-wheelbase 2018 Honda Pilot is scheduled for September of 2018. The vehicle will be made in Alabama where Japanese manufacturer has an assembly plant. This info means that the model will most likely be presented during this year. Late autumn months or early winter sound reasonably. Considering the popularity that CR-V and other Honda models have in the States one of the North American auto shows could be the place where we will see all of the installments of new Pilot.
Interior Design
The current car offers plenty of space as well as great materials for this class. However, the infotainment system, and most on the controls on the center stack, are not as good as they should. For starters Honda decided to use touch-based controls. Not only they don’t offer any kind of feedback but it might prove to be quite hard to find them while driving. In order to change that it seems the 2018 Honda Pilot could get a revised center stack. This would get an easier to use layout, physical buttons for all the usual controls as well as a new infotainment system with a volume knob and possible a couple more buttons. All of these should make it not only easier to use but also safer.
Source: motor1.com
2018 Pilot Changes
It is safe to assume not much will change about the appearance of the Pilot. The car has been released just a couple of years back and it still is one of Honda’s better looking cars. Despite that we did say Honda might give it a small update. We actually expect the 2018 Pilot to receive one or more trim levels which will give it a slightly beefier look. This is a well known tactic in the automotive world and it should allow them to better compete in its market segment. The beefier look might be achieved with the help of a slightly taller suspension, redesigned front and rear bumpers as well as unique rims and color schemes. Even though nothing is official at this point, the Pilot could really use this kind of update.
Another option of design changes on 2018 Pilot comes in the form of a model which will feature a shorter wheelbase. In addition, it will have two-row seating layout. This alteration would be a huge change compared to the current model which is offered exclusively as a three-row SUV. Reducing the numbers of seats would make the Pilot affordable to many buyers that wanted it before just not in its regular size. This move was made earlier by many automakers, most notably by Hyundai with its Santa Fe and Honda could now do just that. This would position new short-wheelbase Pilot in between the mid-size CR-V and regular Pilot.
Source: motor1.com
Under the hood of Honda Pilot
The car’s current 3.5 liter V6 will be carried over unchanged to the 2018 Honda Pilot. It will continue to make 280 horsepower and 262 lb-ft of torque which is around the average of its class. The 3.5 liter engine is also quite fuel efficient and it has already proven its reliability. The transmission on the other hand might get replaced. The current Pilot gets either a 6 speed automatic on the base model or a 9 speed unit on the higher end versions. Honda might ditch the 6 speed altogether and replace it with the 9 speed unit on their entry level cars. The higher end models on the other hand would receive Honda’s brand new 10 speed automatic. This is a gearbox developed and built by Honda, so it perfectly suits their needs. The only unknown factor is how much weight it could tow but we are sure Honda will give it a close rating to the ZF 9 speed automatic.
