Whereas the electrical automobile (EV) emergence has slowed a bit, there nonetheless stay many new entries into the EV discipline which are fairly intriguing and welcomed, comparable to the brand new Honda Prologue. Honda’s new foray into the EV discipline is on the serving to hand of Normal Motors by using their Ultium platform, the place the brand new Honda Prologue we’ve got this week is closely based mostly on the Chevrolet Blazer EV. Such collaborations between automakers are nothing new, and it appears the joint efforts of Chevrolet and Honda have paid off effectively after we’ve got per week with the brand new Honda Prologue bringing a simplistic strategy to a good electrified crossover.
On the surface there’s quite a bit to love visually as Honda has their hand on a handsome design aesthetic and coloration selections, such because the teal-looking North Shore Pearl paint on my check automobile. Driving round city there have been loads of head turns and questions requested of me when parking at native shops in regards to the Prologue and if it was electrical. Some knew, and others might have mistaken it for a brand new Land Rover, based mostly on a fast look on the rear. Both means, Honda did the outside justice.
Efficiency and Driving Character
Newly launched as a recent face within the Honda lineup is the brand new Prologue, a completely electrical crossover that beneath reveals its Chevrolet Blazer EV fundamentals, which isn’t essentially a foul factor. These fundamentals are principally respectable within the top-trim Prologue AWD Elite having a twin motor setup for all-wheel-drive touting a complete of 288 horsepower and 333 lb-ft of torque. That energy feels satisfactory most often due to the instantaneous torque, which finally provides you a notion of the automobile being faster than it truly is. Zero to 60 mph takes place in about 6 seconds flat whereas most won’t go wanting for added energy.
Experience high quality is fairly good, significantly better than one thing just like the Ford Mustang Mach-E, whilst you’re handled to an eerily quiet cabin. Out on the highway, the Prologue AWD Elite is surefooted and feels principally hunkered down, which is partly a attribute of its meaty 275/45R-21-inch Bridgestone Alenza tires wrapping the cheeky-styled 21-inch aluminum wheels. Right here, there appears to be quite a lot of tire making contact with the highway, probably making a bit of additional rolling resistance than opponents. Such resistance might price some vary, whereas the Prologue AWD Elite has a spread of 273 miles at a full cost. Throughout my exams all week lengthy that vary determine gave the impression to be spot on for utilizing native highways. Nevertheless, metropolis driving appeared to significantly prolong the vary the place I used to be on tempo to get as a lot as 290 miles out of a cost.
EPA estimates for electrical consumption come to 99 MPGe metropolis (2.94 miles per kWh), 84 MPGe freeway (2.49 miles per kWH), and 92 MPGe mixed (2.73 miles per kWh). The battery, the identical 85-kWh Ultium pack discovered within the Chevrolet Blazer EV, maxes out at a cost charge of 155 kW when utilizing a 350 kW DC quick charging stall. Thoughts you, utilizing a 150 kW DC quick charger you gained’t get a cost charge anyplace close to 150 kW, so it’s greatest to make use of a 350 kW feed. Charging up utilizing that 350 kW provides you with 85 miles of vitality in quarter-hour and as a lot as 128 miles added to the vary in half-hour.
Inside and Expertise
You possibly can’t get round the truth that the Honda Prologue makes use of quite a lot of Chevrolet content material, which makes a good play on the Prologue being reasonably simplistic in its strategy to inside content material and its structure. There’s nothing that’s actually evident or misplaced inside the brand new Prologue, whereas the seating areas are spacious, and the facility entrance heated and ventilated seat changes make it straightforward to seek out an optimum place regardless of your measurement. The heavy use of the Chevrolet content material makes the Honda Prologue considerably of a complicated providing the place the one reminder that you simply’re in a Honda is the steering wheel brand, and perhaps the Prologue has Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration – one thing that GM is retaining out of its new EVs. It’s a reasonably attention-grabbing proposition, and a few might consider the Prologue because the Chevrolet Blazer EV however with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. I’m really severe as some cross-shoppers might take discover of such and go for the Prologue over the Chevy Blazer EV simply due to that further and extremely sought-after integration characteristic. Nevertheless, the simplicity of the inside house with the middle infotainment touchscreen mounted tall on the sprint considerably suits the Honda design and really feel. There are different welcoming points of the inside, comparable to the massive, rubberized middle console floor large enough to put a full-size iPad on or the comfort of larger-sized cupholders. Even the operation of the infotainment unit is reworked, taking an strategy to appease those that are accustomed to how Honda does issues.
General, the inside house is inviting and correctly suits the section for the Prologue. The one downside is the cargo house and the low visibility out of the quick rear window. Honda may have helped handle the visibility hinderance with a digital rearview digicam mirror system, however that’s really one thing that the Chevy Blazer EV affords that the Honda Prologue doesn’t together with a bit extra cargo room within the Blazer EV – Sure, there will probably be some intelligent selections made for these cross consumers! One factor to recollect, there’s no frunk (entrance trunk) so you need to make due with the rear cargo house or fold down the 60/40-split rear seat backs.
Security
Honda retains with the custom of bundling all options with every trim stage, with there being three ranges for the brand new Prologue, EX, Touring, and the Elite trim. Happily, all security options are bundled up in every trim aside from the entrance and rear park help, rear pedestrian alert, and the encompass imaginative and prescient system (360-degree digicam system) reserved for the Elite trim. In any other case, you get the everyday energetic security options of ahead collision alert, computerized emergency braking, entrance pedestrian braking, lane maintain help, adaptive cruise management, blind spot alert with steering help, lane change alert, rear cross-traffic alert with braking, and site visitors signal recognition.
Pricing
The brand new Honda Prologue begins at $47,400 for the bottom EX front-wheel-drive trim earlier than any charges or choices, which will get a spread of 296 miles or 281 miles when you go for the all-wheel-drive twin motor setup. Transferring as much as the Touring trim the pricing will begin at $51,700 after which $57,900 for the Elite trim, which solely is available in all-wheel-drive with my check automobile touchdown at $59,750 with its non-obligatory $455 paint and a vacation spot cost of $1,395.
