Piloting the Honda Pilot

It’s about freakin’ time!

Honda fans all over this archipelago have had to live with the fact that their vehicles of choice have thus far been relegated to taking the battle to their competitors on a rather scaled down level. True, we’ve got the Honda Jazz (which has been kicking butt in the hatchback class), the Honda City (which has held its own in the compact sedan category), the Honda Civic (which is lording it over the small sedan category), the Honda Accord (which has a substantial amount of the mid size sedan market locked in) and the Honda CRV (which has always been a class leader). But seriously, in this SUV-crazy archipelago, Honda fans have always been looking for alternatives to midsize favorites like the Pajero and the Trooper. Well, the waiting, dear readers, is finally over.

Come November, Honda Cars Philippines is bringing into the country its first batch of Honda Pilots. As early as the second week of October, however, they’d already decided to give first dibs on their impressive new midsize SUV to The STAR — and to you, our readers. So, thankful for the opportunity, and before anyone else in the broadsheet world could get behind the wheel of the brand new SUV, we gamely took the only unit of the Honda Pilot in the country at the moment and drove it all the way to Batangas for a day-long test drive and shoot. Here’s what we found out.

First, the multi-awarded SUV is hitting Philippine shores before it does any other Asian market — including Japan. The popularity of the SUV in this country prompted Honda’ global executives to actually test the waters here. Since the Philippines is the first country to have access to the Honda Pilot outside of the United States, no other country can claim to have a steady supply of legitimately acquired Honda Pilots — period. This should instantly add to the exclusivity of the Pilot — and to its perceived value.

Next, since the Honda Pilot was originally intended solely for the US market, it’s got an entire slew of safety and technology features that the stringent American requirements dictate. The good thing is that we’re getting Completely Built Up (CBU) units and will thus have access to all the safety goodies American Pilot owners are entitled to.

On the active safety front, for example, the four-wheel drive capability of the Honda Pilot is taken to the next level by Honda’s Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA) system. What this system does is adjust brake pressure and engine power to help correct over- and under-steer. The system is so advanced that it actually integrates traction control to monitor wheel slip while the vehicle is accelerating or turning — regardless of the surface. As for the braking system, the now-standard Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) with Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD) is further enhanced by a Brake Assist (BA) system that ensures the vehicle’s full braking potential is achieved by its driver in a panic situation.

As for passive safety, well, if airbags all the way to the third row (albeit on the side) weren’t enough, perhaps an intelligent airbag deployment system can help reassure the Pilot buyer. With the Pilot’s Occupant Position Detection System (OPDS), airbag deployment is monitored to the point where the system is actually cut off in instances where it would be unsafe for the airbag to be deployed. It’s so smart that it almost drove this writer and contributor/photographer James Deakin nuts. We actually wanted to test the darn thing!

When it was finally time to drive and ride the Honda Pilot, this writer took turns with Deakin and fellow contributor/photographer Ayvi Cruz is traversing the first to third rows of the vehicle. While the first two provided ample comfort and legroom, the third row felt a bit cramped. Either way, the rich and tasteful leather upholstery impressed us all. As did little goodies like the Pilot’s Synchronized Automatic Climate Control for both front and rear passengers, a nifty digital compass located on the rearview mirror and insane amounts of storage and cupholders (we love those darn things!).

What impressed this writer most, however, was the way the vehicle drove. Honda’s impressive Drive-By-Wire throttle system (the same found in the Accord) factored in various data such as engine rpm, coolant temperature and road speed to provide some pretty seamless shifting en route to our Batangas destination and back. A Grade Logic Control system further helped by recognizing the potential for "gear hunting" and adjusting the shift schedule accordingly. Basically, the system studies your driving habits to help keep your shifting frequency to a minimum, thereby providing a gentler and smoother ride. Twice, on separate occasions, both Deakin and I tried to induce shift shock by flooring the gas pedal. We were unsuccessful both times, if you must know, happily unsuccessful.

And, perhaps because of the vehicle’s size and weight, but moreso perhaps because of the fully independent McPherson front and multi-link rear suspension system, the ride felt relatively sedate, especially considering the vehicle’s height (209 mm ground clearance). As Deakin himself so astutely pointed out, "That CRV suddenly felt so pedestrian!" The Honda Pilot’s 3.5-liter SOHC V6 showed enough punch to be quite the agile overtaker but did not seem too eager to provide copious amounts of horsepower, however. Bottom line, we all felt it was as comfortable inside as it could possibly get in a midsize SUV — speed notwithstanding.

At P2.6 million, the Honda Pilot does not exactly invite the frugal buyer into its fold. But, as Honda Cars Philippines president Takashi Sekiguchi pointed out over dinner a few days after the shoot, the Honda Pilot is actually being introduced to the Philippines to reach out to thus far untapped market. It’s a full P1 million more expensive than Honda’s flagship passenger car — the 3.0L Accord. But it really is meant to round out that Honda vision of conquering new markets. And achieving that, perhaps, is proof of the power of Honda’s own dreams.