Honda launches 2 8-seaters: Honda pilot

MANILA, Philippines - So you’ve become a pretty successful guy. You’ve blown out a half-a-million peso hole in your wallet for a new IWC pilot’s watch after the renovations were done on your Forbes Park mansion. What’s next? Well, if you’ve some P 2.6-million in loose change stashed somewhere, why don’t you reward yourself with a fancy new crossover. Mind you, it can’t simply be any ordinary crossover; it has to be as adventurous, smart, and versatile as you are. In other words, it’s got to be the second-generation Honda Pilot.

If the name seems familiar, it’s because the Honda Pilot has been a huge critical and sales success in North America. Although its success wasn’t carried over to the Philippines, the Pilot nonetheless paved the way for some important brand building: Honda is moving the brand upmarket. And it’s facing some pretty stiff competition not just from its fellow Japanese brands but from the American as well as some European makes as well. So what does the Pilot have to offer that makes it stand out from the crowd? Well, it’s best described through the Pilot’s design ethos which is “Intelligent Family Adventure.”

Outside, the Pilot is distinctively and decisively boxy. The bold exterior features an interesting front fascia with squared-off headlamps and Honda’s trademark three-bar grille. More than just being extraordinary, the Pilot’s sheet metal is designed to make it as efficient as possible. The front air dam for instance, is shaped to cut the wind better, resulting in less air drag and improved fuel economy. The formal two-box design assures that all three rows of seats get ample room, while the two-piece tailgate (with separately opening glass) makes for easy loading of items. For those who enjoy the great outdoors, the Pilot comes standard with functional roof rails and a hidden tow hitch (maximum towing capacity is 2,045 kg). The Pilot rides on a set of high-contrast 17-inch alloys with 245/65R17 tires and is available in three colors: Taffeta White, Crystal Black, and Dark Amber.

Inside, the Honda Pilot is designed to be as refined and intuitive as possible. The color scheme is unified with less contrast between panels for a very upscale look. The seats (power adjustment for the front row) and steering wheel are finished with high-quality leather while a gloss-black finish surrounding the audio controls draws the eye to the high-tech center stack. Here, Hondas’s i-MID or Intelligent Multi-Information Display is housed. It incorporates an 8-inch QVGA screen which displays a wide variety of information from trip/fuel economy to song/track information of your USB or iPod. It also shows information when the Bluetooth HandsFreeLink is operational and doubles as the display for the Pilot’s standard rear parking camera.

And befitting a luxury crossover, the Pilot comes with a fully-featured entertainment system with CD/MP3 operation as well as full iPod compatibility and Bluetooth audio streaming. The Pilot also boasts of an internal 2GB of internal flash memory which “rips” CDs allowing it to store up to 18 albums without the need for external software or computers. The sound comes out of a high-fidelity 7-speaker audio system.

Beyond the high-tech toys, the Pilot also has more “traditional” luxury features such as a roomy cabin (according to Honda, the roomiest in its segment), a power moon roof, auto on/off halogen headlamps, cruise control, and proximity sensors for both front and back. Engineers have also worked to give the Pilot a quiet cabin by introducing enhanced body seam seals, re-tuned rear suspension sub-frame mounts, enhanced pillar separators, improved insulation materials, and even employing an acoustic glass for the windshield.

Honda deems it important to employ a drivetrain to match the Pilot’s bold exterior and luxurious interior. To this end, they turned to the 3.5-liter V6 first introduced in the Accord. However improvements have been made to improve fuel efficiency including the application of a plateau-honed engine block, low-friction piston treatments, ion-plated piston rings, and the use of low-friction motor oil. These improvements together with the Variable Cylinder Management (VCM) and i-VTEC technology promise best-in-class fuel economy while delivering 257 horsepower and 35.4 kg-m of torque. All this power is transferred through Honda’s VTM-4 variable all-wheel drive system with a locking differential.

In the realm of safety, the Honda Pilot features Honda’s Advanced Compatibility Engineering (ACE) body structure along with the standard array of six airbags, ABS, Brake Assist, and Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA).

With a price tag of P 2.6-million, it’s clear that this Honda isn’t for every Juan Dela Cruz. However, the Pilot offers a truly intelligent, bold, and unique choice in the luxury crossover segment—adjectives which surely tickle the right set of buyers. Honda has brought its A-game with the launch of the Pilot and it offers true 8-seater comfort and luxury along with everything else the brand is known for: fun-to-drive, practical, and earth-friendly. So before settling with ubiquity, try something a bit left-field. Try the Honda Pilot. Who knows, it may just match your new half-million peso watch.