A New Pilot from Honda
Following in the tyre tracks of the new CR-V, another brand new sport-utility vehicle (SUV) will be introduced by Honda which it claims will “redefine the segment”. A pre-production version of the new model, to be called the Pilot, was unveiled at the North American International Auto Show yesterday and production will commence at Honda’s Canadian factory in the middle of this year.
Developed by Honda’s American R&D unit under the theme of the “Ultimate Family Adventure Vehicle’, the Pilot is Honda’s first full-sized SUV developed in-house. Until now, its larger SUVs have been re-badged versions of the Land Rover Discovery (sold as the Honda Crossroad in Japan only) and the Isuzu Frontera (Honda Passport in the USA only). The program with Land Rover was signed in the days when Honda had a share in Rover while the Isuzu deal was done at a time when Honda urgently needed a SUV for the US market and Isuzu needed a small sedan after it decided to stop developing such models. In the deal, Honda provided Isuzu the Domani sedan and Isuzu supplied Honda the Frontera and the Mu.
Big engine, advanced 4WD
Clearly aimed at the segment of larger SUVs, the Pilot will have a 3.5-litre, 24-valve, all-aluminum VTEC V-6 engine and 5-speed electronically controlled transmission mated to Honda’s VTM-4 (Variable Torque Management 4WD) full-time 4WD system. Employing sophisticated electronic sensing and control mechanisms, the VTM-4 system continuously monitors the vehicle’s dynamic condition and distributes engine torque between the front the rear wheels for optimal performance and control on dry, wet, icy or snow-covered roads. Presumably, this is unlike the CR-V’s system which runs in FWD most of the time unless there is wheel slippage. An electronically-locking rear differential feature allows for maximum front-to-rear torque split for added traction in extremely slippery conditions.
Honda’s description of the Pilot suggests that it has been engineered for rougher use than the CR-V: “the Honda Pilot provides for confident and stable off-road performance… with more than 200 mm of ground clearance, short front and rear overhangs and VTM-4 four-wheel drive technology with locking rear differential capability, the Pilot is designed to provide the kind of off-road toughness desired by the typical SUV customer”.
The suspension system comprises front independent struts located with L-arms and gas-pressurized shock absorbers and a stabilizer bar while, at the rear, the wheels are located by independent multi-link arrangements with trailing arms, gas-pressurized shock absorbers and a stabilizer bar.
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