Honda has unveiled the design of its first all-electric SUV, designed in partnership with General Motors (GM). The 2024 model from Honda will be a mid-sized SUV based on GM’s Ultium battery packs.
At the unveiling of the Prologue design this week, Honda said the fully electric Prologue SUV heralds a new era for the car maker.
“With versatility and driving range on par with our existing rugged lineup of SUVs, the adventure-ready Prologue navigates both daily commutes and weekend getaways with ease,” Honda said.
The design of the Prologue, overseen by an LA-based design team in the US, is described as “neo-rugged styling,” which Honda says gives a nod to its spirit as “a thoroughly modern ” and advernture-ready SUV.
The Prologue will be a similar size to the Honda Passport which is sold in the US and Canada. It’s larger than the CR-V sold here in Australia and in many other right-hand drive markets. Honda CR-V is 4,635 mm in length while the Passport is longer at 4803 mm.
The key market is adventuring family SUV buyers and, to this end, the Prologue will feature 21-inch wheels along with nearly 2,900 litres of interior space. To make it feel more spacious, there is also a panoramic sunroof.
Honda says it aims to sell this car to millions of consumers ready to make the switch to an EV in the coming two years.
“As a fully electric SUV, the Prologue is powered entirely by its rechargeable battery, which eliminates tailpipe emissions and the need for gas. Every time you drive, you’re effectively reducing your carbon footprint anywhere you go,” the company says.
This is Honda’s third production EV after a not-so-successful EV, the Honda Clarity back in 2019 and the Honda e.
Like many of the Japanese car-making incumbents, Honda has lagged behind others in EV technology and getting EV products to market.
Given this is a GM partnership, it will more than likely launch in the left-hand drive US market in 2024 first. Given Honda’s largest SUV in Australia in recent years has been the CR-V, the Prologue will not be making its way to our shores anytime soon.
Riz is the founder of carloop based in Melbourne, specialising in Australian EV data, insight reports and trends. He is a mechanical engineer who spent the first 7 years of his career building transport infrastructure before starting carloop. He has a passion for cars, particularly EVs and wants to help reduce transport emissions in Australia. He currently drives a red Tesla Model 3.