Is this Honda a Prologue to a better EV future?
Produced as a joint-venture with GM, the Honda Prologue mid-size EV boasts easy-to-use charging port door, driver-friendly interior and good range.
HEALDSBURG, CALIF. — The all-new Honda Prologue mid-size EV is the brand’s first mainstream step into full battery-electric vehicles in North America. After half a day driving and quick-charging it in Northern California, I liked a lot about it; even if it’s not the most exciting, quick charging or longest-range EV in its class, it is a step into the future.
The Prologue is , and uses the underpinnings (battery, motors and frame) of, and is the same size as, the Chevrolet Blazer EV. Software and charging issues with early Blazer EV models led GM to put a “stop sale” on the Blazer EV in December. This was lifted in mid-March.
I encountered no issues driving and charging the Prologue through the day.
The best feature of the Prologue’s attractive, but somewhat nondescript, exterior is its charging port door. It opens with a push, just as the gas flap on most vehicles does, but it’s on the driver’s side fender. (The Blazer EV and Cadillac Lyriq have a motorized charge port door that powers up and down, often with a stuttering motion that doesn’t inspire confidence for winter or long-term use.)
There’s a similar driver-friendly theme inside, with fully digital, flat screens in front of the driver, and old-school buttons under the centre screen, which look retro in their number and appearance. The buttons, the steering wheel and nearby stalks may be familiar to owners of newer Chevrolets; there are the same handy buttons on the rear of the steering wheel, which are easy to use with gloves.
Perhaps the most notable interior advantage of the Prologue over its Blazer EV cousin and the sales-leading Tesla Model Y is the availability of wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
The Prologue is not the quickest, nor is it the fastest-charging, of its class, but, with a distance travelled of up to 452 km, it’s in the top tier of the all-wheel-drive, electric, midsize SUV segment in overall EV driving range. The Prologue’s top spec Touring model I drove is rated at a slightly lower 439 km thanks to its larger 21-inch wheels.
Prologues in Canada feature all-wheel drive, and produce 288 horsepower and 333 pounds-feet of torque (motive force). This felt super smooth and extra powerful just off the line. But these power figures don’t approach the 400-500-plus hp available to more power-hungry EV buyers around the Prologue’s $65,000-$75,000 price range.
From the driver’s seat, the Prologue starts out from rest with a surprisingly loud, lowspeed, pedestrian-warning system, which is not very noticeable with the windows closed, but is very much so for passersby, or for people in the car when the windows are open.
The driver can select the amount of brake regeneration when lifting off the accelerator, and there’s a one-pedal driving mode, but it’s not quite strong enough to bring the Prologue to a stop.
Inside, there’s tons of passenger room, front and back. There’s unfortunately no front trunk, but there is a storage well underneath the rear cargo floor that is great for fitting in groceries that may otherwise roll around.
While most Prologue drivers will charge overnight at home, I veered off route to try a DC quick charge. Honda Canada lists its maximum charge speed at 150 kilowatts (kW), which is OK, but not great. This speed translates to roughly 35 minutes to quick charge from 20 per cent to 80 per cent, estimates Honda, in ideal conditions.
As soon as I entered the DC quick-charging station into the navi, it automatically began warming up the battery. This can halve your overall time stopped, especially in colder weather, and not all EVs offer this. Even more impressive is that there is a setting to precondition the battery manually, and this starts the warming without the driver having to load any destination.
For high-speed DC charging, the closer to 10 per cent (state-of-charge) you can be when plugging in to a public charger, the quicker you’ll charge. Considering I plugged in at a less-than-ideal 43 per cent, the Prologue charged steadily around 128 kW, which is very acceptable, with about 30 minutes of preconditioning and temperatures at a charge-slowing 12C.
At a starting price of just less than $62,000, including freight, the base Prologue offers fair overall value, plus it’s eligible for the $5,000-federal-government-rebate, plus, outside of Ontario, provincial rebates. The top-line Prologue I drove hits closer to $72,000, which is about the current price of a much quicker Model Y Performance, and awfully close to, if not within, luxury SUV territory.
For loyal Honda fans, who like the idea of a quieter and more modern ride, and not paying for gas any more, the all-electric Prologue is a tempting step into the future.