TICKS ALL THE BOXES
Automaker's North American entry into EV market aces charging, range and performance
The Prologue is the first all-electric vehicle the Japanese automaker is selling in North America, the name symbolizing the beginning of Honda's long-awaited EV journey.
There are no plans to sell the Prologue outside of North America, and in Canada only three provinces — British Columbia, Quebec and Ontario — will have dealerships supporting Prologue sales and service.
Honda is well on its way to rolling out its all-electric e:architecture platform next year — set to support 30 all-new EVS by 2030 — but for the mid-size Prologue Honda partnered with General Motors to use GM'S Ultium architecture, specifically the platform underpinning the Chevrolet Blazer EV. That would include an 85-kwh lithium-ion battery pack, dual motors — in Canada the Prologue will only be available with all-wheel drive — and a maximum charging rate up to 155 kw.
Honda claims a full charge range of more than 450 kilometres, and when I hopped in during the first drive event my tester showed 250 miles (402 km) of range and I'm guessing a 92 per cent battery charge. I say `guessing' as the Prologue's driver display does not show a numeric percentage but instead has a zero to 100 per cent scale that while not precise does provide a real-time visual on battery life. Personally, I prefer a number not a scale. Either way, following the drive, the advertised range checked out, with battery percentage showing about 45 per cent and a total drive length of just under 200 kilometres.
I'm so pleased that Honda didn't `Ev-up' the inside and exterior of the Prologue. Too often an automaker's first all-electric effort is designed not as a simple vehicle — in the case of the Prologue, a mid-size SUV — but as a wild interpretation of an all-electric future. Some strange grille design or funky rear end, a concept-car like dashboard or Bauhaus-inspired shifter. The Prologue has none of those and looks like — drum roll — a Honda SUV. The exterior lines are a little sleeker than its closest sized stablemate, the Passport, but there are absolutely no visual cues that this is an EV. Likewise, the cabin includes many switches, dials and controls familiar to any Honda owner. Why reinvent the wheel? The only real unique cabin feature is the gear shift stalk on the steering wheel, which I'm not a fan of, but does allow for a massive, two-tiered and class-leading centre console storage with two big cupholders and a smartphone charging pocket.
I really did like the two display screens; an 11-inch driver display that is easy to read and contains lots of useful information; and an 11.3 inch high-def touchscreen powered by Google that was also intuitive and well-designed from a display point of view. In terms of space, the Prologue benefits, as most every EV does, from a flat floor design that provides ample leg and head room in both rows, and a cargo space that rivals a full-sized SUV. Despite being just a little longer and wider than the CR-V, the Prologue boasts the longest wheelbase in its class, which translates to a bigger-than-mid-size feeling cabin. And no, there is not a frunk, though that will change I'm sure with the e:architecture platform.
Honda has made a career out of building well-engineered and competent vehicles, and the Prologue demonstrates company engineers and designers have EVS figured out too. There is a Sport mode, a button that enhances throttle and steering responses, tightens up the steering a little and, according to Honda, enhances braking. I tried it both on the highway and on some twisty bits and to be honest did not feel much of a difference between normal and sport running.
Three trims of the 2024 will be available in Canada. The base EX is priced at $59,900; the EX-L at $64,990 and the Touring at $69,990 (excluding $2,000 freight and PDI). Honda Canada is currently taking orders for the Prologue at www.honda. ca with deliveries expected to begin in the spring.
It has taken Honda even longer than Ev-laggard Toyota to bring a high volume all-electric to market, and while the limited release of the Prologue in Canada isn't exactly mass market, the mid-size SUV is a very positive first step. It has all the build quality, fit and finish and smart design we've seen from Honda products for the past few decades, and it doesn't wave an EV flag in your face with respect to its exterior and interior design. The charging, range and performance are all topnotch for the segment, and the clean cabin really sets this vehicle apart. Pricing is a little too high, in my estimation, but even the base model comes with a long list of standard features.