Honda Is Considering a Bigger Brother to the Pilot, but It’s at Least Six Years Away from Production
- Honda is considering a larger SUV, according to a report from Automotive News that cites as its source “a person briefed on the plans.”
- Reportedly, the flagship three-row SUV would stretch eight inches longer than the Honda Pilot and would house a hybrid powertrain.
- Production could start in early 2032 at one of Honda’s North American plants, though it’s unclear which.
Honda is looking to compete in the bigger three-row SUV segment by introducing a “Pilot XXL,” according to an Automotive News report, with a production date at least six years away.
2026 Honda Pilot Elite.
The flagship SUV would be eight inches longer than the Pilot, which is currently Honda’s only three-row SUV. The standard Pilot runs in close competition with the Hyundai Palisade, Kia Telluride, and Toyota Highlander. The Pilot XXL, as it’s labeled in a Honda planning document cited by AN, would compete more closely with the Toyota Grand Highlander or Ford Explorer.
Though the current Pilot, Grand Highlander, and Explorer are all within about two inches of each other lengthwise, the Grand Highlander and Explorer both offer more room to third-row passengers. The added eight inches in the Pilot XXL would make the vehicle notably longer and roomier than its closest competitors.
Acura XL prototype.
The Pilot XXL’s platform would be shared with Acura’s planned three-row SUV flagship, which is expected to begin production in 2029. The Acura XL will serve a similar purpose to the Pilot XXL, but is positioned to compete with higher-end three-row SUVs like the Buick Enclave or Lexus TX.
Earlier this year at Honda’s annual business update conference, the automaker announced a plan to release 15 new hybrid models globally by 2029. Honda says its next-gen hybrid system will increase fuel efficiency by at least 10 percent while reducing costs by 30 percent. So a hybrid powertrain looks to be the answer in both new SUVs.
The AN report suggests the new large-vehicle hybrid system will combine a V-6 engine with multiple electric motors that are expected to increase fuel economy and acceleration response. Electronic all-wheel drive will likely be available through an electric motor mounted to the rear axle, just like in the hybrid Honda CR-V.
A larger version of the Pilot is expected to sell well in the U.S. market, where consumers have been increasingly searching for rugged-looking larger vehicles instead of smaller sedans or crossovers. A source within Honda told AN that the company expects an annual output of over 40,000 units. Pricing hasn’t been revealed yet, but the standard Pilot rests on the higher end of the mid-size three-row segment with a starting price at just under $44,000. We’d expect the larger hybrid Pilot XXL to reach closer to the $50,000 mark.
It’s unknown where Honda is planning to manufacture the Pilot XXL, but it’ll likely be somewhere in North America. Honda already has seven plants around the continent, but it’s considering an eighth, which could end up the home of the Pilot XXL and Acura XL. Honda has a while to figure that out, though, as the Pilot XXL isn’t slated to start production until 2032.
Alayna Wilkening grew up reading motorsport magazines and following her grandpa around his Chevrolet dealership's showroom floor. In true Hoosier fashion, her first car was a hot pink custom cardboard "Fiero-vette" for her kindergarten Kindy 500 race. She now autocrosses a 1994 Miata with her dad, which she learned to drive the night before her first event. Alayna went to Indiana University and graduated with a degree in journalism and a minor in graphic design. As a testament to her great taste in cars, her first real one was a metallic orange 2007 Chevy HHR, which she lovingly called "The Dumptruck."