WardsAuto reports that Honda is going to introduce the new version of their Pilot with a short wheelbase in 2018. The new vehicle will feature two rows of seats, unlike the ongoing SUV which comes with three rows. The addition of the smaller Pilot to the lineup is essential for the company because the customers will have a greater choice and those who don’t like the size of the current car can go with a “mini” option.
Price
The production of the short-wheelbase Honda Pilot will start in September next year at the carmaker’s Lincoln factory. Unfortunately, we are kept in the dark when it comes to the price, but we can assume that it will be cheaper than the three-row model. The ongoing version costs $30,595, whereas the current CR-V with two rows of seats starts from $24,045. This means that this one will nicely fit somewhere in between these two.
The reduction of the wheelbase length and the lack of the third row of seats are the only two things that are going to be different. Nothing else is expected to change, and the shorter model should come with the exactly the same features as its big brother.
2018 Honda Pilot Engine
The engine is also going to be carried over, which means that a 3.5-liter i-VTEC V6 petrol unit that produces 280 hp and 262 lb-ft of torque will power the new Honda. The powerplant will be mated to either a six-speed automatic transmission or a nine-speed auto, while both FWD and AWD configurations are offered. With the reduction in size comes the lower weight and that could be used by the Japanese car maker to introduce smaller engine to the lineup. Even this hasn’t been confirmed and is still highly unlikely to happen, we can hope that Honda will make this move.
Are you excited about the arrival of the two-row Pilot? Because we can’t wait to see it on the streets.
