The latest Honda Pilot meant for the North American market.
COLUMBUS: News of a new generation of a well-known vehicle always gets plenty of attention, especially a completely new SUV nameplate. Honda fans will be excited to hear an all-new Honda SUV has been seen out and about on public roads, undergoing testing.
Rumours have been circulating for a while that Honda is working on a completely new midsize SUV, designed to slot into its range in between the incredibly popular CR-V and the larger Pilot. That would put it right up against the likes of the Ford Edge, Nissan Murano and Chevrolet's upcoming Blazer.
Honda hasn't even confirmed the existence of the vehicle, let alone a potential name. But it's long been suggested a new Honda SUV would be called the Passport, resurrecting the name of the Isuzu-based SUV produced during the 1990s.
The images being circulated of the heavily-camouflaged vehicle appear to confirm the segment it will be competing in. Though shorter in length, it looks to be more in line with the styling of the Pilot than the smaller CR-V.
It's possible a third row of seating could be squeezed in, but as competitors in that range seem to be shunning third rows, it's probably unlikely, especially since Honda already has the three-row Pilot in its portfolio.
From unofficial images floating around the Internet, there seems to be more than a passing resemblance to the Pilot, both inside and outside the test car.
At one point it was believed Honda would simply put out a shorter version of the Pilot, but though this will undoubtedly share a lot of components and styling cues from the Pilot, it will be an entirely new model in its own right.
