Honda Prologue Quietly Wins Over New Patrons

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Honda has delivered about 13,000 of its Prologue electrical SUVs in America since September 30. That’s not sufficient to fret Tesla, but it surely is sufficient to make the Prologue the fifth greatest promoting electrical car within the US — a formidable efficiency for a automotive that’s new to the market. What are the explanations for its success? Bloomberg suggests it’s partly as a result of two thirds of Honda SUV drivers within the US commerce of their car for an additional Honda. “It’s an iPhone-like degree of loyalty seldom seen within the brutal enterprise of creating and promoting vehicles — and it’s enabled the automaker’s first electrical car to shortly lower into Tesla’s supremacy by interesting to loyal Honda clients who’ve been ready for an reasonably priced various to the Tesla Mannequin Y from their favourite automotive model,” Bloomberg says.

At Paragon Honda in Queens, New York, the gasoline-powered CR-V is usually the highest vendor within the Honda lineup, based on finance supervisor Larry Abreu. In September, the dealership moved one Prologue for each three CR-Vs, partly as a result of a stack of incentives made them nearly the identical value. “There’s simply a lot worth, it’s laborious to go up,” Abreu defined.

A lot of the Prologue’s draw lies in simply how unremarkable it’s. Its beginning value earlier than incentives or fancier choices like all-wheel drive is $47,400 — $400 lower than the common market worth of all US vehicles in September, based on Bloomberg Intelligence. In contrast to many EVs, the Prologue’s efficiency will set nobody’s hair on hearth, but it surely does function considerate and elevated particulars of the type Honda clients have come to like. There’s an enormous storage bin beneath the middle console, an enormous sunroof, a supersized smartphone charging pad and a rash of buttons and knobs as a substitute of the touchscreen hunt and peck that’s typical of the Tesla driving expertise.

In contrast to most Hondas, nonetheless, the Prologue will skip the fuel station and, for probably the most half, the mechanic. EVs, which don’t want oil adjustments or air filters, require virtually $1,000 much less to keep up yearly than related gasoline-powered fashions, based on AAA. Honda is already probably the most dependable auto manufacturers, and including a brand new car to the lineup that’s much more dependable is a nifty engineering trick. When requested why they selected a Prologue, Honda consumers cited belief within the model adopted by worth, based on firm spokeswoman Natalie Kumaratne. In truth, virtually two thirds of Prologue consumers have owned a Honda earlier than and practically 80% have by no means owned an EV. Model loyalty is powerful amongst Honda house owners.

Mike Eppink traded in his 2022 Honda Pilot — a full-size SUV — for the Prologue, partly to economize on fuel. His 14-year-old son performs baseball, and shuttling to and from practices and video games was costing $250 a month. “I like the place the electrical vehicles are going and so they’re actually not that costly as soon as you actually look into the numbers,” Eppink informed Bloomberg. “Our month-to-month fee went up a bit, however with the fuel financial savings, mentally, we nonetheless really feel like we’re saving.”

Reviewing The Honda Prologue

Autoblog contributor Nathan Adlennov take a look at drove a Honda Prologue not too long ago. He writes that it’s designed for each street journeys and each day driving, but feels surprisingly acquainted. “I have to say that the Honda Prologue is one in every of my favorites among the many Ultium household. Sure, even among the many sportier ZDX, Lyriq, Blazer, and so forth, I really feel just like the Honda is a strong participant. A part of that has to do with the aesthetics, which I like, however the remainder relies on its general efficiency.” The twin-motor Prologue has an EPA vary of 273 miles whereas the single-motor model is rated at 296 miles. Each are outfitted with an 85 kW battery. The Prologue might be outfitted with a NACS charging port starting subsequent 12 months. Till then, house owners can use Tesla Superchargers with an adapter.

The Prologue relies on the GM Ultium platform and assembled on the Spring Hill manufacturing unit in Tennessee alongside the Cadillac Lyriq. It’s mechanically a digital twin to the Chevy Blazer EV, which is inbuilt Mexico. In his overview, Adlennov was impressed by the looks of the Prologue. “It’s glossy, and uncomplicated, but fashionable and chic. I do know the seems are subjective, however I additionally know many journalists who agree with me,” he wrote. “Talking of the experience high quality, it’s, in my estimation, one of the best trade-off of any of its platform mates. It’s no Acura NSX, but it surely has good grip. It’s very effectively fitted to a relaxed commute and cozy experience.” Isn’t that what most individuals need?

Honda designed a majority of this car to feel and look distinctive, he stated. “The general inside design is generally Honda so while you sit down behind the steering wheel, it positive doesn’t really feel like a Blazer EV. Inner supplies, using mushy, injected molded rubbers, leather-based, and high quality plastics look nice. The motive force’s 11 inch gauge cluster seems considerably distinctive too because it’s separated from the opposite display. GM connects their screens in a single bezel. The 11.3 inch infotainment display measurement is exclusive to the Prologue, as is their Apple CarPlay system. That is one thing GM EVs don’t provide, which I discover odd.” One-pedal driving is included within the Prologue, a function that appeals to most drivers as soon as they expertise it for themselves. He ends his overview this manner. “It is a strong, snug, and simple to reside with EV. To say it’s a reliable each day driver that has good street manners can be spot on. [Honda] actually dialed within the suspension tuning for folk who drive rather a lot.”

The Takeaway

What stands out from the Autoblog overview is how completely regular the Honda Prologue is. When Tesla debuted its first automotive, the Mannequin S, it didn’t simply current a battery-powered automotive, it launched the “laptop on wheels” idea that did away with lots of the conventional controls folks had been used to of their vehicles. Right here had been vehicles that would play movies or placed on mild reveals at Christmas or the Fourth of July. Abruptly all of the controls had been present in menus on a touchscreen. That thrilled some however flummoxed others.

We suspect one of many issues concerning the Prologue that appeals to Honda loyalists is that they really feel snug driving it instantly. They don’t want video tutorials to know find out how to function it. There’s a consolation issue that comes from familiarity. The Prologue seems regular, inside and outside, and that may be a good factor for a lot of drivers. Suffice to say the brand new electrical SUV from Honda is evolutionary relatively than revolutionary. That as a lot as the rest could also be a major think about its early gross sales success.

Honda has been constructing vehicles in America for a really very long time and has realized rather a lot about what American tastes. Somewhat than a pointy break with the previous, Honda has poured all that previous expertise into the Prologue and created a automotive that appeals to its buyer base. The truth that it’s powered by a battery as a substitute of a gasoline engine is secondary. Maybe that’s the way it needs to be. And but, Honda has stepped away from its partnership with GM and plans to construct its future EVs itself. Might Prologue be greater than only a nice title for a brand new mannequin from Honda? Might it even be a marker laid down by the corporate that implies the trail it intends to observe on the best way to the electrical automotive future? “We’ll see,” stated the Zen grasp.