Some of the most interesting things about the 2024 Honda Prologue—the brand's first dedicated electric-vehicle (EV) model for the U.S. market—are things Honda says it can't tell us yet. Among them are where it will build its new battery-electric crossover SUV and if it qualifies its buyers for federal income tax credits. But what we have seen and Honda has told us about it is fascinating enough. For instance, the Prologue shares its platform with General Motors (GM) and employs GM's Ultium batteries and architecture that also support the mechanically similar 2024 Chevrolet Blazer EV. While the Prologue is a lot like the Blazer EV under the skin, it looks nothing like the highly touted GM vehicle on the outside.
The 2024 Prologue is among Honda's first steps in its announced effort to reach carbon neutrality for all products and corporate activities by 2050. Honda says it will introduce 30 new EV models globally by 2030 to accomplish this ambitious plan. While the Prologue is a joint venture with GM, many of the additional models will use Honda's dedicated EV architecture. The first for North America will be a "mid- to large-size EV model" set to go on sale in 2025.
With an exceptionally long wheelbase it shares with the Chevrolet Blazer EV, the battery-electric Honda Prologue is a conservatively handsome 2-row, 5-passenger midsize SUV. Honda says its anticipated Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) range rating is as high as 300 miles, depending upon configuration. The Prologue will offer buyers the choice of single-motor front-wheel-drive (FWD) and dual-motor all-wheel-drive (AWD) versions in three trim levels: EX, Touring, and Elite.
Unlike some EVs that are only available in certain regions, Honda will sell the 2024 Prologue nationwide. Expect its suggested retail price to start in the upper $40,000 range, mirroring the pricing of the Blazer EV. Honda is slating deliveries to customers in early 2024, and, as previously stated, the vehicle's eligibility for federal tax credits remains unclear.
Honda calls the exterior styling of the 2024 Prologue "neo-rugged." The definition of that term is nebulous, but what isn't nebulous is that Honda's Torrance, Calif.-based design team took a very different direction with the Prologue than Chevrolet designers took with the Blazer EV. The Prologue is simple, clean, and classically Honda. The roofline is low, with consequences in cargo-carrying, and the overall look is restrained and handsome. The most expressive aspect of the design is the optional 21-inch wheels—the largest wheels ever offered on a Honda.
To put the Prologue in perspective, the midsize SUV is about 8 inches longer and 5 inches wider than the CR-V compact SUV. It's almost 7 inches shorter and 0.2-inch narrower than the midsize Honda Pilot. In addition to the big wheels, the Prologue's most distinguishing design feature is the Honda name emblazoned in individual letters across its liftgate.
Honda's designers took a similarly conservative approach in fashioning the Prologue's interior. It stresses functionality and comfort in the same idiom as Honda's internal combustion engine crossovers. That's refreshing in an era when many designers go out of their way to emphasize the EV-ness of their battery-electric vehicles (BEVs). The Prologue's cabin could be the cabin of any other Honda SUV. The automaker filled it with high-quality, soft-touch materials, but the Prologue doesn't pretend to be a luxury vehicle. To its credit, it features big buttons and knobs to control many functions, rather than embedding controls in the touchscreen.
Perhaps the most advanced feature is the steering column-mounted shifter. By attaching the shifter to the column, the designers opened the between-seats console space for two side-by-side smartphone places and gigantic cupholders that accommodate 32-ounce bottles. The center console also has a standard pocket-type wireless device charger.
The second row is exceptionally accommodating because designers decided not to cram in a third row of seating. An available panoramic roof accentuates the open feeling. The rear seats have 60/40 split seatbacks and two angles of recline. The Prologue offers 25.2 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seats in use. With the seatbacks folded, the cargo space expands to 57.7 cubic feet. Unlike many BEVs, the Prologue doesn't have a front trunk, but hidden space under the cargo area floor adds another 0.8 cubic feet of storage. A power liftgate featuring hands-free operation is standard on the Touring and Elite trims.
The 2024 Honda Prologue offers buyers the choice of FWD or AWD. The single-motor EX and Touring trims are front-drive. The dual-motor EX, Touring, and all Elite trims are all-wheel drive. Honda hasn't revealed the horsepower and torque ratings of the FWD versions. The dual-motor AWD variants deliver a combined 288 horsepower and 333 pound-feet of torque. Honda fits all configurations of the 2024 Prologue with an 85-kWh lithium-ion battery pack. Honda has not been specific about range across the lineup but has said the Prologue will offer up to 300 miles on a single charge. Presumably, that range applies to the single-motor EX trim with the smallest wheel size.
The Prologue can use DC fast charging at rates up to 155 kW. The automaker has not published charge times but says the Prologue's battery pack can add 65 miles of range in about 10 minutes using a DC fast charger.
Because Honda hasn't yet introduced the Prologue, neither the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) nor the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has published crash-test ratings for the SUV. Honda says it is targeting IIHS Top Safety Pick+ and NHTSA 5-star ratings. To that end, the automaker will fit the Prologue with the most elaborate version of the Honda Sensing suite of ADAS. It includes Honda's first applications of rear cross-traffic automatic braking, blind-spot steering assist, and rear pedestrian alert.
The 2024 Prologue features two high-definition digital screens. The infotainment touchscreen measures 11.3 inches, and the system includes wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto plus a volume knob. An 11-inch digital driver instrumentation display supplements it. The Elite trim adds a 7 x 3-inch head-up display. Touring and Elite trims feature a 12-speaker Bose audio system designed specifically for the Prologue.
The 2024 Prologue is the first Honda SUV equipped with Google Built-in, which debuted on the 2023 Honda Accord Touring. Standard on all Prologue trims, the system includes Google Assistant, Google Maps, and access to additional apps via Google Play. An intriguing aspect of the Prologue's Google Maps app is its ability to estimate the charging time required to reach the destination. With this knowledge, it can initiate battery preconditioning for more efficient and speedier DC fast charging. In addition, the Prologue accepts over-the-air software updates.
The most obvious 2024 Honda Prologue competitor is the 2024 Chevrolet Blazer EV, with which it shares its platform and many mechanical details. The recently introduced Kia EV9 is 5 inches longer than the Prologue and sports three rows of seating versus the Prologue's 2-row, 5-passenger configuration. Most 5-passenger battery-electric crossovers are significantly shorter in overall length than the Prologue. Among them are the Ford Mustang Mach-E, Hyundai Ioniq 5, Kia EV6, Nissan Ariya, and Volkswagen ID.4. The Tesla Model Y—5 inches shorter than the Prologue—offers 5- and 7-passenger versions. Several of the competitors offer more extended range and faster recharge times.
Honda is the source of information in this article. It was accurate as of September 28, 2023, but it may have changed since that date. Always confirm product details and availability with the automaker's website or your local dealership.
Jack R. Nerad has reviewed cars, trucks, vans, and sport utilities for over three decades. He also managed the editorial efforts of Motor Trend magazine, JD Power, and Kelley Blue Book. Jack is currently the host of the SportsMap Radio Network program America on the Road, available on Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio, Spotify, Stitcher, and other outlets.
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