- Honda is testing a mildly camouflaged Pilot SUV on US roads.
- Prototype has a disguise over its bumpers and chunkier grille.
- A first-ever hybrid powertrain is expected to appear by MY28.
Honda’s fourth-generation Pilot debuted in late 2022, so it’s not exactly ancient, but with sales down in 2025 and reviewers grumbling about the design and cabin quality, the time is right for a little nip and tuck.
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Spy photographers snapped Honda’s biggest US-market SUV testing on American roads and wearing a ton of camouflage over its front end.
What’s Hiding Under the Wraps?
The disguise covered the front and rear bumpers but was laid on most heavily on the grille, which looks like it will be much chunkier and off-road-styled in the revised Pilot.
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There are no tweaks to the lights, but we’d expect the LED signatures to change slightly for production, while the outer shape of the lamp units will remain the same.
The wheels on this prototype also appear to be different from any of the rims found on Honda’s configurator.
Peering through the glass, the interior appears to feature a larger, possibly standard digital instrument cluster across the range. The infotainment display also seems set for an upgrade, potentially a 12-inch unit or larger, bringing it closer to what rivals have been offering for a while.
Honda hasn’t released its MY26 Pilot yet, so that could be what we’re looking at here. But more likely, Honda will delay these updates until MY27, debuting them in the summer or fall of 2026.
What Will Power It?
In either case, we might have to wait a little longer for the biggest change heading the Pilot’s way: hybrid power.
The current SUV has only one available engine, a 285 hp (289 PS) 3.5-liter V6 that drives either the front or all four wheels through a 10-speed automatic transmission. Many of its rivals already have hybrid engine options and chew through less gas.
But Honda has already admitted it plans to introduce a new hybrid engine starting in the latter part of this decade that will give its biggest vehicles improved performance, economy, and towing chops.
The Pilot is one of those large vehicles, no question, but it’s unclear whether the current Pilot will get hybrid power, or we’ll have to wait for the launch of a fifth-generation SUV. Gut feel says Honda can’t afford to wait until 2028 or ’29 to electrify this thing.
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One thing we can expect from the facelift of this current Pilot is the continued appearance of the off-road-themed TrailSport version, because buyers seem to be increasingly drawn to SUVs that look and perform more like traditional off-roaders.
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