Honda has announced pricing and range details of the redesigned and refreshed 2019 Pilot, bringing a range upgrades to the 8-seat SUV.
The 2019 Pilot LX with standard front-wheel drive carries a starting manufacturer's suggested retail price of $31,450 (excluding $995 destination and handling).
The new Pilot comes in several models ranging from Pilot LX, Pilot EX, Pilot EX-L, Pilot Touring and Pilot Elite.
All 2019 Pilots have been designed to have an aggressive front and the rear styling will complement its off-road and all-weather driving capabilities. The vehicle is supported by Honda’s intelligent Variable Torque Management system (i-VTM4) with torque-vectoring.
The feature is standard across all Pilot models with All Wheel Drive (AWD) variants and uses electronically-controlled, hydraulically-actuated rear differential to apportion engine torque between the front and rear axles, and dynamically distribute torque between the left and right rear wheels.
The 8-seat SUV is powered by a 3.5 liter V6 24-Valve SOHC i-VTEC engine, which gives an output of 280hp and produces a torque of 262lb/ft. The power generated from the engine is transferred to the wheels via a 6-speed automatic and a 9-speed automatic transmission system. Customers can choose between the two systems.
The new Pilot has a several refinements to the 9-speed automatic transmission (9AT), which are available in Touring and Elite models. In Drive and under light-to-moderate throttle, the 9AT can now start in second gear for smoother launch and lower speed acceleration.
This transmission is also default to second-gear, when the Intelligent Traction Management (ITM) switch is in Snow mode.
Pilot is claimed to have an Idle Stop system and it is fully integrated with the new second gear launch mode. It has a new programming and new brake pressure trigger for quick restarts when the vehicle accelerates immediately after the engine stops, making it less noticeable in heavy traffic and similar driving conditions.
Honda has equipped all the 2019 Pilot models with its Honda Sensing, a suite of advanced safety and driver assistive technologies. Honda Sensing is claimed to offer greater awareness of driving conditions around the vehicle and can also helps drivers maintain lane position.
This system includes Collision Mitigation Braking System (CMBS) with Forward Collision Warning, Road Departure Mitigation (RDM), Lane Keeping Assist System (LKAS) and Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC).
