Kase and Nathan took our first official look at the 2024 Honda Prologue.
After checking out the all-electric Acura ZDX, it’s now Honda’s turn to show us how their first serious EV in the American market is going to shape up. Technically, the automaker has been in the electric car scene before with the Clarity Electric, but there were certainly some issues with that model. Not only did it have an 89-mile range, but it wasn’t even available for sale nationwide. However, the 2024 Honda Prologue makes a far more compelling pitch for mass market appeal, thanks to a fresh new crossover design and its use of GM’s Ultium battery technology.
Power and range
When it arrives early next year, the 2024 Honda Prologue will be available in either a single-motor, front-wheel drive configuration or a dual-motor setup with all-wheel drive. The AWD option gets you 288 horsepower and 333 lb-ft of torque, which is around the same figures as the upcoming Chevrolet Equinox EV. Honda did not publish the output for the FWD version, but its GM platform-mate makes around 210 horsepower and 243 lb-ft of torque.
Whether you like it or not, the Prologue also gets a feature called “Active Sound Control”, which plays sound to “add to the emotion of driving” while you’re accelerating or braking. Sport mode changes the sound even further, as well as sharpening up the throttle and steering response.
The 2024 Honda Prologue sports an 85-kWh battery pack, which the automaker says is good for up to 300 miles in base configuration. Here, there’s no estimate for the all-wheel-drive model, but it will probably lose about 20-25 miles thanks to the extra electric motor. Those figures are competitive with other options in the class, and in fact they’re slightly better than the Volkswagen ID.4.
DC fast-charging will allow you to replenish the Prologue’s battery at up to 155 kW, depending on the station. That’s not astonishingly quick compared to some other EVs, but this also doesn’t have as large a battery pack as some other models. Honda says the Prologue can regain 65 miles of range in about 10 minutes, which is on par with your more affordable EV models. Customers can either choose an 11-kW home charger, a 7.6-kW portable charging kit — each with a $100 charging credit — or just opt for a $750 public charging credit when they order the vehicle.
Looking inside the 2024 Honda Prologue
As standard, 2024 Honda Prologue buyers will get an 11-inch digital gauge cluster with an 11.3-inch touchscreen infotainment display with Google apps built in. The system also supports wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, while every car gets blind-spot steering assist, rear cross-traffic detection and braking and rear pedestrian detection.
In typical Honda fashion, the Prologue comes in three main trim levels. The EX kicks off the range and still comes well-equipped, even as the entry version, offering heated front seats, a power-adjustable driver’s seat, dual-zone climate control and wireless phone charging. The Touring is the mid-range trim level, and adds in leather seats (rather than cloth) with a memory function, an auto-dimming rearview mirror and a 12-speaker Bose audio system. Finally, the Elite caps off the lineup with a heated steering wheel, perforated leather, ventilated front seats and a head-up display.
If you look closely, you can see some common components between the Honda Prologue and fellow Ultium vehicles like the Chevrolet Equinox EV. The steering wheel controls are straight GM, as are the climate controls and gear selector. The bulk of the design both inside and out, much like the Acura ZDX, is actually in-house Honda design, though.
How much will the Prologue cost?
While we know the trim walk, we don’t yet have full pricing for the 2024 Honda Prologue just yet. This electric crossover should start just under $50,000, while upper trims will likely top out around $60,000. Since it’s on GM’s Ultium platform and it’s actually built in America for American buyers, this car should also qualify for the $7,500 federal EV tax credit, among other available incentives.
We’ll have more concrete information on pricing closer to the spring 2024 launch. Before that, Honda says orders for the Prologue will open up around the end of the year.
