Update: All sections have been updated to reflect the latest info.
Introduced in June 2022, the fourth-gen Honda Pilot was expected to hit dealer showrooms with an optional hybrid variant. It would have made the midsize SUV appealing to fuel economy- and environment-conscious customers.
However, Honda released the redesigned Pilot as a gas-only model, and it has continued for more than three years with the same powertrain. Here are our expectations from the future facelift and hybrid versions.
Pilot’s hybrid system in development
Honda has promised that things will change in this regard in the future. In May 2025, Honda said it will introduce a hybrid system for large vehicles in North America in the second half of the decade. The company considers North America the main market for its HEVs.
The new powertrain will deliver high towing capability, suggesting hybrid variants of the Pilot, Ridgeline, and Passport will be introduced by the end of the decade.
In the North American market, which is the main battleground for our HEV models, there continues to be a solid demand for large-size vehicles with spacious interiors and high cargo capacity. In order for us to fulfill such demand in a sustainable manner, we will develop a hybrid system for large-size vehicles, which will feature powerful driving performance, high towing capability and high environmental performance.
Toshihiro Mibe, President and Representative Executive Officer (Global CEO), Honda (2025 Honda Business Briefing on May 20, 2025)
Pilot facelift inbound for 2026?
Honda launched the fourth-generation Pilot in the U.S. in December 2022. Based on the company’s typical product cycle, a mid-cycle refresh is likely in 2026, a timeline also reported by Automotive News.
Sales of the Pilot dropped 7.1 percent year-over-year to 85,895 units in the first half of 2025, so a facelift could help Honda regain momentum in the segment. The hybrid system is unlikely to be introduced with that update, as it isn’t expected to be ready until later in the decade.
Design
The Pilot is designed primarily for North American customers. Compared to its predecessors, the fourth-gen Pilot has a bolder and more striking design, and we’re not expecting a complete overhaul when it’s facelifted next year.
The fourth-gen Pilot features an upright front-end with a flatter hood. It has a new, hexagonal radiator grille with a honeycomb mesh pattern, more assertive multi-reflector all-LED headlamps, a wider lower air intake, and new, squarish fog lamps. With the facelift, we expect soft changes to the front-end, preserving the well-received look of the SUV.
At the rear, the latest Pilot features a tailgate applique with the model’s name inscribed in block letters and chunky tail lamps. Honda should introduce new wheel and color choices with the facelift.
Pilot TrailSport
The Honda Pilot is the brand’s most rugged and capable SUV. It is available in a TrailSport trim (red model shown in this article) designed for customers who prefer extra ruggedness, both aesthetically and performance-wise.
The TrailSport trim puts on a black grille, side mirrors, tailgate applique, skid plates, roof rails, and roof crossbars. It has larger tires, increased track width, an off-road-tuned suspension, higher ground clearance, and unique stabilizer bars that make it more capable off the road.
Interior
The interior of the Honda Pilot embodies the design philosophy that debuted in the Civic, called ‘Simplicity and Something.’ It has a clean interior styling with a slimmer and simplified dashboard that frees the cabin of visual clutter.
The steering wheel and the center console have a neat design and are in line with the minimalist theme of the interior. A configurable 10.2-inch digital instrument cluster and a 9-inch touchscreen infotainment system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto make the midsize SUV attractive for tech-savvy customers.
Key rivals get hybrid systems
The Pilot competes with the Toyota Highlander, Kia Telluride, VW Atlas, Hyundai Palisade, Ford Explorer, and the Chevrolet Traverse. It has an EPA-estimated fuel economy rating of 19 mpg city/27 mpg highway/22 mpg combined in FWD configurations, and up to 19 mpg city/25 mpg highway/21 mpg combined in AWD configurations.
The Toyota Highlander AWD achieves better fuel economy, thanks to the availability of a hybrid. EPA estimates the hybrid variants to deliver 35 city/35 highway/35 combined.
In early fall 2025, Hyundai will launch the first-ever Palisade Hybrid, for which it is targeting an EPA-estimated fuel economy of 34 mpg. Meanwhile, Kia has confirmed a hybrid variant of the next-gen Telluride, which is expected at U.S. dealers in early 2026. It should offer similar mpg figures as the Hyundai. Meanwhile, Volkswagen has also confirmed a future Atlas Hybrid.
Production
Honda manufactures the current-gen Pilot at the Alabama Auto Plant (AAP) and should build all future iterations at the same facility. This vast facility in Lincoln is the brand’s exclusive global production source for the Pilot, with more than 2 million units having been rolled out since the model’s introduction way back in 2006. It’s one of five Honda manufacturing plants in the U.S., with an annual production capacity of 680,000 vehicles.
TopElectricSUV says
What can we say? An electrified powertrain isn’t currently available for the Honda Pilot, which is disappointing given that many automakers are switching to hybrid and pure-electric powertrains at large.
International Automotive News Editor since 2014, covering global motor shows, industry events, and test-driving various vehicles, with a focus on hybrid and electric cars in recent years.
