The Prologue is low and wide with a simple and clean design.Petrina Gentile/The Globe and Mail
Honda’s collaboration with General Motors on its first fully electric vehicle, the Honda Prologue, is also its last. Moving forward, all future EVs will be built on Honda’s own EV architecture and some will be made in Canada. Honda recently announced plans to invest $15-billion to build four new manufacturing plants and create a comprehensive EV value chain in Ontario, which would see EV production start in 2028. With that, Honda hopes to reduce the price of batteries by 20 per cent and production costs by 35 per cent by 2030, compared to current costs. Hopefully, those savings will trickle down to consumers and result in more affordable EVs.
Like other EVs, the 2024 Honda Prologue mid-size SUV isn’t cheap. It starts at $59,990, before freight, predelivery inspection and other fees and taxes. It’s available in three trims: the EX, EX-L and Touring, which I tested. Starting at $69,990, the Touring adds extras such as bigger 21-inch wheels versus the standard 19-inch ones, a head-up display and a Sport driving mode.
The Prologue shares its architecture, including batteries and electric motors, with the Chevrolet Blazer EV, which also starts just under $60,000, before freight and PDI.
Compared to the Honda CR-V, the Prologue is about 20 centimetres longer and 12.5 centimetres wider. It comes with an 85-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack and standard all-wheel drive. Its dual motors produce 288 horsepower and 333 lb-ft of torque. Honda says it has a range of about 452 kilometres, but my tester is slightly less because of the extra weight from its larger wheels. The range on the Touring is approximately 439 kilometres.
The rear seats can also recline for added comfort.Petrina Gentile/The Globe and Mail
When I left Honda Canada’s head office in Markham, Ont., the Prologue indicated I had 484 kilometres of range. When I arrived in St. Catharines, 140 kilometres later, the range was 307. On a DC fast charger, it can recharge more than 100 kilometres in about 10 minutes. I wasn’t able to find a fast charger in the St. Catharines, Ont. area and eventually went to a slow Flo EV charger with 62 per cent of the battery remaining. To get a full charge would require almost seven hours. I gave up after three hours, reaching 370 kilometres at a cost of $8.25.
The Prologue drove more like a traditional gas-powered vehicle than an EV and wasn’t as twitchy. Off the line, the acceleration was quick, smooth and confident. It wasn’t particularly exciting to drive, but it was pleasant. The range was respectable and fairly accurate to the distance travelled. In city driving, it was comfortable, whisper quiet and roomy in the cabin and cargo area. On the downside was the one-pedal driving feature, which essentially lets you drive using one pedal, the throttle. Even with two settings, normal and high, it was jarring when removing your foot from the throttle to slow the vehicle abruptly, making everyone in the cabin feel nauseous.
The steering-column mounted shifter and the turn-signal stalk are hints of the Chevrolet Blazer EV influence.Petrina Gentile/The Globe and Mail
Inside, the Prologue seats five comfortably. The rear seats can also recline for added comfort. My tester’s large panoramic roof, which spans both rows, makes it feel airy and extra spacious in the cabin. The interior is a marked departure from the rest of the Honda family. It’s not surprising to see hints of the Chevy Blazer interior in the steering wheel, the volume knob location, the steering-column mounted shifter and the turn-signal stalk. But Honda has done a respectable job at adding its own DNA and creating a clean, uncluttered cabin with two high-definition digital screens – an 11-inch driver instrumentation display and an 11.3-inch centre touch screen, which is crisp and easy to read. Everything is laid out intuitively. The knobs, buttons and dials are all within the driver’s reach. For extra convenience, the Prologue has Google Built-In – it’s the first Honda SUV with the technology. The Google Assistant works well and understands human commands easily and quickly. The Prologue also has wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility – unlike the electric Chevy Blazer, which dumped the mirror-replicating tech in favour of Google Built-in.
The all-new 2024 Honda Prologue rolls off the line with the electric Chevrolet Blazer at GM’s Ramos Arizpe, Mexico plant. It’s the first EV from Honda, which is targeting 100-per-cent zero emission vehicle sales in North America by 2040.
Tech specs
2024 Honda Prologue Touring
- Price: $69,990, plus $2,000 for freight and pre-deliver inspection
- Motor / battery: dual motor / 85-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion
- Horsepower / torque (lb-ft): 288 / 333
- Drive: all-wheel drive
- Power consumption (NRCan ratings, litres equivalent per 100 kilometres) / charging capacity: 2.4 city, 2.8 highway, 2.6 combined / 155 kilowatts
- Curb weight: 5,273 pounds
- Range (claimed and observed): 439 kilometres (fairly accurate – I used approximately 37 per cent of battery power for 140 kilometres of driving)
- Alternatives: Hyundai Ioniq 5, Kia EV6, Ford Mustang Mach-E, Volkswagen ID.4, Tesla Model Y, Nissan Ariya, Toyota bZ4X
The Touring trim has 439 kilometres of range, compared to 452 kilometres in trims with smaller wheels.Petrina Gentile/The Globe and Mail
Looks
It’s low and wide with a simple and clean design. Honda shakes up the rear by adding a new Honda name badge with cool font to make it look different than its gas-powered siblings.
Interior
The dash has an 11-inch driver instrumentation display and an 11.3-inch centre touchscreen with a volume knob that is easy to reach on the left of the centre screen.Petrina Gentile/The Globe and Mail
The interior is a twist on a traditional Honda cabin with traces of the Chevy Blazer EV. My tester came with heated and ventilated front seats, a heated steering wheel and 10-way power driver seat. Plenty of useful storage spots and large cupholders for Big Gulps.
Performance
Pleasant road manners that resemble a gas-powered vehicle. It can tow up to 1,500 pounds, too.
Technology
The Prologue comes with over-the-air software updates and Honda’s Sensing suite of safety technology, which includes Honda’s first applications of rear cross traffic braking, blind zone steering assist and available rear pedestrian alert.
Cargo
There is 671 litres of space behind the rear seats (Touring trim), which expands to 1,543 litres when the rear seats are folded flat.Petrina Gentile/The Globe and Mail
Up to 671 litres of space behind the rear seats (Touring trim), which expands to 1,543 litres when the rear seats are folded flat. A power tailgate with hands-free access is standard on my tester.
The verdict
Not bad for Honda’s first EV – the Prologue has pleasant road manners, a roomy interior and a respectable driving range. I can’t wait to see what Honda does under its own umbrella for its next EV.
Shopping for a new car? Check out the new Globe Drive Build and Price Tool to see the latest discounts, rebates and rates on new cars, trucks and SUVs. Click here to get your price.