Honda has launched the new 2023 Honda Pilot. The company is making a lot of the fact that it’s the biggest, and most powerful, Honda SUV ever. It can seat seven or eight passengers, has a new stiffer frame, and a fancy all-wheel drive system. But, is the biggest Honda Pilot really that big?
How much cargo space does the new 2023 Honda Pilot have?
The 2023 Honda Pilot | Honda
The new 2023 Honda Pilot has a lot of room. It has 114 cubic feet of storage space with the seats folded flat, and 22 cubic feet of space behind the rear seats. That puts the Pilot right between its two rivals for interior space. For comparison, Toyota’s similar three-row Highlander holds just 84 cubic feet of luggage, while the larger Chevy Tahoe holds 123 cubic feet.
A lot of that space comes thanks to two things. One, the 2023 Honda Pilot has a 3-inch longer wheelbase than the 2022 Honda Pilot. But, two, the second row of seats can be stowed under the rear cargo floor, opening up the entire middle for cargo.
How much passenger space is in the new 2023 Honda Pilot?
2023 Honda Pilot interior | Honda
The second row now has a generous 41 inches of legroom. That’s 2.4 inches more than the old Pilot. In front, it has 41 inches of legroom. While the back row only has 33 inches of legroom which, while not a lot, can comfortably seat a small adult.
The new pilot is also wider. Also, the new 2023 Honda Pilot is about two inches wider than the previous version, and that adds some shoulder and hip room to every seat. The new 2023 Honda Pilot can seat eight people with a bench seat, or seven with a pair of captain’s chairs in the middle. According to Newsweek, the storage bins can hold a large tablet.
The new Honda Pilot is also more powerful
The 2022 Honda Pilot was always quick, well quick for a large three-row SUV, with its 280 horsepower V6. But Honda had to add more power to the Pilot to compete with new SUVs from Hyundai, like the Palisade, and the upgraded Toyota Highlander. It gets a new 285-horsepower V6 that is tied to a new 10-speed automatic that can keep the engine in its sweet spot more often.
The new Pilot can also be ordered with the latest version of Honda’s i-VTM4 all-wheel drive system from the Ridgeline truck. It’s the second generation of the system, and with a new differential, it can put the power down quicker and smoother than the previous version. The Pilot’s 5,000-pound towing capacity doesn’t change.
How much is a new 2023 Honda Pilot?
The 2023 @Honda Pilot's new looks come with a new price over $40,000: https://t.co/uBUiGZw4Ig pic.twitter.com/1KXEKaSVKs
— Car and Driver (@CARandDRIVER) December 10, 2022
Honda says the new Pilot prices will start at $39,150 for the front-wheel drive Sport version. For the first time, Honda is labeling the Pilot as either an 8-Occupant or a 7-Occupant version. The seven-passenger version has two captain’s chairs in the middle and $300 to the price. The top-line Touring and Trailsport and Elite trims cost around $50,000. Destination charges are $1,295 and all-wheel drive is a $2,100 option on all trims.
While Honda is taking a page out of the Toyota playbook and adding a special HPD version with decals and fender flares, it’s simply an appearance package.