TORRANCE, California, Nov. 4, 2016 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — Honda continues to strengthen its position in the three-row SUV segment with fresh updates to the award-winning Honda Pilot for the 2017 model year. The 2017 Pilot will now be available with Apple CarPlay™ and Android Auto™ functionality, a new fingerprint resistant touchscreen and an expanded interior color palette. The 2017 Honda Pilot goes on sale beginning Monday, November 7, with a starting manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP)¹ of $30,595 for LX 2WD and $32,395 for LX AWD.

“The all-new third-generation Pilot has been a huge hit with SUV buyers,” said Jeff Conrad, Honda Division senior vice president and general manager. “For 2017, we’re making Pilot even more appealing with new technology and options that our customers are seeking.”

Honda was among the first automakers to incorporate Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, starting with the 2016 Accord and Civic. For 2017, Pilot EX and above trims will now feature Apple CarPlay and Android Auto functionality integrated into an improved 8-inch Display Audio touchscreen. These models will also see application of a new coating to reduce the appearance of fingerprints on the screen while retaining high glare resistance. Customer choice is also further enhanced for 2017 with extended availability of a black interior, now available on all trims optioned with the White Diamond Pearl exterior paint (previously available only on Elite).

Since its introduction in the summer of 2015, the Honda Pilot has earned a host of awards and accolades, including being named one of the “Best Cars for the Money” by U.S. News & World Report; “Best SUV of 2016” by Hispanic Motor Press; “Best Family Cars of 2016” by KBB.com, Parents Magazine and Edmunds.com; and as a finalist for 2016 North American Truck/Utility of the Year.

2017 Pilot Pricing and EPA Fuel Economy Ratings

Family-Friendly Utility
The Pilot builds on its reputation for interior space, versatility and utility with comfortable seating for up to eight passengers and a cargo area that can hold an 82-quart cooler without compromising third-row seating capability. Third-row entry and exit is easy and intuitive courtesy of the available one-touch second-row seat on EX-L and above models, and large third-row entryway.

The Pilot’s center console features a cavernous storage compartment capable of accommodating items as large as a full-size iPad or a purse. And with its seamless cover in the closed position, the console provides a convenient, non-slip surface for items that the driver or front passenger may need close at hand.

Powertrain
The 2017 Pilot delivers refined, powerful and fuel-efficient performance courtesy of its 3.5-liter, direct-injected i-VTEC^® V-6 engine with Variable Cylinder Management™ (VCM™) cylinder deactivation technology producing peak output of 280 horsepower and 262 lb.-ft. of torque.³ The engine is matched to a choice of two advanced transmissions – a 6-speed automatic transmission or, on upper trims, a 9-speed automatic transmission – both delivering refined, responsive and fuel-efficient performance.

These powertrains combine with a light yet rigid unit-body structure and aerodynamically efficient body and chassis designs that result in class-leading EPA fuel economy ratings topping out at 20/27/23 mpg (city/highway/combined) for two-wheel-drive models and 19/26/22 mpg for all-wheel-drive models.²

Intelligent Variable Torque Management (i-VTM4™) AWD System
The Pilot’s available Intelligent VTM4 (i-VTM4) is the most sophisticated and technologically advanced all-wheel-drive system offered in a mainstream, three-row SUV. This entirely more capable system progressively distributes optimum torque between the front and rear axles and dynamically distributes engine torque between the left and right rear wheels. Benefits include superior all-weather handling and neutral, accurate steering under power that is more effective than front-drive, rear-drive or conventional all-wheel-drive systems.

Intelligent Traction Management
All Pilots feature a button-operated Intelligent Terrain Management System that offers different operating modes, for the AWD: Normal, Snow, Mud and Sand; and for the FWD: Normal and Snow. Developed, tuned and tested in challenging locations in the U.S. and around the world – including Imperial Dunes “Glamis”, California; Moscow, Russia; and Dubai, United Arab Emirates – the Intelligent Traction Management system allows the driver to select the operating mode that best suits the driving conditions by simply pushing a button on the vehicle’s center console. Based on the setting selected, the system adjusts the drive-by-wire map, transmission shift map, Vehicle Stability Assist™ and i-VTM4 torque distribution for AWD-equipped models for optimal performance in a variety of road or surface conditions.

Advanced Safety and Assistive Performance
In keeping with Honda’s commitment to safety and driver convenience, the Pilot is available with Honda Sensing™, a suite of technologies designed to expand the driver’s situational awareness while sensing and responding to potential road hazards, including other vehicles, road obstacles and even pedestrians, even to the point of mitigating the possibility or severity of a collision. The Pilot includes a standard Multi-Angle Rearview Camera and an available suite of safety and driver assistive technologies that includes LaneWatch™ display, a blind spot information system, Collision Mitigation Braking System™ (CMBS™), Lane Departure Warning (LDW), Forward Collision Warning (FCW), Lane Keeping Assist System (LKAS), Adaptive Cruise Control, Road Departure Mitigation (RDM) system and Rear Cross Traffic Monitor.

The 2017 Pilot earned top safety ratings from the National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), including a 5-Star Overall Vehicle Score, and is expected to earn a Top Safety Pick rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), including a GOOD rating in all crash modes and a SUPERIOR rating for front crash prevention. The Pilot incorporates Honda’s next generation Advanced Compatibility Engineering™ (ACE™) body structure, designed to efficiently absorb and disperse the energy from a frontal collision, along with ultra-high-strength door rings designed to help better protect occupants.

Standard safety and driver-assistive features include four-channel anti-lock brakes (ABS) with Brake Assist and Hill Start Assist; Vehicle Stability Assist™ (VSA^®) with Traction Control; dual-stage, multiple-threshold front airbags, driver and front passenger side airbags and side-curtain airbags for all outboard seating positions; and a Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) with real-time display of individual tire pressures.

Pilot Manufacturing
The Honda Pilot was designed and developed by Honda R&D Americas, Inc., in Los Angeles and Ohio, and is manufactured exclusively by Honda Manufacturing of Alabama, LLC in Lincoln, Alabama using domestic and globally sourced parts.

About Honda
Honda offers a full line of reliable, fuel-efficient and fun-to-drive vehicles with advanced safety technologies sold through over 1,000 independent U.S. Honda dealers. The Honda lineup includes the Fit, Civic and Accord passenger cars, along with the HR-V, CR-V and Pilot sport/utility vehicles, the Ridgeline pickup and the Odyssey minivan.

Honda has been producing automobiles in America for 33 years and currently operates 19 major manufacturing facilities in North America. In 2015, more than 99 percent of all Honda vehicles sold in the U.S. were made in North America, using domestic and globally sourced parts.

¹ MSRP (Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price) excluding tax, license, registration, $880 destination charge and options. Dealer prices may vary.
² Based on 2017 EPA mileage ratings. Use for comparison purposes only. Your mileage will vary depending on how you drive and maintain your vehicle, driving conditions and other factors.
³ Peak power: 280 HP @ 6000 RPM (SAE net), peak torque: 262 ft-lb (355 Nm) @ 4700 RPM (SAE net)

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