Our 5 Favourite Changes To The All-New 2023 Honda Pilot

The all-new, fourth-generation, 2023 Honda Pilot is larger and more rugged than any Pilot before. There's a new 3.5-liter V6 engine that also makes the new Pilot the most powerful Honda SUV ever. There's more technology. The entry point is a high-style Sport trim riding on 20-inch wheels. The new Pilot is more refined than ever, as well, with special attention paid to sound-absorbing technologies and acoustical spray to minimize wind, road, and powertrain noise.

We could go on and on. And so we will. The 2023 Honda Pilot looks terrific thanks to a bolder grille that is now distinctly Honda in shape, slim headlight housings, and bridged taillights with stronger Pilot emblems. Honda has added Hill Descent Control to the Pilot for the first time. Honda's ACE architecture is now further optimized for crash compatibility with smaller vehicles – IIHS Top Safety Pick+ and NHTSA 5-star ratings are anticipated.

The details are endless, but there are five updates, changes, advances, and improvements that stand out about this fourth-generation of the Pilot. Honda initiated the Pilot in 2002 (for the 2003 model year), launched the second Pilot for the 2009 model year, and then kickstarted the third iteration of the Pilot in 2016. 2022 is the final year for the third-generation Pilot. 

And now that the all-new Pilot is nearly here, these are our 5 favourite changes Honda is bringing to the table for 2023.

THE SECOND ROW

Honda added a few inches of extra length to the Pilot for 2023 and distributed that space across the cabin. For example, the new Pilot's second row of seating now offers six additional centimetres of legroom. Moreover, the second row can recline an additional 10 degrees for more comfort and tilts farther forward for improved access to the third row. Added bonus: the third row has 16 mm of extra legroom, too. 

THE 8th SEAT

Okay, so this is actually part of the second row, too, but it deserves its own category. The middle seat of the second row can be left on its own to form a traditional second row bench for three-across seating and a total of eight passengers. Or the middle seat can be folded down to expose additional cupholders for the two outboard passengers in the second row. Or – and this is the new part – the second-row's middle seat can be removed for a centre pass-through to the third row. And when that seat is removed, it can be stored in the cargo well under the floor behind the third row.

TRAILSPORT

After the Passport, the 2023 Pilot is the second Honda model to debut a TrailSport model. This is the real-deal, an authentic go-between the pavement and the trail. It's not simply a cosmetic upgrade. The Pilot TrailSport (pictured) will wear Continental TerrainContact all-terrain tires (265/60R18) for superior capability in sand, mud, rocky terrain, and snow. The TrailSport also includes a 25mm lift that adds ground clearance and improves approach/departure/breakover angles. There's different stabilizer bars, TrailSport-exclusive spring rates and damper valving, and meaty skid plates for the oil pan, transmission, and gas tank that are designed to support the entire weight of the vehicle. 

BOSE CENTERPOINT SURROUND STAGE

This isn't the first Honda with an available Bose audio system, but the 2023 Touring and Black Edition versions do make this the first Pilot with Bose audio. This is a 12-speaker unit (with a 15.7-litre capacity subwoofer box) that features Centerpoint technology and SurroundStage digital signal processing. What's that mean? Well, yeah, it's loud. But it also means that every occupant of the Pilot will feel as though the concert is tuned for their individual seating position.

THE CARGO AREA

When Honda made the new Pilot a little bit bigger, the second row received more space. And the cargo area received a lot more space. Too many allegedly family-sized SUVs offer space for the family but forget about the family's stuff. The third-generation Pilot made it possible to bring along large items behind the third row like bigger suitcases and large coolers. The 2023 Pilot goes a step further. Multiple steps further, really. There are now 635 litres of space behind the third row, 21% more than before.