Honda Automobiles: 2016 Honda Pilot

by

Overview
The 2016 Pilot interior is a clean-slate design that offers new levels of premium quality, convenience and user-friendly technology in an even more spacious, versatile and family-friendly package. The new Pilot reaches higher into the premium end of the market with major upgrades to interior quality and refinement and more premium features than ever before, including available heated and ventilated front seats, a heated steering wheel, heated second-row seats, and a Honda-first panoramic glass roof option – all offered as standard equipment on the new line-topping Pilot Elite trim.

All Pilot trims except for the new Elite trim feature 8-passenger seating with a three-person second-row bench seat. The new 7-passenger Pilot Elite is equipped with two second-row captain’s chairs and a low-profile second-row center console that allows for easy walk through between the second and third rows.

The new Pilot builds on its reputation for best-in-class interior space with one inch more tandem seating space and a 1.3-inch longer cargo area (behind the third-row seat) that allows the new Pilot to hold an 82-quart cooler without compromising third-row seating capacity. Third-row entry and exit is made even easier and more intuitive courtesy of a 1.4-inch lower step in height, a 2.5-inch wider foot entry space and new one-touch second-row seats on EX-L and above trims.

New Available Interior Features

* First for Pilot
^ First for Honda

Interior Styling
The new Pilot interior takes the refinement of Honda’s flagship SUV to a whole new level with high-quality, soft-touch materials and premium touches applied liberally throughout, including a leatherette dash board upper with stitch pattern and available LED accent lighting in the first two rows. The instrument panel is highlighted by striking new high-contrast instrumentation, a 4.2-inch full-color Multi-Information Display (MID) and a larger 8-inch Display Audio touchscreen. Fit, finish and materials have received close attention, and soft leather seating is standard on EX-L and higher trims.

Interior Colors
The Pilot’s interior palette is sophisticated and coordinated and is offered in new black, gray or beige colors – fabric in the LX and EX, leather in the EX-L, Touring and Elite.

See the Exterior section for more information about exterior colors.

Versatile, Spacious and Family Friendly Cabin
The Pilot has always been appreciated for its incredibly roomy and versatile cabin and user-friendly design, and the new third generation builds on that reputation. With completely redesigned packaging, the Pilot has a lower floor compared to the previous generation, with seating that is about 1.0 inch lower in the first row, 1.2 inches lower in the second row, and 2.2 inches lower in the third row. The distance between the first and third row hip-points has been increased by 1.0 inch. The panoramic glass roof (on Elite trims) adds to the feeling of open airiness, and has a motorized sunshade controlled from the first row seats. See Comfort and Convenience section for more information.

2015 Pilot – 2016 Pilot Interior Space Comparison

Cargo Carrying
The Pilot’s cargo area is designed with versatile utility in mind. The Pilot’s Flexible Cargo Management System features a two-position cargo lid that lets you hide cargo in a lower compartment, out of sight. It can also be repositioned at the bottom on the cargo compartment to make room for taller cargo. In this mode, the Pilot can accommodate a large 82-quart ice chest without folding the third-row seats. The cargo lid is also reversible – carpeted on one side and with a durable and water resistant hard plastic surface on the flipside – perfect for holding wet or dirty items. A side compartment is designed to handle small items, like groceries or a gallon of milk. The cargo area’s flat floor makes loading easier. A 12-volt power outlet is positioned in the cargo area for greater convenience on EX and above trims.

Behind the third row of seating, the Pilot LX offers 18.5 cubic feet1 of storage area. The third-row seats are split 60/40, and each side can be folded flat. This opens up a total of 55.9 cubic feet1 of space behind the second row of seating. With both the second and third rows of seating folded, the Pilot offers a maximum of 109.0 cubic-feet1 of cargo space.

Multi-Function Center Console
The Pilot interior offers a range of convenient storage features for the driver and passengers. The center console is specially engineered to offer tremendous versatility and utility. Up front, it has a smartphone tray and a pair of cupholders. The main storage compartment is topped by a sliding tambour door that disappears from view when opened, instead of getting in the way as a hinged lid might. When closed, it creates a large, rigid and flat surface upon which items, like a purse, can be placed. Inside is a sliding smartphone tray, along with a 12-volt power outlet and USB4 and auxiliary jacks. The interior compartment is large enough to accommodate a purse or up to five iPads.

The rear of the center console includes automatic climate controls for the second-row passengers. When equipped with a Rear Entertainment System (RES), controls for its operation are also located here.

Steering Wheel
The steering wheel, leather-wrapped on EX-L and above trims, incorporates the most commonly used controls, allowing the driver to keep their hands on the wheel and their eyes on the road.

In all trims, the steering wheel offers manual tilt and telescopic adjustment. Bluetooth® HandsFreeLink® and audio system controls are located on the left side of the steering wheel; cruise control and Multi-Information Display (MID) controls are on the right side. Trims with Honda Sensing™ have LKAS and ACC controls located on the right side of the steering wheel as well. On Touring and Elite trims, tucked out of view but within fingertip reach are a pair of paddle shifters that allow for manual operation of the 9-speed transmission. A heated steering wheel is standard in the Pilot Elite.

One-Touch Power Moonroof with Tilt Feature
The Pilot EX-L, Touring and Elite trims feature a power tilting and sliding front moonroof with a manual sunshade. To tilt or slide the moonroof, the driver or front passenger needs only to fully press the ceiling-mounted switch once (instead of pressing and holding it for several seconds). The moonroof fully opens or closes automatically. However, if the operator wishes to only partially open or close the moonroof (such as to achieve partial ventilation), a lighter touch yields fully manual control. The moonroof can also tilt to provide ventilation. An auto-reverse feature is built in, helping to mitigate the possibility of a pinched finger or limb. If the moonroof motor’s ECU detects a threshold level of mechanical resistance, indicating a possible obstruction, the motor will automatically reverse and reopen the moonroof.

Panoramic Glass Roof
The Pilot Elite exclusively features a standard fixed panoramic glass roof over the second- and third-row seats. The glass panel adds to the feeling of open airiness, and has a motorized sunshade controlled from the first row seats. The Pilot structure is engineered to accommodate the panoramic glass roof while still meeting crucial roof crush safety standards and minimizing intrusions to the cabin space. See the Safety and Driver Assistance section for more information.

Power Windows, Locks and Mirrors
Power windows are standard equipment on all Pilot models and include auto-up and -down operation on the driver’s and front passenger’s windows. Power door locks and power mirrors are standard equipment on all Pilot models. Pilot AWD models EX and above include heated exterior mirrors. Smart entry is standard on Pilot EX and above trims.

Sliding Sunvisors
To provide more flexible shading from the sun, all Pilots come equipped with sliding driver and front passenger sunvisors that can be extended 6.1inches along their mounting shaft, a distance that provides perpendicular shade for the eyes even when the front seats are in their rear-most position.

Second-Row Sliding Sunscreens
For increased rear-seat privacy, reduced solar loading and glare, Pilot trims with the Rear Entertainment System have standard manually operated sunshades for each rear door side window.

Auto-Dimming Rearview Mirror
Pilot EX-L, Touring and Elite trims feature an electro chromatic interior rearview mirror that automatically dims during nighttime driving to reduce glare from the headlights of following vehicles.

Meter
The Pilot has analog instrumentation with large tachometer on the left and coolant-temperature and fuel-level gauge on the right of a central 4.2-inch full-color Multi-Information Display (MID) that provides a range of information and trip computer functions. The digital speedometer is prominently positioned front-and-center above the MID.

The gauge package progressively illuminates to give the driver a welcoming feel upon entry. When the door is first opened, the instrument lighting illuminates and then brightens progressively to 100-percent illumination when the ignition is switched on. The illuminated instrument panel then comes alive, indicating that the car is ready to go. At the end of the drive, the instrument lighting dims progressively.

Multi-Information Display (MID)
The Pilot instrument panel provides important vehicle information via a Multi-Information Display (MID) positioned centrally in the meter panel. Controls positioned on the right side of the steering wheel allow the driver to cycle the MID display through multiple screens of information from sources including LKAS, ACC and more. The Maintenance Minder™ system alerts the Pilot driver of upcoming maintenance needs via the MID and should a fault occur with the vehicle, specific warning information will appear. The display indicates when to change the oil, air cleaner, transmission fluid, spark plugs or coolant, as well as when to rotate the tires.

Multi-information Display Features

Advanced and Intuitive Instrumentation and Controls
All important systems and controls in the Pilot are positioned within easy reach of the driver. Controls for the systems used most frequently – audio, cruise control, Bluetooth®5 HandsFreeLink®, available navigation system with voice recognition and Multi-Information Display – are conveniently positioned on the steering wheel. The main instrumentation is an easy-to-read analog design, supplemented with digital and graphic displays. Typical of Honda interior design, the soft-touch switchgear of the Pilot is engineered to deliver a high-quality feel and positive action. A new standard multi-angle rearview camera provides a choice of three different views.

Instrumentation

Engine Immobilizer
Complementing the remote entry system is a standard engine-immobilizer system. A special electronically coded key prevents the car from being started-even if a mechanical duplicate of the key is used. A transponder, built into the key, signals the immobilizer control unit that the key is genuine. If the car is hot-wired, or an unauthorized key is used, the engine will not start.

Transmission Controls
In the Pilot LX, EX and EX-L, the 6-speed automatic transmission has a conventional straight-gate shifter that is intuitive and easy-to-use and takes up little space in the center console. In the Touring and Elite models with a standard 9-speed automatic transmission, the conventional console-mounted shift lever is replaced with a fully electronic, shift-by-wire gear selector. Park, Neutral, Drive and Sport are selected with the push of a button. See the Powertrain section for more information.

# # #

1 Based on SAE J1100 cargo volume measurement standard plus floor space between first and second seats and front seats moved forward. This figure compares more accurately with most competitive measurements.