Honda Prologue | Is the current flowing or not?

(Sonoma, California) The objective is clearly determined: Honda will only produce electric vehicles by 2040. Very good, but the contours and collaborations still remain to be defined. After having flirted with the electric fairy for a long time, Honda reconnected everything. It remains to be seen if, this time, the connection will pass between consumers and the Prologue, its latest addition.

On October 25, Honda and General Motors announced that they were ending their collaboration on the creation of an inexpensive electric vehicle which should see the light of day in 2027. This decision, however, in no way calls into question other joint projects to both manufacturers, including Honda's Prologue – a battery-powered SUV heavily derived from the Chevrolet Blazer EV.

General Motors is not Honda's only partner. The Japanese manufacturer also has an agreement with the giant Sony to create, under the name Afeela, a complete range of electric vehicles. This will be visible from 2025.

Therefore, there is reason to wonder if the Prologue is not a stillborn product. Or at the very least an interim vehicle like the Isuzu Rodeo was for example before Honda built its own Passport. This question, naturally, shocks Honda, but it arises. What evolution will this model benefit from during its existence? In fact, will he even have offspring? The managers of the Japanese firm limit themselves to recalling that “its name clearly indicates it: the Prologue marks a beginning”. For Canada, at least. In the United States, Honda once marketed a fully electric version of the Clarity (we were treated to the hybrid version of this model). In Europe and Japan, Honda also put the “e” on the market in 2020, only to withdraw it from circulation three years later. What fate does the Japanese brand have in store for the Prologue?

Yes, a start

The Prologue will make its debut in Canadian dealerships this spring. Quebec and British Columbia will be the markets favored by the Japanese brand during the first year.

More imposing than an ID.4 (Volkswagen) or an Ariya (Nissan), the Prologue has virtually no direct competitor. Only Chevrolet's future Blazer EV risks rolling into its borders. Unlike the latter, however, the Prologue sold in Canada will only be offered with a four-wheel drive mode (i.e. one motor on each axle).

This Honda is a normal electric vehicle. Banal, even. This lack of originality will not fail to be welcomed. Because it is also with ordinary models that the electric automobile will be integrated into real life.

Although not spectacular, or even avant-garde, the Prologue's interior has the merit of being spacious both front and rear. Only tall people will probably find fault with the roof clearance, which is rather limited.

The seat backs fold, but not completely flat, to increase trunk volume. On the other hand, under the hood, we do not find the additional space (commonly called the “frunk”) so dear to electric vehicle enthusiasts. That said, true to its reputation, Honda has been able to fit several receptacles on board to facilitate the storage of the numerous accessories that accompany our “modern” lives.

No risk

Sitting at the controls, you don't really feel the thrill of technological innovation. The interior presentation is nothing daring or alluring either. The instrumentation is classic. On a full charge, it is possible to travel up to 452 km without refueling. And the charging power set at 150 kW allows, according to Honda, to restore a range of more than 100 km in around 10 minutes. Offered standard on Canadian Prologue models, the portable charging kit includes an adapter for level 1 and 2 charging.

Driving the Prologue remains, like all electric vehicles, an exercise that escapes banality. We appreciate the silence of operation and the pleasure at the wheel despite the weight of this Honda. Everything encourages you to ride smoothly by taking advantage of the extreme elasticity of the electric group. Concretely, you barely use the brake pedal – the inertia is sufficient – ​​provided you anticipate traffic hazards. And then, from time to time, it is not forbidden to allow yourself a little pleasure.

By accelerating sharply when the light turns green, you leave (almost) everyone there… With their constant torque, the electric motors instantly make the Prologue jump.

Although the Prologue entirely adopts General Motors' architecture, Honda likes to point out that its engineers have made certain modifications. The suspension and steering settings have been subject to certain adjustments to make the ride livelier and more agile. As we have not been able to evaluate the Blazer EV, it is impossible at this stage to say whether this objective has really been achieved. However, we note the firmness of the suspensory elements – not uncomfortable at all – and the rolling noises. However, it would be a bad case to blame him for it. The Prologue given to us was a pre-production model. Let's then wait for the final version and carry out our usage tests (autonomy and recharging) before expressing a decisive opinion.

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