An unholy alliance: How much of the 2024 Honda Prologue EV is actually a Honda?

In literature, a prologue provides the introduction to what is about to happen in a book.

For Honda Cars, its Prologue kicks off a new tale in the Japanese firm’s 75-year history: its foray into the electric sport-utility vehicle (SUV) market.

The carmaker debuted on October 2022 a render of the production version of its much-awaited SUV, which is set to go on sale in 2024. It is expected to slot between the smaller CR-V and the Pilot.

The Prologue is the result of a September 2020 agreement between Honda and General Motors (GM) to produce electric vehicles for the North American market. In fact, the Prologue will use the same GM BEV3 platform and Ultium batteries as the Cadillac Lyriq, the Chevy Blazer EV, and the Hummer EV. See Honda's teaser video of the Prologue here to get a better picture of its overall look.

Chunky exterior with crisp lines

The Honda Prologue is not Honda’s first-ever electric SUV. That title actually goes to the China-only Honda e:NP1 and its sportier sibling, the e:NS1. Both are built on the HR-V patform shoehorned with a battery pack and an electric motor. The Prologue, though, is based on a platform that was designed to be an EV from the ground up... by General Motors. 

Its exteriors follow what Honda calls the “Neo-Rugged” design concept.

As photos from American Honda Motor Company show, up front, the Honda Prologue is similar to the CR-V and Pilot with pointed headlights and a blanked-off grill that top off a high hood line. The four-sided faux grill lower down is flanked by slim rectangular auxiliary lights.

Down the side, the body is reminiscent of the Lyriq, albeit without the drama that the Cadillac brings. The high beltline kinks upward at the D-pillar, and the eye-catching 21-inch, six-spoke wheels fill the arches very nicely.

At the rear, Honda lovers will spot something unusual immediately: the company’s traditional “H” emblem is missing. This has been replaced by the word “Honda” in the blacked-out trim between the thin taillights. It follows a trend in rear end branding found in EVs like the Porsche Taycan, the Mazda CX-30 and the newer BYDs where brand names are spelled with extra-wide kerning.

The pert backside also has black plastic accents with silver trim on the bumper.

Huge dashboard displays

Inside the Prologue, there really isn’t much about the interior that stands out as Honda seems to prefer simplicity over outright flashiness.

The dashboard follows the clean and crisp design of the exterior, with the air-conditioning controls and the vents all in one row. It looks a lot like a lower-market version of the Lyriq’s interior or a less busy cabin of the Chevy Blazer EV. 

Curiously, there are at least two USB-C ports on the centerconsole which makes us wonder if the Prologue will support wireless charging, or even wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. We reckon by 2024 those features should be standard on an SUV, much less an EV one. 

What will get your attention are the pair of 11-inch displays for the infotainment system and the gauge cluster. But that may look dated for a 2024 model year car, unless Honda translates more of its retro-fashioned looks into the cabin of the Prologue before its release.

500-kilometer range possible

Although there are few details yet about the Prologue’s drivetrain, you can find clues from its American cousins.

The Lyriq SUV has a 100-kWh battery mated to a single motor for the rear-wheel drive variant, which produces 345 PS and 441 Nm of torque. It also comes in a dual-motor, all-wheel drive version that puts out 507 PS and 610 Nm.

GM said the BEV3 platform “enables a near 50/50 weight distribution of the vehicle and a lower center of gravity,” which would likely delight keen Honda drivers. 

The American carmaker said Ultium battery vehicles could go over 480 kilometers on a single charge. The Lyriq’s claimed maximum range is 502 kilometers.

Do you think the Prologue is a worthy introduction to Honda’s all-electric future?