This year has been full of surprises on the electric vehicle beat. But one of the biggest and most pleasant ones to see has been the unexpected success of the 2024 Honda Prologue. I'll be brutally candid and say that I didn't expect Honda's white-labeling of the General Motors Ultium EV platform to be anything more than a glorified compliance vehicle, but I was wrong—the Prologue continues to be a sales success month after month.
Another surprise: the Prologue itself is actually quite good. In fact, you could make the case that it's the best overall Ultium car this side of the luxury stuff like the Cadillac Lyriq. I'm not completely convinced of that case, but I get why it's a hit.
If you're curious about the Honda Prologue, you've come to the right place. I'm driving one for the next few days. What do you want to know about it?
The Prologue in question (and please pardon the approximately six inches of snow that's hit my corner of upstate New York) is an AWD Elite model, sitting at the very top of the lineup that's loaded with standard features. All-in, this example is $59,750 before any tax credits and such. I balked at that price tag too, but press-tester cars are almost always loaded with options and features. A quick search of AutoTrader reveals many can be had for under $50,000. The Prologue also fully qualifies for the $7,500 EV tax credits to knock that down even further. It's built in Mexico alongside its platform-mates the Chevrolet Blazer EV and Equinox EV.
I'd argue that like those cars, you do get a lot here, especially if tax credits bring you down to the low- or mid-$40,000 range. This dual-motor all-wheel-drive Prologue packs an 85 kWh battery good for up to 273 miles of range. If you can live without AWD, the front-drive versions do better at up to 296 miles of range. You also get DC fast-charging at speeds of up to 155 kW and Honda will even throw in a Level 2 home charger and offset installation costs, or offer you a 120-volt portable charger or credits at EVgo stations. Not a bad deal at all; for an EV newcomer, Honda's doing better than most at getting you hooked up with charging options.
What's Good So Far?
I know that more than a few folks were upset that Honda's first modern EV offering was their take on GM's batteries and hardware, but while the Prologue doesn't feel as full-blown Honda-ish as a homegrown effort could, it does have its own vibe. The software is skinned to resemble Honda's other cars, and while it still benefits from the Google-based Android Automotive system we've been impressed with on the GM cars, unlike them, it has Apple CarPlay. That alone may be reason for many people to spring for one of these over a comparable Chevy product.
But overall, the vibe is normal. At times, I've almost forgotten I was driving an electric car. It doesn't look like a spaceship, it's got a power on/off button, and while it's quick enough, it'll hardly tear your face off like a Tesla Model Y Performance. If you want a Honda Passport that doesn't use gasoline, this is pretty darn close. And I think that's why it's resonating with people right now.
Finally, I'm massively impressed with how the dual-motor AWD has handled all this snow, even with all-season tires. EVs have huge traction advantages over gas cars in bad weather and the Prologue probably kept me out of trouble a few times over the past few days—including when I had to do a mid-blizzard Home Depot run to fix a busted kitchen sink.
What's Not So Great?
To me, the best Hondas are the ones with a good degree of athleticism—the Civic Si that's eminently capable in the corners but is still a superb daily-driver, or the Accord or CR-V that's far more engaging than a comparable Toyota. And the 5,200-pound Prologue isn't really that car. Most of GM's EVs are on the heavy and unwieldy side, so while Honda's engineers stuned the suspension here they could clearly only do so much.
The Prologue also isn't as feature-loaded as other EVs, including Ultium ones. There's no Snow Mode, for example, and the charging speeds still lag a lot of rivals (just like the GM cars.) I've also had some connectivity issues with Apple CarPlay; sometimes it comes on when the car starts, sometimes it's totally unresponsive. Maybe the GM-derived software is being passive-aggressive here. I can't say.
There's just a lot more good than bad with the Prologue. I know I've used the word "normal" before here, but with the conventional array of buttons, easy-to-navigate menus, straightforward driving manners and everyday capability, it just seems like any other Honda—only a bit heavier and sans gasoline. And I think a lot of buyers are after exactly that right now.
I'll have more to say in a full review of the Prologue soon. In the meantime, what do you want to know about it? Ask away in the comments or shoot me an email.
Contact the author: patrick.george@insideevs.com
