Aside from Tesla, which only has issues with how late its new models hit the market (just think of Cybertruck and second-gen Roadster, for example), it seems that everyone else is having trouble with the novel EV lifestyle experience in America.
While Europeans think the secret lies with affordability (just like Tesla does) and Volvo wants to introduce the $35k subcompact EX30 crossover or Citroen the all-new $24,600 e-C3 subcompact hatchback/CUV across the big pond, things are pretty messy, indeed.
That is mainly because the players only throw massive SUVs and trucks at the market and then expect customers to foot the bill not just for the costly batteries but also for the inflation galore and the ever-higher profit hunger. So, we heard that Ford had to lay off workers building the F-150 Lightning because people don't buy a $100k EV truck, GM still doesn't sell the GMC Hummer EV well, and it even postponed the launch into production of the Chevy Silverado EV and GMC Sierra WV.
Well, no worries, savvy brands like Kia and Honda might quickly disrupt the market. The former just announced all the details about its $54k Kia EV9 three-row crossover SUV, and Honda also debuted the 2024 Prologue with almost 300 ponies, some 300 miles of range, and also a potentially great MSRP announced somewhere in the upper $40k range. And, since it's based on the BEV3 dedicated architecture from GM, the Japanese automaker doesn't even have to pay all the bills.
As such, the Prologue is twinned with many GM models and the Acura ZDX, but because the US automaker is 'lazy,' only the Cadillac Lyriq is on the market with a much higher $58,590 base price tag. So, if they hurry up, they could beat in the race to dealerships the Chevrolet Blazer EV and Equinox EV, as well as the upcoming next-gen Chevy Bolt, among others. Interesting, right?
However, maybe Honda does not intend to undercut its American ally because it wants to profit even more. Remember, the Prologue will be offered in both FWD (single motor) and AWD (dual motor) configurations, and Acura will also sell a Type S alongside the regular ZDX. So, what if the Japanese automaker decides to honor the Type R legacy in the future and also introduce a high-performance Prologue?
Frankly, there's ample choice because GM offers higher performance points for the Blazer SS EV with 557 hp and Lyriq with 500 horsepower on tap. It could also represent a nice middle-ground between the Prologue and Acura ZDX Type S with something along the lines of 400 electric ponies. But how about the looks? Well, for that, we have to tune in to the imaginative realm of digital car content creators.
Over there, Dimas Ramadhan, the virtual automotive artist behind the Digimods DESIGN channel on YouTube, has recently taken up the task of revealing that feistier Prologue Type R. So, what do you think? Is it a looker or a stinker? And was the pixel master right to try to engine-swap the Prologue to an ICE-powered lifestyle?
Aurel has aimed high all his life (literally, at 16 he was flying gliders all by himself) so in 2006 he switched careers and got hired as a writer at his favorite magazine. Since then, his work has been published both by print and online outlets, most recently right here, on autoevolution. Full profile
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