Photo: Honda
Notice anything remotely strange with Honda’s vehicle lineup in the United States? On the subject of crossover and SUVs, there’s a bit of a void between the compact-sized CR-V and the Pilot three-row family hauler, and Honda is said to plan on filling that empty space.
More or less official reports argued that the Japanese automaker is interested in offering a smaller take on the Pilot for the U.S. market, and it makes sense. Not everyone in the market for a mid-size SUV wants three rows of seats and the price premium that comes with all that space, though.
And this is where a two-row version of the Pilot, sporting a slightly smaller wheelbase, comes into the spotlight. Such a model makes plenty of sense considering that Honda doesn’t have a direct rival for the likes of the Nissan Murano and Ford Edge. Then there’s a recent announcement according to which $85 million will be taken by the Lincoln, Alabama complex to support the Pilot’s production.
An undisclosed amount of that 85 mil will help Honda prepare “for future opportunities in our industry,” as well as to “strengthen the logistic efficiency for future models.” Make no mistake about it, but Honda’s North American division is definitely onto something considering the choice of words used to describe the investment.
Further proof on the alleged junior Pilot comes from Car & Driver, who discovered something particularly interesting. A search with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office revealed that the peeps at Honda Motor Co. have filed the following trademark: “Passport.”
This is hardly a confirmation that the new model will be called Passport, but there’s something about this handle. More to the point, how was the mid-sized SUV before the Pilot called? Yup, Passport was its name, and both generations were manufactured up to 2002, when the Pilot took over.
Both came in the form of Isuzu Rodeos with different badges, and for what it’s worth, Passport doesn’t sound exactly enticing.
And this is where a two-row version of the Pilot, sporting a slightly smaller wheelbase, comes into the spotlight. Such a model makes plenty of sense considering that Honda doesn’t have a direct rival for the likes of the Nissan Murano and Ford Edge. Then there’s a recent announcement according to which $85 million will be taken by the Lincoln, Alabama complex to support the Pilot’s production.
An undisclosed amount of that 85 mil will help Honda prepare “for future opportunities in our industry,” as well as to “strengthen the logistic efficiency for future models.” Make no mistake about it, but Honda’s North American division is definitely onto something considering the choice of words used to describe the investment.
Further proof on the alleged junior Pilot comes from Car & Driver, who discovered something particularly interesting. A search with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office revealed that the peeps at Honda Motor Co. have filed the following trademark: “Passport.”
This is hardly a confirmation that the new model will be called Passport, but there’s something about this handle. More to the point, how was the mid-sized SUV before the Pilot called? Yup, Passport was its name, and both generations were manufactured up to 2002, when the Pilot took over.
Both came in the form of Isuzu Rodeos with different badges, and for what it’s worth, Passport doesn’t sound exactly enticing.
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