2024 Honda Prologue Review: To New Beginnings

When is a GM product not a GM product? When it’s a Honda.

At this point, it’s fairly common knowledge that the 2024 Honda Prologue sits atop General Motors’ platform-formerly-known-as-Ultium. It was more of a fling than a long-term partnership too: Honda has since announced it is moving its own EV development forward, making the Prologue and related Acura ZDX the only results of the pairing.

What might be less apparent is that the Prologue is the second-best iteration of this platform (after the Cadillac Lyriq). It keeps much of what other Bow Tie builds have—efficiency, space, a comfy drive—but pairs those attributes with a more user-friendly cabin and a trusted badge.

The whole dang Prologue: Honda debuted its first dedicated all-electric SUV model earlier this year. In size the Prologue slots between the CR-V and Passport, giving Honda folks yet another two-row SUV to choose from.

A front-drive, single-motor model puts out a totally acceptable 212 horsepower and 236 pound-feet of torque while managing 296 miles of range. Moving up to the AWD model adds a second motor acting on the rear axle, bumping power up to 288 hp and 333 lb-ft, but knocking range down to 273 or 281 miles (439 or 452 kilometers), depending on wheel size. The AWD model is the only option for Canadian Prologue shoppers. No matter the driven wheels or country, battery capacity is 85.0 kilowatt-hours.

To make this especially confusing, our top-shelf Can-spec tester is badged Touring, which is the middle of three trims in America. In the US, the top trim is Elite, which is equipped the same as this one here. Got it? Good.

It sure doesn’t look like a Chevy though, right? Unless you know, there’s no telltale signs of shared DNA here, with the Prologue adopting Honda’s current design language quite well. The lines are simple, the proportions more wagon-esque than the other, upright SUVs the Prologue shares dealership floor space with. The rear gives off a bit of Range Rover Evoque in its proportions, but that sort of premium reminder is hardly a bad thing.

The sentence case rendering of “Honda” is a little odd, and good luck explaining the “e:” badge to everyone. Otherwise, the Prologue is pretty standard modern Honda: inoffensively handsome.

It’s funny: “just” 288 ponies is down compared to a lot of the Prologue’s competitors, and even the rear-drive Blazer EV RS. Yet it’s still enough to put this electric SUV near the top of the Honda stable: only the Civic Type R offers more horsepower (and still less torque). The Prologue accelerates firmly and seamlessly from a stop right through to highway passing speeds—only then does the power start to tail off. Points to Honda for the smooth throttle mapping too, with practically none of the jerkiness you can find in other EVs. And because this uses GM underpinnings, it also borrows proper one-pedal driving for those so inclined.

The official range quote for this fanciest Prologue is the lowest of the lineup, thanks to those huge 21-inch alloys. Based on our mixed use in mild October temperatures, 273 miles (439 km) is not just achievable but slightly conservative. Just like a GM EV.

This is where the Prologue may or may not win over buyers. As you’d expect of a vehicle wearing an H-badged suit over a foreign frame, the Prologue doesn’t drive like a Honda. It’s hefty and drives like it, with a deliberateness that dissuades drivers from having a bit of fun. That’s not necessarily a bad thing—this market is lacking vehicles with no attempt at sportiness—but it could shock folks coming to the Prologue from other Hondas.

There’s good weighting to the steering, making it easy and predictable to place the Prologue on the road. Visibility is generally good, though that slit of a rear window makes the surround-view camera an essential (and it’s only available on the top trim). The brake pedal is firm and positive, and the aforementioned one-pedal drive mode offers up enough deceleration without feeling forced. Want more? Pull the little tab behind the left steering spoke. Just like a GM EV.

The interior design renaissance that started with the current Civic seems to have skipped over the Prologue. Sure, the basic shapes are there, but the details are all off. There’s no aluminum mesh stretching across the dashboard, just cheap black plastic connecting the air-con vents. Rotary dials frame the central climate controls, but they’re from the Blazer EV, thus lacking the satisfying click. A featureless center console is bested by the one in the HR-V. It just exists.

The good news is that there’s plenty of in-cabin storage, from the large door cubbies to the dual-layer center console.

Despite looking like a larger EV, the Prologue doesn’t offer any more room than its competitors. It is nine inches longer than a Hyundai Ioniq 5 yet only matches it on rear legroom (39.4 inches / 1,001 millimeters) while offering less cargo space. Seats-up volume is a respectable 23.7 cubic feet (671 liters) and 54.5 cubes (1,543 liters) with the rear seats folded flat, tailing the Hyundai, Ford Mustang Mach-E, and the related Blazer EV. The wheel arches also eat into the cargo area by quite a bit.

Google Built-In is the centerpiece of the Prologue’s 11.3-inch infotainment screen. For those in the big G’s ecosystem, this allows for easy access to maps, apps, and other preferences. It’s a basic-looking but highly functional system, with big clear icons to flit between. The GM roots shine through with the limited instrument cluster customization and touchscreen headlight controls…

…but with the addition of wireless Apple CarPlay, Honda eschews the GM approach to smart phones. I don’t doubt that for some buyers, this alone will tip the decision towards the Honda over the equivalent Chevy.

There’s a useful safety suite here featuring all the expected driver aids, and they work as well as those in competitors. One notable absence however is GM’s exellent Super Cruise; the fancy-pants Acura gets it but not the proletariat Prologue.

In America, pricing for the 2024 Honda Prologue starts from $48,795 including destination, but before the $7,500 available tax credit. That amount of coin nets buyers a front-drive EX model; the dual-motor setup is a reasonable $3,000 upcharge on this and the mid-trim Touring ($52,795). The top-level, AWD-only Elite, which adds niceties such as the 360-degree camera, head-up display, 21-inch alloys and more, rings in at $59,295.

As mentioned above, Canadian models have different names and only come with AWD across the board. Pricing is super simple here: the EX is $61,990 CAD, the EX-L is $66,990 CAD, and this Touring tester is $71,990… plus $300 CAD for the white paint.

Whether or not the 2024 Honda Prologue is a true Honda is almost irrelevant. There will never be another H-badged electric model like it. While it’s pricey and not as spacious as the styling suggests, the Prologue is nonetheless an agreeable, comfortable daily driver with the right tech suite.

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