Honda is no stranger to the alternative fuels space, with a long history of hybrid, plug-in hybrid, natural gas, and even hydrogen fuel-cell technologies. Models like the Clarity and Insight are noteworthy for their numerous iterations over the years, but since the Clarity left the United States market a few years ago, Honda has not featured an all-electric vehicle in its lineup here. The new 2024 Prologue changes that with help from a notable adversary, General Motors. While the Japanese manufacturer readies its electric vehicle (EV) line, it is using a partnership with GM to launch a competitor to the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Ford Mustang Mach-E in the meantime.
The 2024 Honda Prologue is exactly that, but it’s not a coincidence that many of the features and design elements you’ll find on this Honda can also be found on the Chevrolet Blazer EV. That’s because the Prologue is essentially a rebadged version of that car. It rides on the same BEV3 Ultium platform, has the same wheelbase, has more or less the same interior, and the same charging specs. Between this and the Acura ZDX, Blazer EV, and Cadillac Lyriq, you’ll find unique identities and personas, all riding on the same bones. The Prologue’s persona has an understated style and simplicity, but what are the standout features?
One-Pedal Driving
One-pedal driving is nothing new for electric vehicles, but the Prologue has a really solid setup for those who like the feature. You can turn the brake regen completely off or switch it between two strength levels, Normal and Strong. A quick-access button at the top of the infotainment touchscreen can toggle it on or off, and the steering wheel has a paddle on the back side that, via a pull-and-hold action, can bring the car to a complete stop on demand. The system is extremely smooth and becomes very easy to control once you get used to it. However, I wish it also had a gap-based setting that automatically adjusts the regen to maintain the space between you and the car in front of you, something the Prologue’s competition from Hyundai and Kia offer.
Giant Panoramic Moonroof
The available panoramic moonroof, borrowed from its GM platform-mates, is massive and brings a ton of light into the somewhat demure cabin. Unlike some competitors, it has a power-operated sunshade that blocks the sun completely if you don’t want to be baked in the warmer months. Ford and Tesla’s offerings do not provide the same ability, making it harder to enjoy their skylights year-round. Plus, the Prologue’s front glass element can tilt and slide open, giving you a taste of the drop-top lifestyle.
Android Automotive (or Google built-in)
Like the overall interior, the Prologue utilizes a hybrid of both Honda and GM’s Android Automotive-based infotainment systems. That means you have the ability to control certain functions of the car via Google Assistant-based voice control as well as excellent mapping data via Google Maps. These maps can be displayed directly in front of the driver within the digital instrument cluster, while Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are still at your disposal via a wireless connection. The Prologue and its Acura sibling, the ZDX, still give you those mirroring features, while the GM iterations do not. The system is rather basic from a visual standpoint, but it’s refreshingly simple to use and still maintains hard buttons for climate control.
Handsome Design
Unlike its direct competitors, the Prologue sticks with a sleek and understated design that neither offends nor polarizes. Our tester’s Pacific Blue Metallic turns heads while the massive and attractive 21-inch alloy wheels (exclusive to the Elite trim) give it a smaller initial appearance than its true size would dictate. Its long wheelbase emphasizes this even further, pushing the wheels closer to the corners of the body than a CR-V could ever dream of. All of this comes together to make the Prologue look like a proper modern Honda crossover, not a quick badge swap of the Blazer EV.
Standard Range
Though the Elite trim has the lowest EPA-rated range (273 miles) in the Prologue lineup due to its large wheels and standard all-wheel drive (AWD), the number on the window sticker of the front-wheel-drive (FWD) models, EX and Touring, is the highest in class for a base model — 296. At a starting price of $48,795, including the destination fee, the EX still falls behind a similarly priced Hyundai Ioniq 5 SEL, which is rated at 303 miles of range. If you are a Honda die-hard and want to save as much money as possible on its sole EV in the States, then you will be happy with what the Prologue offers at the lowest end of its price range.
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