2024 Honda Prologue Up Close: Better Than the Blazer EV?

Honda has shown us its upcoming 2024 Prologue, the all-electric SUV it designed and built in conjunction with GM. While Honda says it was a joint development effort, there’s a little too much interior content from the 2024 Chevrolet Blazer EV to really think that it was much more than Honda stylists doing what they could with the given constraints — but what they did accomplish is frankly impressive, and what Honda may have actually done is create a better Blazer EV.

Related: 2024 Honda Prologue: The Brand’s First Electric SUV Is a Joint Effort

Smoother, Calmer Styling

The Prologue’s exterior styling might not really scream “Honda” so much, but the family resemblance to other products from the automaker is there in the front-end design. It’s a much cleaner, simpler design than the strakes, scoops, folds and creases that Chevy gave the Blazer EV. Honda did the opposite: The Prologue is simple, more cohesive and arguably better looking than the Blazer EV. It’s certainly less polarizing than the Chevy, and that alone might boost its popularity among buyers.

It’s Got the Goods

While the Blazer EV is supposedly going to be available as a front-, rear- or all-wheel-drive model, you only get FWD or AWD in the Prologue. There’s only one battery, too: the 85-kilowatt-hour unit that likely will be in most Blazer EVs, and Honda says the powertrain for the AWD Prologue will make 288 horsepower and 333 pounds-feet of torque. These are respectable numbers, and the 300-mile range that Honda estimates should be sufficient. However, the 155-kilowatt maximum recharge rate is rather a letdown given we were told GM’s Ultium systems are supposed to be able to handle more than that. Still, for most family use and charging at home, Honda’s choices for the Prologue work fine.

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The Deciding Factor?

The Prologue’s interior is where you really see the GM parts sharing come through. The switches, controls, steering wheel and multimedia system all look as though they’ve come out of the GM catalog. That’s not a bad thing, however, as the GM parts bin these days is easily up to snuff with the rest of the industry and has solid feel, top-notch displays and impressive equipment. The only somewhat disappointing bit was the instrument cluster, which could use some reconfigurability and pizazz.

The rest of the Prologue’s interior feels suitably comfortable, upscale and attractive, at least in the top Elite trim I sat in. Visibility out is excellent, there’s plenty of room in either front or rear seats, and there’s a decent amount of cargo space. The dashboard isn’t as racy or interesting as in the Blazer EV, but it’s in keeping with the rest of the Honda aesthetic: a horizontal orientation that has less of the vaguely retro look found in the Civic and Accord. As a five-occupant SUV, the Prologue will do nicely as a replacement for a gasoline-powered Honda like the Passport for families wishing to kick the carbon habit.

But what might indeed steal buyers away from the Blazer EV and into Honda showrooms is the knowledge that you can get a nearly identical vehicle mechanically to the Blazer EV for a similar price and get Apple CarPlay. GM has made the controversial decision to not offer Apple CarPlay in its future EVs, taking away a highly popular feature and trying to replace it with a homegrown Google-based system. For buyers who don’t want to give up something they may rely on every time they get in a vehicle, having a viable alternative like the Prologue might be a deal breaker for the Blazer EV and a serious win for Honda.

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