2026 Honda Pilot Gets Freshened Styling and Upgraded Tech Features
Key Points
- The Honda Pilot is refreshed for the 2026 model year, gaining updated exterior styling, upgraded tech features, and new trim touches inside and out.
- Select trims get additional standard and available features, and Honda says the Pilot’s steering feel and cabin quietness have been improved.
- The Pilot’s lone V-6 powertrain and trim levels carry over for 2026; the new Pilot is slated to go on sale in December.
The Honda Pilot has long been a popular three-row mid-size SUV, but in recent years, the competition in the segment has grown stronger than ever. After its nicely executed redesign for 2023, the Pilot placed just below mid-pack in Cars.com’s 2024 3-Row SUV Challenge. For 2026, the Pilot gets a wide-ranging refresh that should bolster its standing against rivals like the Toyota Grand Highlander and the redesigned 2026 Hyundai Palisade and 2027 Kia Telluride.
Related: More 2025 Los Angeles Auto Show News
What’s New on the 2026 Honda Pilot?
- Takeaway: The Pilot’s styling refresh gives it a slightly beefier look, while the upsized digital gauge cluster and infotainment screen should bring it more up to date against class rivals.
The Pilot’s exterior styling gets a bit bolder and more rugged looking thanks to a larger grille and more prominent scuff plates on the front and rear bumpers. The off-road-focused TrailSport trim gets a unique rear scuff plate, as well as an exclusive paint color choice: Ash Green Metallic. A power liftgate and roof rails are now standard on all trims, and select trims get new wheel designs.
Inside, a standard 10.2-inch digital gauge display and 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen replace the previously standard 7-inch units. Honda says the new infotainment system is running the company’s latest software, which has a simplified navigation structure with fewer embedded menus and includes user-programmable shortcuts. Newly standard on all trims are wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, 5G Wi-Fi hotspot capability, Google Built-In and Honda’s Post-Collision Braking system (which automatically applies the brakes after a collision to reduce the chances of a secondary crash).
Honda says it’s reduced the Pilot’s cabin noise by a couple of decibels in key frequencies by adding new semi-tempered door glass, a new hood insulator and door insulators, and other sound-absorbing technologies. The Touring and Elite trims also get enclosed fender liners to further minimize noise. Additionally, Honda says the Pilot’s electric power-steering system has been retuned for improved feedback in cornering and a more stable, relaxed on-center feel in highway driving.
When Cars.com editors tested a 2024 Pilot Elite in our 3-Row SUV Challenge, our complaints included a lack of steering feel and a dated infotainment system with a small touchscreen. We’re hopeful the 2026 model’s revisions will properly address those concerns.
In addition to the Pilot’s across-the-board upgrades, select trims level up their standard and available equipment. The TrailSport gains heated second-row seats and available brown leather upholstery with orange stitching. The Touring adds a 360-degree camera and upgraded interior trim with available brown leather, and the Elite gets synthetic suede seat accents with diamond stitching.
What’s Stayed the Same on the 2026 Honda Pilot?
- Takeaway: The Pilot’s dimensions, powertrain and trim levels all carry over unchanged for 2026, so if you were hoping for more interior room or a hybrid powertrain, you’re out of luck.
Several mainstream-brand three-row SUVs now offer turbocharged four-cylinder engines and hybrid powertrains, and a couple offer plug-in hybrid versions. So far, Honda hasn’t gone that route. The Pilot’s lone powertrain, a 285-horsepower, 3.5-liter V-6 engine that is paired with a 10-speed automatic transmission, carries over unchanged for 2026. That’s not bad news at all, since that V-6 is smooth and respectably fuel-efficient; in our 2024 3-Row SUV Challenge’s real-world fuel-economy testing, the Pilot Elite’s average of 24.8 mpg put it at the top of the group for non-hybrid powertrains. Even so, the Toyota Grand Highlander Hybrid Limited averaged 35.1 mpg in that same test. We’d love to see Honda introduce a hybrid Pilot with similar fuel efficiency.
The Pilot’s general layout, dimensions and trim levels all carry over for 2026, too; the Sport, EX-L, Touring, TrailSport, Elite and Black Edition trims continue. All-wheel drive is available on all Pilots and standard on the Touring, TrailSport, Elite and Black Edition; the Sport and EX-L come standard with front-wheel drive.
Since the Pilot’s dimensions and general interior layout don’t change for 2026, our editors’ likes and dislikes should stay the same, too. We’re impressed with the Pilot’s outstanding small-item storage spots, easy child-safety seat fitment and generous space underneath the rear cargo floor, but we are a bit disappointed by its relatively stingy cargo room behind the second-row seats and some visibility issues caused by the large A-pillars and sizable side mirrors.
Release Date and Pricing
The 2026 Honda Pilot is slated to go on sale in December after making its public debut at the Los Angeles Auto Show on Nov. 21. Pricing will be announced closer to its on-sale date, so stay tuned for updates.
Read More About the Honda Pilot:
- 2025 Honda Pilot Advances to IIHS Top Safety Pick+
- What’s New for the 2025 Honda Pilot?
- Best SUV of 2025
- How Do Car Seats Fit in a 2024 Honda Pilot?
- Which 3-Row SUVs Offer Captain’s Chairs?
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