2026 Honda Pilot First Look
Photos of the 2026 Pilot show how Honda has improved its family-size three-row SUV.
Honda
Nothing beats a minivan for carrying lots of people and cargo. But when was the last time you saw a Honda Odyssey barreling across desert mud, plowing through accumulating snowdrifts, or scrambling up a rutted trail? Enter the updated 2026 Pilot, Honda's midsize three-row SUV. It's not as roomy inside as an Odyssey. Still, with available all-wheel drive, up to 8.3 inches of ground clearance, and a TrailSport trim level designed to get dirty, the Pilot is like an insurance policy that offers extra capability.
Honda
What's New for the 2026 Honda Pilot?
Honda last redesigned the Pilot for the 2023 model year. For 2026, the family-friendly SUV receives minor styling and engineering updates, along with improved infotainment and safety technologies. Honda also introduces a few new paint colors and revised interior materials, textures, and hues. The 2026 Pilot is available in Sport, EX-L, Touring, TrailSport, Elite, and Black Edition trim levels.
Honda
2026 Honda Pilot Colors
Shown above is a 2026 Pilot TrailSport in Ash Green Metallic, one of three new paint colors. It is exclusive to the TrailSport and replaces the previous Diffused Sky Blue color. Other Pilots are now available with Solar Silver Metallic or Smoke Blue Pearl, in addition to several colors carried over from the 2025 model year.
Honda
2026 Honda Pilot Specs
The 2026 Pilot has re-tuned electric power steering, which Honda says improves feel and precision in a variety of driving situations. The revised steering weight is also meant to give the SUV a more secure on-center feel when traveling on the highway. A 3.5-liter V6 engine with 285 horsepower remains under the Pilot's hood, paired with a 10-speed automatic transmission. A torque-vectoring all-wheel-drive (AWD) system is available.
Honda
Can the 2026 Honda Pilot Go Off-Road?
Honda builds the Pilot TrailSport for light to moderate off-roading. It features standard AWD, 18-inch wheels wrapped with all-terrain tires, an off-road-tuned suspension, skid plates, recovery hooks, and Honda's TrailWatch camera system to help drivers navigate challenging terrain. This version of the Pilot also has an extra inch of ground clearance (8.3 inches total).
Honda
2026 Honda Pilot Interior
With the 2026 Pilot, Honda upgrades the interior with higher-quality materials, larger digital instrumentation and infotainment system display screens, and additional standard equipment for some trim levels. The automaker also says the cabin is quieter inside, claiming it has reduced interior noise levels by up to 3 decibels.
Honda
2026 Honda Pilot Brown Leather Option
Another interior update is available: brown leather upholstery. In the Pilot Elite (shown above), it features diamond-stitched artificial suede trim for an upscale look and feel. With TrailSport trim (shown below), it has that trim level's signature orange contrast stitching.
Honda
2026 Honda Pilot Technology
Honda upgrades the Pilot's digital instrumentation panel for the 2026 model year. The old 7.0-inch display is gone, replaced by a standard 10.2-inch screen. That's still comparatively small, especially for a vehicle of the Pilot's size, but it makes the SUV look and feel more modern and competitive.
Honda
2026 Honda Pilot Infotainment System
The Pilot's new standard infotainment system might be the most significant upgrade of them all. The 12.3-inch touchscreen display is larger, and the system features Google built-in for a simple, easy user interface. The change makes wireless Apple CarPlay and wireless Android Auto connectivity standard, and provides access to a 5G LTE Wi-Fi hot spot.
Honda
2026 Honda Pilot Safety Features
A new post-collision braking system debuts on the 2026 Pilot. This standard feature is intended to bring the SUV to a stop following a collision and help prevent secondary collisions after the airbags have deployed. Honda also expands the availability of its surround-view camera to include the Pilot Touring.
Honda
2026 Honda Pilot Cargo Space
For 2026, the Honda Pilot has a standard power rear liftgate. It opens to reveal a roomy cargo area and a large storage compartment under the trunk load floor. Behind the third-row seat, the Pilot holds 18.6 cubic-feet of cargo. Fold it down, and the SUV can carry 48.5 cu-ft. The maximum capacity behind the front seats is 87 cu-ft.
Honda
Is the 2026 Honda Pilot a Good SUV?
Yes, the Honda Pilot is a good midsize three-row crossover SUV — especially with the changes for the 2026 model year. However, the Pilot still doesn't offer a hybrid powertrain, so people who want to maximize fuel economy should also consider the 2026 Hyundai Palisade Hybrid, 2027 Kia Telluride Hybrid, 2026 Toyota Highlander Hybrid, or 2026 Toyota Grand Highlander Hybrid.
Written by humans.
Edited by humans.
Christian WardlawChris says his first word was "car." For as long as he can remember, he's been obsessed with them. The design. The engineering. The performance. And the purpose. He is a car enthusiast who loves to drive, but is most passionate about the cars, trucks, and SUVs that people actually buy. He began his career as the editor-in-chief of Edmunds.com in the 1990s, and for more than 30 years has created automotive content for CarGurus, J.D. Power, Kelley Blue Book, the New York Daily News, and others. Chris owns Speedy Daddy Media, has been contributing to Capital One Auto Navigator since 2019, and lives in California with his wife, kids, dog, and 2004 Mazdaspeed Miata.
Related articles
View more related articles