Honda Pilot Receives a Mid-Cycle Refresh for 2019

Honda has announced that they will be offering the mid-cycle refreshed 2019 Pilot SUV beginning at the end of August with the most significant of the changes possibly being the addition of a volume knob to the interior which, if you’ve ever driven a Pilot without one, will certainly be a good thing. Among the updates for 2019 includes an improved exterior design that now features a bold new front fascia with standard LED low-beam headlights while the rear also features new lights plus a new bumper and available chrome assets. In addition to the new taillights, the rear also features new LED backup lights and an available chrome strip on the rocker that extends along the side of the vehicle. Other exterior upgrades include more ruggedly styled wheels in both 18- and 20-in. sizes. The 9-speed automatic transmission that comes available on the higher trim models has received a number of upgrades including starting in second gear for a smoother launch and lower speed acceleration under light-to-moderate throttle. Also upgraded is the Idle Stop system which is now fully integrated with the second-gear launch mode and has new programming and a new brake pressure trigger for faster restarts after engine stop. Inside of the Pilot will feature a new instrument cluster that now utilizes a 7-in. Thin Film Transistor with a wide range of information content and a full suite of driver-selectable customizable features. Also new for the Pilot will be, for the first time, an embedded Telematics Control Unit on the higher trims that can provide an LTE connection inside the vehicle. Finally, Honda have decided to also add a new, Canadian-exclusive Black Edition trim that features gloss black accents, black wheels, darkened headlights and tail lights, red ambient interior lighting and Black Edition emblems on the exterior. The Pilot begins with an MSRP of $41,090 for the LX trim and goes all the way up to $53,990 for the Black Edition.