Refreshed 2026 Honda Pilot Arriving at Dealers with Improved Driving Experience, More Standard Technology and Bold New Styling
- Pilot gets significantly larger touchscreen and more standard tech
- More aspirational design with a larger grille and exciting new colors
- Quieter cabin elevates comfort for the whole family
- Improved steering feel advances the driving experience
- Pilot Sport is exceptionally well-equipped with a starting MSRP of $42,1951
The refreshed 2026 Honda Pilot begins arriving at Honda dealerships today with a significantly larger touchscreen, improved steering feel, a quieter cabin, bold new styling and upgraded safety features. The collection of meaningful upgrades will maintain the Honda Pilot as the benchmark in the midsize three-row SUV category.
Pricing for the rugged, family-friendly 2026 Honda Pilot lineup begins with the extremely well-equipped Pilot Sport at a Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) of $42,1951 (not including $1,495 destination and handling charge).
Designed in California, developed in Ohio and built in Alabama using domestic and globally made parts, the refreshed 2026 Honda Pilot is offered in six well-equipped trim levels: Sport, EX-L, Touring, TrailSport, Elite and Black Edition.
2026 Honda Pilot Pricing & EPA Fuel Economy Ratings
Trim
MSRP1
MSRP Plus $1,495 Destination Charge1
EPA Mileage Rating2
City/Hwy/Combined
Sport (2WD)
$42,195
$43,690
19 / 27 / 22
Sport (AWD)
$44,295
$45,790
19 / 25 / 21
EX-L (2WD)
$44,495
$45,990
19 / 27 / 22
EX-L (AWD)
$46,595
$48,090
19 / 25 / 21
Touring (AWD)
$51,095
$52,590
19 / 25 / 21
TrailSport (AWD)
$50,395
$51,890
18 / 23 / 20
Elite (AWD)
$53,495
$54,990
19 / 25 / 21
Black Edition (AWD)
$54,995
$56,490
19 / 25 / 21
New Features for 2026 Pilot:
- Standard (All Trims):
- Redesigned front fascia with a larger grille
- New 12.3-inch HD touchscreen (37% larger)
- New 10.2-inch digital driver instrumentation display (43% larger)
- Wireless Apple CarPlay compatibility
- Wireless Android Auto™ compatibility
- Google built-in
- 5G Wi-Fi capability
- Quieter cabin (noise reduced by 2-3 dB in key frequencies)
- Improved steering feel and precision
- Power tailgate (previously EX-L and above)
- Roof rails (added to EX-L)
- Two new color options: Solar Silver Metallic and Smoke Blue Pearl
- Post-Collision Braking system (PCB)
- Pilot TrailSport adds:
- Heated rear outboard seats
- Available brown leather interior with orange contrast stitching
- New color option: Ash Green Metallic replaces Diffused Sky Metallic
- Pilot Touring adds:
- 360-degree surround view camera (previously Elite, Black Edition)
- More premium upholstery and trim
- Available brown leather interior
- Redesigned machine-finished Shark Gray 20-inch alloy wheels
- Pilot Elite adds:
- Redesigned machine-finished Shark Gray 20-inch alloy wheels
- Ultra-Suede seat accents with diamond stitching
- Pilot Black Edition adds:
- Redesigned Berlina Black 20-inch alloy wheels
More Premium Cabin With New Features
The elevated cabin experience of the 2026 Honda Pilot brings more comfort and features for the whole family with more standard technology than ever, reduced cabin noise and higher quality materials.
Every 2026 Honda Pilot now features a new ultra-wide 12.3-inch touchscreen (37% larger than the previous model year) powered by the latest HMI software for smooth, lag-free performance. Pilot also gains standard wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, Google built-in, 5G Wi-Fi hotspot capability, and a 43% larger 10.2-inch digital driver display offering enhanced visibility and a more immersive driving experience.
For a more refined driving experience, the Pilot cabin is quieter thanks to new semi-tempered door glass, door insulators, a new hood insulator, and other sound absorbing technologies that reduce the transmission of engine, road and wind noise. In addition, Pilot Touring and Elite add enclosed fender liners to further reduce road noise.
Additionally, Pilot Touring now features high-contrast seating accents and door panel stitching, and a new brown leather interior is available. Elite trims and the top of the line Black Edition are even more luxurious with new diamond quilted Ultra Suede seat accents and high-contrast door panel stitching. Pilot TrailSport is now available with a brown leather interior option (in addition to black leather) with contrasting orange stitching. Pilot TrailSport also gains standard heated second row outboard seats for those chilly winter family adventures.
New assistive features include the addition of a 360-degree surround view camera to the Pilot Touring, and every 2026 Pilot receives a new Post-Collision Braking System (PCB) to help mitigate damage and injuries in multi-collision incidents.
A power tailgate, previously available on EX-L and above trims, is now standard on all 2026 Pilot models.
More Aspirational Design
The rugged exterior styling of the 2026 Pilot is even more aspirational and adventure-ready with bolder design that includes a new larger grille, and more pronounced front and rear scuff plates. Sport and EX-L feature a new black grille with a gloss black surround, while Touring, Elite and Black Edition are distinguished with a new gloss black grille. The new scuff plates are silver on EX-L, TrailSport, Touring and Elite, and black on Pilot Sport and Black Edition.
To further highlight the additional off-road capability of the Pilot TrailSport, its new rear scuff plate features an exclusive design with a robust off-road ready style and its rear PILOT logo gains new orange trim, matching its TrailSport badges.
Roof rails are now standard on all trims (added to EX-L), further increasing Pilot’s capability and style. Touring, Elite and Black Edition trims feature newly styled 20-inch wheels. Touring and Elite ride on new machine-finished Shark Gray alloy wheels with black lug nuts. At the top of the range, Pilot Black Edition gets new Berlina Black alloy wheels with black lug nuts.
The refreshed 2026 Pilot is available in three exciting new colors: sophisticated Solar Silver Metallic, striking Smoke Blue Pearl and TrailSport exclusive Ash Green Metallic, which is now available on all Honda TrailSport models.
Enhanced Driving Experience
A retuned electric power steering (EPS) system provides more steering feel and precision across all driving modes, increasing Pilot’s confidence-inspiring dynamics. The improved steering feedback is smooth, natural and direct, further supporting driver confidence and security during spirited driving on winding roads. The steering system’s on-center weight has been increased for more stable and relaxed-feeling highway cruising with less input from the driver.
Powerful, Strong and Capable
The 2026 Honda Pilot features an extremely rigid platform engineered from the beginning with TrailSport’s true off-road capabilities in mind, which benefits the ride, handling and overall refinement of the entire Pilot lineup. A powerful 3.5-liter DOHC V6 is standard, producing 285 horsepower at 6,100 rpm and 262 lb.-ft. of torque at 5,000 rpm (both SAE net). Paired with a 10-speed automatic transmission tuned exclusively for Pilot, the combination is smooth and responsive.
The award-winning Honda i-VTM4™ all-wheel drive system is available on all grades and is standard on TrailSport, Elite and the top of the line Black Edition. To optimize traction in all driving scenarios, especially slick conditions and off-road, the torque vectoring i-VTM4™ system progressively distributes optimum torque not only between the front and rear axles, but also between the left and right rear wheels for more precise and exhilarating handling response.
Up to 70% of the engine’s torque can be sent to the rear axle, and 100% of that torque can be distributed to either the left or right rear wheel. When cornering, i-VTM4™ distributes more torque to the outside rear wheel, creating a yaw moment to help turn the vehicle through corners – making for more accurate turns, reducing understeer and improving controllability.
Five standard selectable drive modes customize the driving experience for various conditions: Normal, Econ, Snow, Sport and Tow modes. EX-L models and above (with all-wheel drive) also feature a Sand mode and a Trail mode, which optimize Pilot’s off-road capabilities. Hill Descent Control system is standard on all Pilot models.
Pilot TrailSport is an authentic, off-road-capable SUV for family adventures with exclusive rugged hardware, including rugged all-wheel drive capabilities and robust steel skid plates that protect the underbody from damage on the trail. TrailSport’s off-road tuned suspension is raised, with additional ground clearance increasing articulation and improving off-road ride quality, all without sacrificing Pilot’s exceptional on-road comfort and best-in-class handling.
To take adventure-seeking families even further off the beaten path, Pilot TrailSport includes beefy all-terrain tires that substantially improve traction in dirt, sand, mud, rocky terrain and snow, while remaining quiet and comfortable on the road.
Safety for Everyone
Honda is committed to further advancing safety for everyone sharing the road. Based on this commitment, the fourth-generation Pilot is a leader in midsize SUV safety performance with standard active and passive safety technology. This includes the Honda Sensing® suite of safety and driver assistive technologies, the latest version of the Honda proprietary Advanced Compatibility Engineering™ (ACE™) body structure and advanced airbag technology designed to cradle the occupant’s head and offer enhanced protection – all standard on all Pilot models.
On the 2026 Pilot, the Honda Sensing® suite of safety and driver-assistive technologies includes Collision Mitigation Braking System™ (CMBS™) with Pedestrian Detection, Forward Collision Warning; Road Departure Mitigation (RDM) incorporating Lane Departure Warning (LDW); Lane Keeping Assist System (LKAS); and Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC).
Pilot Manufacturing
The fourth-generation Pilot is built exclusively in America, at the Honda Alabama Auto Plant in Lincoln, Alabama, using domestic and globally made parts. This continues the more than 45-year legacy of the company’s commitment to build products close to the customer. Since 2006, Honda has produced more than 2.5 million Pilots in Alabama. The Honda Pilot has ranked in the top 15 on the Cars.com 2025 American-Made Index® every year since 2016.
For more information on the Honda Pilot click here.
About Honda
Honda offers a full line of clean, safe, fun and connected vehicles sold through more than 1,000 independent U.S. Honda dealers. The award-winning Honda lineup includes the Civic and Accord, along with the HR-V, CR-V, Passport, Prologue and Pilot sport utility vehicles, the Ridgeline pickup and the Odyssey minivan. The Honda electrified vehicle lineup, representing more than a quarter of total sales in 2024, includes the all-electric Prologue SUV, the fuel-cell-electric CR-V e:FCEV, and hybrid-electric models including Accord, CR-V, Civic and Prelude.
Honda has been producing automobiles in America for over 40 years and currently operates eight major manufacturing facilities in America. In 2024, more than 99% of all Honda vehicles sold in the U.S. were made in North America, with about 2/3 made in America, using domestic and globally made parts.
More information about Honda is available in the Digital FactBook.
Important Notice
Although the information included in this press release is accurate as of the date of publication, this information is subject to change at any time without notice. American Honda Motor Co., Inc. assumes no responsibility for updating this information.
# # #
1 Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) excluding tax, license, registration, premium paint, $1,495 destination charge and options. Dealer prices may vary.
2 Based on 2026 EPA mileage ratings; Use for comparison purposes only; your mileage will vary depending on how you drive and maintain your vehicle, driving conditions, and other factors.
