2026 Honda Pilot Goes Big On Screens, Bigger On The Grille

Honda’s been busy preparing for the launch of the new Prelude, but that isn’t the only thing it’s been working on. Now, there’s also a refreshed version of its three-row minivan alternative, the Pilot. And if you love big screens, then you’re going to be excited, because not only is the driver display bigger, the infotainment screen is, too. Okay, so that probably isn’t the best sales pitch on Jalopnik, but something tells us the regular people who buy these SUVs will appreciate it. 

Yes, while you were previously only able to get a nine-inch screen in the Pilot, the 2026 Pilot now comes standard with a 12.3-inch infotainment screen. Meanwhile, the driver display has grown from seven inches to 10.2 inches, and according to Honda, that means those screens are now 37% larger and 43% larger, respectively. Odds are, prospective buyers will notice the bigger screens before they notice the tweaked front end and its bigger grille, but it’s still an attractive update. Honda also claims the cabin is now quieter, and the steering has been improved. Roof rails and a power liftgate are also now standard, and in addition to a new silver paint option, Honda now offers Smoke Blue Pearl as standard, too.

Honda also tweaked a few of the trims, now offering the Pilot Trailsport with heated rear seats, optional brown leather with orange stitching and Ash Green Metallic paint. Meanwhile, the Pilot Touring now gets a surround-view camera system, nicer materials, and new machine-finished Shark Gray 20-inch alloy wheels. The Pilot Elite gets those same 20-inch alloy wheels, as well as faux-suede seat accents with diamond stitching, and the Pilot Black Edition can now be had with Berlina Black 20-inch alloy wheels.

According to Honda, the tweaks it made to the exterior make the 2026 Pilot “even more aspirational and adventure-ready.” And it’s true, the grille is bigger than before. Whether that signals aspiration in 2026, I don’t actually know, but it is worth noting that even Audi seems to be moving away from giant grilles. Plus, if you spring for the Trailsport model, you get new scuff plates at both the front and the back with “a robust off-road ready style” that “highlight the additional off-road capability of the Pilot TrailSport.” 

Inside, Honda says it upgraded a lot of the materials, although you may not notice them at first, even if you see one of the Pilots equipped with the new brown leather interior. That’s because Honda says it added semi-tempered door glass, door insulators, a new hood insulator and some other sound-absorbing tech to reduce engine, road and wind noise. Higher-end trims also add enclosed fender liners to reduce road noise even further. 

Honda

Is it a major refresh? Not really. Did we get the Honda Pilot Hybrid you might have been hoping for? Nope. Is Honda talking pricing yet? Also no. But it had better release that information soon, because according to the release, these refreshed ’26 Pilots are set to hit dealer lots next month. And let’s also not miss the fact that while one of the new available colors is just a silver, the other two are actual colors. I’m certainly never going to complain about being able to buy a car with blue or green paint, and you shouldn’t, either. Not that there’s much reason to pay that much attention to the Pilot if you aren’t a parent with multiple kids you need a way to haul around. But hey, that could be you soon. You never know.