Honda’s largest SUV is back and better than ever for 2026. The three-row Pilot has been treated to a comprehensive mid-cycle refresh that sees it gain some hip new style with an overhauled front end and a boxy design that wouldn’t look out of place on the luxury end of the SUV segment.
Standard roof rails improve the crossover’s cargo-carrying capability, while the infotainment display and digital gauge cluster are both at least 43% larger than the versions found on the 2025 model. The Pilot has long been one of Honda’s more spacious, comfortable options with seating for up to eight passengers, but new insulation turns the SUV into a three-row sanctuary that provides plenty of peace and quiet when you hit the highway or venture off the beaten path. The TrailSport trim returns for the 2026 model year, giving drivers an off-road option that can confidently tackle tough terrain thanks to its Intelligent Variable Torque Management (i-VTM4) AWD system and Trail Torque Logic technology.
Honda has also improved on the SUV’s electric steering system and upped its safety resume, rounding out the Pilot’s Honda Sensing package with a new feature that’s designed to protect passengers in those crucial moments after a crash. With the 2026 Pilot soaring into dealerships, there’s never been a better time to visit your local Honda dealer near Bessemer. Join us as we take a closer look at a few of the SUV’s most compelling features and show you how the Honda Pilot can truly elevate your daily driving experience.
Fresh Style
As a new slate of 2026 models begins to hit the road, there’s one clear trend that’s become difficult to ignore. After years of embracing a smoother, sportier profile, SUVs are returning to their boxy roots. The Pilot’s aesthetic evolution started with the debut of the fourth-generation model for the 2023 model year, which ditched the smooth, sculptured lines of its predecessor for a blockier look that lends the SUV some utilitarian appeal.
Honda has further refined the formula for 2026, giving the midsize model a broader grille with a gloss black surround and a rectangular front bumper that combine to give the Pilot an imposing fascia that’s sure to turn some heads as you cruise through Bessemer. The automaker has revisited the front ducts and headlights, embracing a more vertical layout that might get the SUV mistaken for a pickup at a quick glance. Honda has also added new wheel designs, enhanced front and rear scuff plates, and made roof rails standard across the entire 2026 lineup. Three new colors join the mix for the new year, ranging from Solar Silver Metallic and Smoke Blue Pearl to an enticing Ash Green Metallic hue that’s reserved for the TrailSport trim.
Bigger Screens
While horsepower, fuel efficiency, and towing capacity will always be important stats when choosing between different cars, trucks, and SUVs, a vehicle’s tech credentials have become an increasingly important selling point in the modern market. This isn’t too surprising when you consider the digital dominance of everyday life, and it’s seen brands engage in something of an arms race when it comes to their interior displays. The 2025 Pilot’s standard infotainment touchscreen and digital gauge cluster were both entirely adequate at seven inches, and could be upgraded to nine-inch and 10.2-inch designs, respectively, but the new year brings some generous new dimensions to the dashboard.
The SUV swaps out its seven-inch infotainment screen for a new display that measures in at 12.3 inches, and a 10.2-inch digital gauge cluster becomes standard across the whole trim ladder. Size isn’t the end all, be all when it comes to an infotainment system or digital gauge display, but the upsized screens do go a long way towards upping the Pilot’s ergonomic appeal and allowing Bessemer drivers to take advantage of the SUV’s long list of infotainment functions including turn-by-turn GPS navigation, Google apps integration, and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone connectivity.
Off-Road Ability
The Pilot’s rugged, squared-off design doesn’t just keep the SUV current in a quickly changing market; it also speaks to the enhanced off-road potential of the model’s TrailSport trim. The off-road-oriented model joined the lineup in 2022, and gives drivers a new way to enjoy the wilder reaches of the outdoors while still taking advantage of the efficient, reliable performance that’s made Honda such a great choice on today’s market.
The TrailSport offers a well-rounded combination of off-road ability and everyday convenience, and while it packs all of the expected off-road goodies, like all-terrain tires, an off-road-tuned suspension, and a Multiview Camera System with TrailWatch that improves visibility, it also goes above and beyond with some premium features like a panoramic moonroof, heated windshield, and leather upholstery with exclusive orange stitching that are a bargain at any price.
The TrailSport’s Intelligent Traction Management system can deliver safe, consistent performance in a wide range of driving conditions with specific settings for Snow, Mud, and Sand. The SUV’s Intelligent Variable Torque Management (i-VTM4) AWD system even includes Honda’s Trail Torque Logic technology, which can seamlessly shift 75% of the engine’s power to one of the rear wheels when you find yourself mired in the muck. The TrailSport also packs plenty of off-road armor with its underbody skid plates, and is designed with integrated recovery hooks that are sure to come in handy in a rescue scenario.
Improved Ride Quality
While it might not be as obvious as the SUV’s bold new style or upsized screens, Honda has also made a few important changes that have a noticeable effect on the Pilot’s ride quality and comfort. Crossover models like the Pilot combine the efficiency and maneuverability of a traditional car with the added utility, off-road ability, and storage capacity of a full-size SUV, and while this approach has seen the segment grow into the practical choice for modern drivers, steering often tends to be something of a sticking point.
Most crossover models can’t quite match the responsiveness of smaller vehicles when carving through corners or navigating narrow roads, but the Pilot’s new electric power steering system aims to fix all of that. Honda has updated the system to provide a more stable, weighted experience, which it says will noticeably improve the SUV’s steering feel and precision. The automaker has also crafted a quieter cabin for 2026, leveraging door and hood insulators, fender liners, semi-tempered door glass, and other sound-deadening technology to prevent road and engine noise from interrupting your ride when you’re commuting back to Bessemer on I-20.
New Safety Tech
The Pilot’s Honda Sensing package of advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS), but there’s always room for improvement. In 2026, that improvement comes in the form of a new post-collision braking system designed to reduce the risks associated with secondary impacts. While most ADAS tech is focused on protecting passengers before and during an accident, the post-collision braking system expands the SUV’s safety scope to include those vital moments that come immediately after.
By automatically applying the brakes, the feature ensures that a vehicle won’t go careening across the road due to an incapacitated or overwhelmed driver. This addition makes the Pilot’s Honda Sensing package one of the industry’s most complete, with even the base model offering ADAS like lane departure mitigation, adaptive cruise control, forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking, and a driver attention warning system. Upper trims add a few clever features like rain-sensing windshield wipers, a head-up display that can be used to monitor important information without taking your eyes off the road, and a surround-view camera system that’s useful when it comes time to park the vehicle or connect to a trailer, but it’s the Pilot’s standard safety tech that really sets it apart.
Get Your Pilot at Edwards Honda of Birmingham
We’ve touched on some of the highlights of the 2026 Honda Pilot, but there’s a lot more to discover when you stop by Edwards Honda of Birmingham. The Pilot’s three-row layout makes it a fitting choice for today’s busy families, but the SUV’s domestic appeal goes far beyond its generous dimensions. Honda has packed the Pilot with a full complement of family-friendly tech, from comfort-enhancing features like tri-zone automatic climate controls and heated second-row seats to convenient charging solutions like USB ports, wireless chargers, and household-style power outlets that’ll keep everyone’s tablets and smartphones all juiced up and ready to go.
Communication is key when it comes to promoting harmony on the home front, and the Pilot has you covered with a unique in-cabin intercom system known as CabinTalk that allows the drivers to communicate with distant third-row riders at the touch of a button. One visit to Edwards Honda of Birmingham is all it takes to get your 2026 Pilot today.
