IIHS Says 2023 Honda Pilot Is One of the Top Safest SUVs
The 2023 Honda Pilot boasts not only being all new this year but now has received the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) 2023 Top Safety Pick+ award. The Top Safety Pick+ award is the highest rating for safety the IIHS hands out. This makes it one of the safest SUVs in 2023.
This is a big improvement over previous years of three-row SUVs production, which didn’t receive the top pick. Where the Pilot shines this time is with a Superior rating for front crash prevention systems in both daytime and nighttime tests. For these front crash systems, headlights must fall into either advanced or superior ratings in daytime and nighttime vehicle-to-pedestrian tests.
How do this year’s Honda Pilot safety ratings compare to 2022?
The 2023 Pilot also rated Good for small overlap front testing, original moderate overlap front test, updated side test, and headlights. Previous years’ tests only saw Marginal or Acceptable ratings in these tests. While not great, in the updated moderate overlap front test, it rated Marginal, which is an improvement over the previous Pilot’s Poor rating, according to Honda.
To qualify for Top Safety Pick+, vehicles need to receive Good or Superior ratings for four general categories. These are for driver-side small overlap front, passenger-side small overlap front, updated side, and original moderate overlap front.
What’s new for the Honda Pilot in 2023?
Besides a much bolder design, the overall size is up slightly in every dimension. The 2023 version is taller, featuring a more upright design, including the fascia. Overall, it is four inches longer than the 2022 Pilot.
It is all-new in several categories that are improvements over the previous version. First, the 3.5-liter V6 engine is new, with more power than the 2022 Honda Pilot. It spins a 10-speed automatic transmission.
Inside, the design is all-new, with more real estate from 153.1 cubic feet in 2022 to 158.4 cubic feet to enhance passenger and driver comfort. Both second and third-row passengers now have more legroom. Of course, safety and driver assist features are all state-of-the-art for both driver and passenger security and convenience.
What trims does the 2023 Pilot have?
The cabin theme is simpler and more linear overall, with a standard floating seven-inch infotainment screen that is in the center of the dash and an optional nine-inch HS touchscreen. A 10.2-inch digital instrument screen faces the driver. The generous console ramps up to tie into the dash as well.
The 2023 Pilot TrailSport trim is the best candidate for trail-ready conquests. It adds an improved off-road suspension, all-terrain tires, steel skid plates both front and rear, and other specific off-road choices. Other trims are the LX, Sport, and EX-L. Then above the TrailSport are the Touring and top-of-the-line Elite.
Other 2023 Top Safety Pick+ winners in the midsize SUV category are the Hyundai Palisade, Kia Telluride, Nissan Pathfinder, Subaru Ascent, and Toyota Highlander.
