When the Honda Pilot first debuted back in 2002, truck-based SUVs were still quite popular. While the Pilot used unibody construction rather than the typical body-on-frame construction found in most SUVs of the time, its chunky exterior gave it the look of a true truck. However, since 2002 a lot has changed and most crossover buyers now want a sleek, stylish exterior — something Honda apparently forgot to account for in the redesign of their 2009 Pilot.
When Honda took the wraps off of its 2009 Pilot prototype — basically a pre-production vehicle — it was met with a lukewarm reception. The Pilot’s styling seemed to be missing any elements that really stood out and, overall, the design was considered boring. Apparently, consumers feel the same way.
According to a report conducted by CNW Research, the new Pilot “scored lousy” with consumers. The 2009 Pilot managed to only score a 7.5 on a 12 point scale. Typical scores for new vehicles usually range from 8.7 to 9.
“Mostly, people said it was boring — there was nothing distinctive about it to them in a positive way,” Art Spinella, president of CNW, told Edmunds.
He continued by saying consumers surveyed “were not really crazy about any particular part of the exterior. Normally you don’t see that with a new car; some feature will turn them on. But this [lukewarm reaction] was pretty much 360 degrees.”
Honda is no stranger to new models that don’t make a good impression with consumers. When Honda unveiled it Advanced Sports Car Concept at the 2007 Detroit Auto Show, it was met with less-than-favorable reviews and prompted Honda designers to go back to the drawing board, delaying the car’s launch.
Honda hasn’t announced any plans as radical as that, but the Japanese automaker has to at least be a little bit concerned, especially considering the Pilot’s sales were off 20% in 2007.
