New V-6 Hybrid for Honda’s Next-Gen Large SUVs and Trucks Part of Wider Hybrid Plan
Honda is aiming to ramp up its hybrid offerings in the U.S. through new platforms, engines, and more.
Honda is undertaking a massive overhaul and upgrade of its lineup of hybrid vehicles, the platforms they ride on, and the drive units that propel them, with the expectation that hybrids will be around for a long time. It's part of a larger plan to increase the number of hybrids globally, says Honda CEO Toshihiro Mibe, especially in North America where it will expand beyond the three it offers currently.
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On tap are new four-cylinder and V-6 engines, drive units, and battery packs for vehicles riding on new platforms, with interesting new body structures and additional safety features. The first of the next-generation models will start rolling out in 2027.
In addition to a new midsize platform for the next-generation Honda Civic, CR-V, Accord and Prelude, Honda is also prepping a new large-size platform for its D-segment SUVs and trucks.
To power the coming D-segment platform models, Honda has a new V-6 engine and hybrid system in the works for its North American offerings. Think Honda Passport, Pilot, and Ridgeline, as well as the Odyssey minivan and Acura MDX.
Adding Another V-6 Family
Honda already has three V-6 families but wanted a new engine with better specs all around to power its larger vehicles. Targets are for an engine with greater output that's 30 percent more efficient and provides 10 percent better driving performance. It must perform on and off-road and have a high towing capacity.
The new hybrid system will consist of the new V-6 engine, front and rear drive units, power unit control, and battery pack. The system has three motors: a dual-motor setup in front and one in the rear for all-wheel drive.
The new V-6 will also be available with the new Honda S+ shift system, which is debuting in the 2026 Honda Prelude. Why does a vehicle like a Honda Pilot need the simulated feel and sound of shifting gears? Honda wants “wild performance,” an engineer responded. Buyers appreciate the sound of a V-6 and want the benefit of S+ Shift as well for passionate driving.
Platform Designed For Better Handling
The modular platforms will spawn vehicles that are lighter, with a new body structure that flexes more during cornering so the load on each tire is better controlled, thereby improving handling and stability.
On timing, Honda officials say by 2030.
Executives won’t say if the new V-6 is only for hybrids or if it will also be offered as an internal combustion engine without any electrification. Honda will look at phasing out some of its older V-6s after the new engine comes to market.
Alisa Priddle joined MotorTrend in 2016 as the Detroit Editor. A Canadian, she received her Bachelor of Journalism degree from Carleton University in Ottawa, Ontario, and has been a reporter for 40 years, most of it covering the auto industry because there is no more fascinating arena to cover. It has it all: the vehicles, the people, the plants, the competition, the drama. Alisa has had a wonderfully varied work history as a reporter for four daily newspapers including the Detroit Free Press where she was auto editor, and the Detroit News where she covered the GM and Chrysler bankruptcies, as well as auto trade publication Wards, and two enthusiast magazines: Car & Driver and now MotorTrend. At MotorTrend Alisa is a judge for the MotorTrend Car, Truck, SUV and Person of the Year. She loves seeing a new model for the first time, driving it for the first time, and grilling executives for the stories behind them. In her spare time, she loves to swim, boat, sauna, and then jump into a cold lake or pile of snow.
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