Piloting a passion

Imagination, Self-awareness, Conscience and an Independent Will. Which of these would one use to respond to a stimulus? Stephen Covey studied a lot of people before finding these four factors which helped humans decide and react. What factors would one be guided by when looking for a new car? For most people, a car provides them the confidence and independence they need to face the world.

For some, it could be how they judge, scale and position themselves in society. Yet for others, owning a car would seem like an obligation! Chris McCandless in his fight against society abandoned the car that his parents gave him, donated all the money he had to charity and set off to Alaska to live in the wilderness.

Not so long ago, you either had a sedan/coupe/roadster or you had an off-road vehicle. Evolution suggests adaptation according to the demands of nature and sadly it is combined with a clause that says 'survival of the fittest' in fine print. Well, automobile evolution did give rise to a new species called crossover SUV or 'Sports Utility Vehicle' if you like. Most of us couldn't even tell the difference between this new category and the earlier off-road vehicles or cars of similar size. Some of us are still trying hard to find out.

What has given rise to the high demand for SUVs today? Have automobiles finally evolved and is this new species going to be with us for long? I definitely think so. When faced with a situation where I needed to own a car and have to take my kids to school on weekdays, my entire family to the beach on weekends and comfortably carry a lot of luggage over long distances with sufficient entertainment inside, why would I choose anything else ? Why would I need two cars that can be replaced by one? These were some of the thoughts that crossed my mind when cruising along Beach Road heading to the open beach in Jumeirah in the new 2009 Honda Pilot.

About functionality. This is a car large enough to accommodate 8 persons with ample legroom in all three rows, with an engine responsive enough to tackle most of our daily traffic issues, and has the manoeuvrability to please all the various driving styles in one family.

A 'Grand Comfort Cruiser' is what Honda calls the new Pilot and it certainly looks like an attractive choice in this segment. Fuel economy and emissions have also been on Honda's priority and can be traced back to the innovative design of the CVCC "Compound Vortex Controlled Combustion" engine in 1972.

'ASIMO', Honda's first humanoid robot, developed to interact in sync with human society and the 'Honda Jet', developed as a fuel and space efficient aircraft using ground-breaking concepts such as placing the engines above the wings instead of under it, are few of the examples that show Honda's perseverance in providing the human race with technologically advanced, environment-friendly and energy efficient products. That being said, what kind of passion and innovation did Honda bring to the common man through their new vehicles?

Our test vehicle was fully loaded with premium leather seats, a sunroof, a 6-disc entertainment system and pretty much everything one would expect from a car of this segment.

A rear view camera display integrated into the rear view mirror that comes on when engaging the reverse gear adds to the driver's confidence without entirely depending on the parking sensors. But where is the innovation this time? What did Honda do different? Well, for starters, modern Honda V6 engines, including the 3.5 litre V6 engine in this car, have an active fuel management system which is a step ahead of the cylinder deactivation engines from other car makers and deactivates two or three cylinders depending on the use of the throttle. An 'i-Vtec VCM' (Variable Cylinder Management) engine is what Honda calls it.

A sign that says 'ECO' lights up on the instrument panel reminding the driver that the car is performing at its very best and achieving the maximum possible fuel average. Any sudden speed requirements instantly reactivate all the resting cylinders seamlessly to provide instant power and acceleration!

The 'Pilot' which is what the new Honda MR-Vs will now be called, is primarily a Front Wheel Drive car equipped with yet another innovative concept from Honda called VTM-4 "Variable Torque Management 4WD" which delivers power to all 4 wheels under acceleration or when it detects slippage. The VTM-4 system also locks both rear half-shafts on the press of a button to free the car when stuck.

This lock system operates only in the first two gears and unlocks at a speed of 29 km/h. During large quick turns, one would expect the front wheel drive system to 'understeer', but the VTM-4 system actively engages and lessens it. In addition to this, the Pilot is also equipped with a VSA "Vehicle Stability Assist" feature.

This feature, along with the integrated Traction Control system, also helps the Pilot correct under-steer or over-steer conditions by continually monitoring vehicle speed, throttle position, steering wheel position, along with acceleration, braking and cornering loads.

To overcome under steer or over steer, the VSA first acts to transfer torque bias to the axle with the most traction, which significantly reduces the number of brake and throttle interventions which are common with the conventional Traction Control systems.

With an active drive system like this, the Pilot's on-road dynamics are greatly improved and a few sessions on sand proved that its off-road applications were also intended to be part of the design.

Other features like Shift Hold Control help the Pilot retain its power when exiting a curve without the need for downshift in repeated road winding situations where the repeated application of the brakes is required. Combined with a wider track and longer wheel base than most of its competitors in this segment and a new lighter yet stronger suspension system, gives the Pilot an edge in the Control and Stability department.

On the whole, I was impressed by the Pilot's throttle response and its cornering abilities considering its dimensions and weight. Highway cruising was very pleasing on this car and the experience was enhanced with the wind deflectors fitted on each of the doors minimising wind noise.
A few design aspects such as the placement of the gear shift lever beside the audio and HVAC control buttons on the front console and the foot-operated hand brake did seem a little unconventional for 4x4s but it was compensated with extra storage space in the middle between the front seats.

With an impressive overall package, Honda can expect this car to 'Auto Pilot' itself into the 4x4 middle segments where it stands out with extra large cabin space, innovative engine design, fuel efficiency and cruising comfort. The fine print about evolution that says 'Survival of the fittest' may not affect the Pilot sporting a feature-rich package such as this, but then only time can tell!

Philip Shane is a Dubai-based freelance writer