The 2028 Honda Pilot is a future model year, not a car you can configure today. Honda has not published a 2028 price, EPA label, engine rating, trim list, or on-sale date. Treat every “leaked” horsepower figure and unofficial rendering as unverified until it appears on honda.com or hondanews.com. What you can shop is the current fourth-generation Pilot — a three-row family SUV with a 3.5-liter V6, 10-speed automatic, seating for seven or eight, and a TrailSport that is more gravel-road Honda than rock crawler. A 2028 badge might simply be another year of that truck. It might eventually be a redesign. Honda has not said which.
If you are a U.S. family deciding whether to buy a current Pilot, wait, or cross-shop a Grand Highlander or Telluride, the useful work is separating today’s confirmed Pilot from unannounced 2028 details. That is what follows.
What Is New for the 2028 Honda Pilot?
Nothing is officially “new for 2028” until Honda posts a model-year announcement. Buyers searching 2028 Honda Pilot changes usually want Honda to fix the things families actually complain about on the current truck: so-so fuel economy next to hybrid three-rows, infotainment that still trails Kia/Hyundai in polish, a third row that is usable but not Grand Highlander-roomy, and a V6 that is smooth but thirsty on the Interstate.
Honda has not published a 2028 Pilot feature list. Officially announced for 2028:
- A quieter cabin and a more modern screen would matter more on a school-run SUV than a new grille
- A hybrid would change the mpg conversation overnight — unconfirmed
- TrailSport could gain more serious all-terrains or stay a light-trail appearance package — unknown
- Honda might keep the V6 if it still sells to tow-and-AWD households — possible, not promised
A midcycle refresh (paint, wheels, software, a new color) is not a redesign. Do not confuse the two. If Honda only issues a 2028 order guide with carryover powertrains, the “new Pilot” is a window sticker, not a new platform.
Will the 2028 Honda Pilot Get a Full Redesign?
Honda has not confirmed a full redesign. The current Pilot is the fourth generation, introduced for the 2023 model year. Honda’s three-row SUVs typically live about five to six years, with a midcycle appearance and equipment update in the middle. That calendar is why 2026–2028 keeps showing up in searches. A typical product cycle makes a next generation plausible in the late 2020s. It does not make a 2028 redesign official.
Honda has already used this generation’s midcycle window for equipment, appearance, and package updates rather than a blank sheet. A 2028 Honda Pilot redesign could still be this body with new paint. It could be the next Pilot. Until Honda shows clay, crash tests, and a newsroom post, both are guesses. Do not treat speculative renderings as headlights Honda has signed off on. Do not assume 2028 equals “all-new” the way a first-year 2023 Pilot was all-new.
2028 Honda Pilot Interior, Technology and Family Features
Toyota-style: no 2028 interior has been shown. Shop the current Pilot cabin as the baseline. Honda built this generation around family packaging, not a lounge-on-wheels. Seating for up to eight with a second-row bench; seven with captain’s chairs on many mid and upper trims. Captain’s chairs make third-row access easier. A bench can put three kids in the second row. Try your actual car seats. That test decides the layout more than a brochure.
Third-row access is better than old Pilots and still tighter than a minivan or a Grand Highlander. Teens will do a two-hour trip. A 6-foot adult on a Chicago-to-Detroit run will still prefer row two. That is normal for this class.
Cargo: With all seats up, you get a real well — Honda’s current figure is about 18.6 cubic feet behind the third row, enough for groceries without folding everyone. Fold the third row and you are in weekend-trip territory (about 48.5 cubic feet). Fold everything behind the front seats and Honda lists about 87 cubic feet. Those are current-generation published volumes, not certified 2028 numbers. Hybrid hardware, if Honda ever adds it, can steal a bin. Confirm the 2028 sticker if one exists.
Infotainment: Recent Pilots use a large center touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto on well-equipped trims, plus a digital driver display on upper cars. Climate still has usable buttons on many versions — keep that on a test drive. Honda Sensing (adaptive cruise, automatic emergency braking, lane keep) is the safety backbone. A 360-degree camera on Elite-type builds is the parking feature that matches a three-row’s corners.
Comfort and storage: Door bins, a console you can actually use, tri-zone climate on higher trims, and a power liftgate are the school-run toolkit. Materials on LX/Sport are durable. Touring/Elite feel more finished. None of it is a Telluride lounge, and Honda has not promised a 2028 cabin that is.
Treat heated/ventilated seats, a panoramic roof, cabin talk features, and rear-seat entertainment as trim-dependent on the current truck and unconfirmed as 2028 standard.
2028 Honda Pilot Engine, Horsepower and Transmission
Honda has not announced a 2028 Honda Pilot engine. Current U.S. Pilot baseline (identify the year on the window sticker):
- 3.5-liter V6, naturally aspirated
- 285 horsepower and 262 lb-ft of torque
- 10-speed automatic
- Front-wheel drive or Honda’s i-VTM4 torque-vectoring AWD
That V6 is the Pilot’s personality: smooth, quiet enough for a conference call, stronger in the midrange than a small turbo four when the third row is full. It is also why Pilot mpg sits in the high teens to mid-20s, not in Grand Highlander Hybrid territory.
Strengths of the gas V6
- Simple ownership: any gas station, no plug, no hybrid-service anxiety
- 5,000-pound towing when properly equipped on AWD (current rating — not a 2028 figure)
- Predictable passing with a loaded cabin
Limitations
- Fuel bills versus a hybrid three-row
- No electric-only creep in traffic
- A 10-speed that is generally well-behaved but not a character piece
Possible future powertrains — labeled as possibilities, not Honda announcements:
Honda has hybridized Civic, Accord, CR-V, and others. A 2028 Honda Pilot hybrid is the change enthusiasts and mpg shoppers keep asking for. It would make sense against Grand Highlander Hybrid, Sorento Hybrid, and a hybrid Palisade. Honda has not confirmed a Pilot hybrid for 2028. A turbo four, a hybrid, or a carryover V6 are all still on the table until a press release lands. Do not invent a horsepower number. Do not quote a 0–60 for a truck that does not exist.
2028 Honda Pilot TrailSport: Off-Road Capability and AWD
Will the 2028 Honda Pilot TrailSport return? Honda has not said. TrailSport is a current, real trim. Assuming it vanishes or becomes a Bronco is fan fiction.
What TrailSport is today: Honda’s family-AWD, light-trail package — not a Wrangler. Recent TrailSports have used all-terrain tires, a unique suspension tune, extra ground clearance versus a Touring, skid-type protection, exclusive colors, and AWD as part of the recipe. Multi-mode AWD and hill-descent help on gravel, snow, and a rutted camp road.
Who it is for: Ski weekends, forest-service roads, a muddy soccer field, a cabin driveway. Who it is not for: Rock crawling, 35-inch tires, and a winch bumper as a lifestyle.
Unknown for 2028: tire size, clearance, locking hardware, hybrid AWD, or whether TrailSport Elite stays the loaded dirt-road Pilot. Drive a current TrailSport on the road you actually use. If 33-inch mud-terrains are the dream, you want a different Honda (Passport TrailSport is still a cousin, not a Pilot) or a different brand.
AWD on a regular Pilot is already capable in rain and snow with the right tires. TrailSport is extra attitude and extra AT roar on the Interstate. Winter tires still matter more than the badge.
2028 Honda Pilot MPG, Towing Capacity and Cargo Space
There are no EPA 2028 Honda Pilot mpg figures until Honda certifies a 2028 powertrain.
| Current Honda Pilot (typical U.S. ratings) | |
|---|---|
| EPA FWD | About 19 city / 27 highway / 22 combined |
| EPA AWD | About 19 city / 25 highway / 21 combined |
| TrailSport | Often a tick lower on ATs — confirm that VIN |
| Max towing | 5,000 lbs AWD, properly equipped; 3,500 lbs is the FWD neighborhood |
| Cargo (published) | 18.6 / 48.5 / 87.0 cu ft behind 3rd / 2nd / folded |
Those mpg numbers are gasoline V6 reality. A Grand Highlander Hybrid in the mid-30s combined will beat them without trying. If 2028 is still a V6, expect the same story: fine for a three-row gas SUV, not a hybrid win.
Towing: 5,000 pounds covers a small boat, a pair of jet skis, a pop-up, or a modest utility trailer. It does not cover a big bumper-pull family travel trailer. Payload — passengers, gear, tongue weight — is the quieter limit. Use the door-jamb sticker, not a forum max. A 2028 hybrid, if it ever exists, might change tow ratings up or down. Unknown.
Cargo usability: 18.6 cubes behind the third row is why families can leave all seats up for Costco. A double stroller still wants a fold. Roof boxes help; they hurt mpg. Current numbers are the bar a 2028 Pilot has to meet or beat.
2028 Honda Pilot Trim Levels and Configurations
Do not invent 2028 trim names. Current U.S. ladder (reference): LX, Sport, EX-L, TrailSport, TrailSport Elite, Touring, Elite — names shift slightly by year. Shoppers actually choose four missions:
- Value: LX/Sport — V6, Honda Sensing, the space, smaller wheels
- Comfort family: EX-L — leather-or-comparable, power seats, the trim most minivan refugees land on
- Dirt-road family: TrailSport / TrailSport Elite — ATs, clearance, look
- Loaded: Touring/Elite — screens, audio, cameras, captain’s chairs, the works
AWD is the snow-belt box. FWD is the mpg/price box where it never snows. Eight-passenger bench vs. seven-passenger captains is the car-seat decision. A 2028 list could add a hybrid grade, drop LX, or rename Elite. Unconfirmed. Choose the job (value, trail, luxury) then match a current inventory truck if you need a Pilot this year.
2028 Honda Pilot Price, Release Date and Availability
Honda has not announced a 2028 Honda Pilot release date. There is no official 2028 Honda Pilot price. Current-generation MSRP context (not a 2028 quote): Recent Pilots have started in the low-to-mid $30,000s before destination for LX and climbed through the $40,000s for EX-L/TrailSport into the $50,000s for Elite. Destination is extra (recent Honda destination charges have been in the roughly $1,400 band — confirm the sticker). Dealer fees, paint, and packages change out-the-door.
Estimate, clearly labeled — not Honda MSRP: If 2028 is a carryover V6, pricing would likely track inflation and trim mix: still a mid-$30,000s entry before destination, loaded trucks in the $50,000s. If 2028 were a new generation with a hybrid, more content, or new crash structure, history says Honda would not freeze the old LX price. A few thousand more at the bottom, more than that at the top, is the optimistic pattern — not a published number.
Model year, public debut, production, and dealer arrival are different events. A 2028 sticker can appear in fall 2027 for a carryover truck. A redesign debut can lag. Honda has not named a week. Check dealer inventory for current Pilots. Do not put a deposit on a 2028 VIN that does not exist.
2028 Honda Pilot vs. Toyota Grand Highlander, Kia Telluride and Mazda CX-90
You cannot compare an unannounced 2028 Pilot with future rivals. Compare current three-row family SUVs.
| Honda Pilot (current 4th-gen) | Toyota Grand Highlander | Kia Telluride | Mazda CX-90 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2028 Pilot status | Unannounced | On sale | On sale | On sale |
| Seating | 7 or 8 | 7 or 8; stronger third-row / cargo | 7 or 8 | 6 or 7; more crossover-sedan |
| Powertrain | 3.5 V6, 285 hp, 10AT | Gas and hybrid (including Hybrid MAX) | V6 (and updated powertrains by year) | Turbo I6 mild hybrid |
| AWD | Available i-VTM4; TrailSport package | Available | Available | Available |
| Towing (typical) | Up to 5,000 lbs equipped | Hybrid MAX up to 4,000–5,000 depending on spec | Competitive ~5,000–5,500 | Often 3,500–5,000 by spec |
| MPG story | V6, ~21–22 combined class | Hybrid can run mid-30s combined | Gas V6; hybrid on some related Hyundais | Mid-20s class, not a Prius |
| Biggest strength | Honda reliability reputation, driving manners, TrailSport | Space + hybrid mpg | Features per dollar, presence | On-road polish, interior design |
| Ideal buyer | Families who want a Honda three-row now | Max space / hybrid | Style and kit for the money | Drivers who want a sportier three-row |
Pilot vs Grand Highlander: If third-row adults and hybrid mpg are the brief, the Grand Highlander is the truck to beat today. The Pilot is smaller in the back and gas-only. A 2028 Pilot hybrid would change that sentence. It does not exist on paper.
Pilot vs Telluride: Telluride still wins a lot of “wow” cabin and feature arguments. Honda wins the people who want Honda service and a more buttoned-down drive. Drive both with car seats.
Pilot vs CX-90: CX-90 is the three-row for people who liked a CX-9 and want a straight-six feel. Third-row and cargo are less minivan-like. Pilot is the more obvious soccer-and-Costco machine.
Ownership: Honda and Toyota resale narratives are strong. Kia’s warranty is longer. None of that is a 2028 Pilot spec.
2028 Honda Pilot Specs
| Specification | Current Honda Pilot (4th gen, U.S.) | 2028 Honda Pilot |
|---|---|---|
| Status | On sale | Not announced as a unique product with a brochure |
| Generation | Fourth generation (2023–) | Could be carryover or a future generation — Honda has not said |
| Redesign | Current body | No confirmed 2028 redesign |
| Body style | Three-row family SUV | Unconfirmed |
| Seating | 7 with captain’s chairs or 8 with a second-row bench | Unconfirmed; treat 7/8 as current packaging |
| Engine | 3.5-liter V6, naturally aspirated | Not announced |
| Horsepower / torque | 285 hp / 262 lb-ft | Not a 2028 rating |
| Transmission | 10-speed automatic | Unconfirmed |
| Hybrid / plug-in | No U.S. Pilot hybrid | Not announced |
| Drivetrain | FWD or i-VTM4 AWD | Unconfirmed |
| TrailSport | Current light-trail / AWD family trim | Return not announced |
| EPA MPG (typical) | FWD about 19/27/22; AWD about 19/25/21; TrailSport often a tick lower on ATs | No 2028 EPA label |
| Max towing | 5,000 lbs AWD, properly equipped; FWD often 3,500 lbs | Do not copy onto 2028 unless Honda publishes it |
| Cargo behind 3rd row | About 18.6 cu ft | Unconfirmed |
| Cargo behind 2nd row | About 48.5 cu ft | Unconfirmed |
| Max cargo, seats folded | About 87.0 cu ft | Unconfirmed |
| Starting MSRP | Recent LX in the low-to-mid $30,000s before destination | No official 2028 price |
| On-sale timing | Available now | No official 2028 release date |
| Best for (today) | Families who want a Honda three-row now | Wait only for Honda’s own announcement |
Is the 2028 Honda Pilot Worth Waiting For?
Only if you do not need a three-row soon and you are waiting for Honda’s own hybrid, redesign, or price announcement — not a YouTube thumbnail. you need seven or eight seats this year, you like the V6, 5,000-pound towing is enough, and a Honda dealer is the point. Test TrailSport vs EX-L. Get out-the-door pricing. A 2025–2027 leftover can be cheaper than a rumor.
Wait if: you specifically want a hybrid three-row Honda, you can keep the Odyssey/Pilot/minivan you have, and you accept that 2028 may still be a V6.
Do not wait if: a Grand Highlander Hybrid, Telluride, CX-90, or Palisade already fits. Those are real. A 2028 Pilot might not be better. It might not even be different.
Dealer inventory, financing, and your lease end date beat a model year. Honda has not assumed the 2028 truck will be “substantially better.” Neither should you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q.1. When will the 2028 Honda Pilot be released?
Honda has not announced a 2028 Honda Pilot release date. A carryover 2028 could follow normal fall model-year timing. A redesign has no official window.
Q.2. How much will the 2028 Honda Pilot cost?
No official MSRP. Recent Pilots start in the low-to-mid $30,000s before destination and run into the $50,000s loaded. That is context, not a 2028 sticker.
Q.1. Will the 2028 Honda Pilot be redesigned?
Not confirmed. The fourth generation began as a 2023. 2028 could be carryover or the next gen. Honda has not said.
Will the 2028 Honda Pilot offer a hybrid engine?
Not announced. Honda hybrids exist in other models. A Pilot hybrid is a hope, not a spec.
What engine will the 2028 Honda Pilot use?
Unknown. The current engine is a 3.5-liter V6 with 285 hp, 262 lb-ft, and a 10-speed automatic.
How many people can the Honda Pilot seat?
Current Pilots seat seven or eight depending on second-row bench vs. captains. Treat 2028 as unconfirmed until the brochure.
Will the 2028 Honda Pilot TrailSport return?
Not announced. TrailSport is a current trim for light trails and AWD families. Do not assume it is cancelled or turned into a Raptor.
Should I wait for the 2028 Honda Pilot or buy a current model?
Buy current if you need a three-row now. Wait only if you can delay and you are waiting for Honda’s published 2028 details — especially a hybrid or redesign Honda has not confirmed.
Additional shopper questions
- Does the current Pilot have a hybrid? No. U.S. Pilots are gasoline V6.
- Can a Pilot tow a family travel trailer? Stay inside 5,000 lbs and payload; many big trailers need more truck.
- Is TrailSport a serious off-roader? No. It is a family SUV with ATs and extra clearance.
The 2028 Honda Pilot is not a confirmed new-generation SUV with a published hybrid, price, or launch date. What is confirmed is the current Pilot: a 285-hp 3.5 V6, 10-speed, 7- or 8-passenger Honda three-row with up to 5,000-pound towing, ~18.6 cubic feet behind the third row, and a TrailSport for gravel, not Moab.
Monitor Honda’s newsroom for a real 2028 announcement. Until then, shop a Grand Highlander Hybrid if mpg and rear-seat space are the brief, a Telluride if features-per-dollar win the test drive, and a current Pilot if you want Honda’s three-row now. Do not plan a family around a redesign Honda has not shown.
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