Honda has unveiled two key components of its next wave of vehicles: a modular midsize architecture and a V6 hybrid powertrain for its large vehicles.
The new medium sized architecture will make its production debut in 2027 and is said to be 90kg lighter than today’s mid-sized platform thanks to “new engineering design methods”. For reference, the current Civic weighs between 1300kg and 1460kg.
Like most modern vehicle platforms, this platform supports vehicles of different sizes and aims to maximize parts compatibility. Components that may be commonly shared, such as the engine compartment and rear underbody, are kept separate from customized sections such as the rear cabin.
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Perhaps the most interesting feature of the new architecture is that it is designed to “create vehicle behavior as if the body is flexing when cornering” and that “the load on each tire is controlled to improve roadholding.”
Honda says it will apply this design to the next-generation EV platform, which is believed to underlie both the small Honda 0 α and the larger one Honda 0 SUV And Honda 0 sedan.
Models based on the new mid-range platform will be available with a motion management system and a pitch control system to “increase the ‘joy of driving’ even further.”
Since Honda typically launches a new Civic every five to six years and the current generation makes its global debut in 2021, it is possible that the new midsize platform will debut on the 12th generation Civic. Honda also tested the new platform on a lengthened and widened version of today’s Civic.
The V6 hybrid drive is used for the company’s large vehicles, which are currently only sold in North America and the Middle East.
These vehicles include the two-row Passport SUV, the three-row Pilot SUV, the Ridgeline crew-cab SUV and the Kia Carnival-sized Odyssey people mover.
Unlike Toyota’s rivals, which are available with four-cylinder hybrid powertrains, Honda’s large vehicles are currently powered exclusively by a naturally aspirated 3.5-litre V6 petrol engine producing 213kW and 355Nm.
The V6 drives either the front wheels or all four wheels via a 10-speed automatic transmission. The all-wheel drive Pilot has a combined fuel consumption of 11.2 l/100 km.
Honda hasn’t revealed details about the new V6 hybrid, nor has it disclosed powertrain performance. The V6 hybrid system is claimed to deliver 10 percent faster acceleration than today’s non-electrified V6.
The company also says the hybrid will be 30 percent more fuel efficient, which would mean an all-wheel drive Pilot Hybrid would use around 7.4L/100km.
Like the midsize platform, the V6 hybrid will make its production debut in a next-generation model in 2027. This means that it will be used for the first time in the new Odyssey, the current generation of which was launched in 2018, or the new Ridgeline, which in its current form was launched in 2017. The Pilot and Passport SUVs were redesigned in 2023 and 2025, respectively.
While the new mid-size platform will certainly be seen in Australian showrooms, it’s unlikely we’ll see the new V6 hybrid powertrain down under. Honda’s large vehicles are designed and built in the USA and have not been offered with right-hand drive for many years.
Honda Australia’s last V6 model was the NSX supercar, and previously the last V6 engines available here were in the 2013 Accord and Legend sedans.
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