Honda Is Working on a New V6 Hybrid. It Could Go in the Pilot, Passport and More

• Honda is working on a V6 hybrid powertrain for its large vehicles.
• The Pilot and Passport SUVs look to be the key targets for this hybrid engine.
• Honda says its V6 hybrid vehicles will be on the road "before 2030."

— Tochigi, Japan

The next-generation Honda Pilot might gain a hybrid option. During a media event at its proving grounds in Japan last week, Honda detailed a new V6 hybrid powertrain, which is being developed specifically for large vehicles in North America. The Pilot seems like the most obvious vehicle to get this hybrid engine, though the smaller Passport could benefit from gasoline-electric power as well.

Honda didn't divulge many specifics about its new hybrid powertrain, but we do know it'll include two electric motors — one at each axle — as well as a V6 engine. This won't be Honda's current 3.5-liter V6 either; the company confirmed this is a brand-new six-cylinder engine. However, Honda didn't say whether or not this V6 will be used in any non-hybrid applications.

In terms of specific goals for this hybrid powertrain, Honda is targeting a 30% increase in fuel economy compared to a traditional gas-only vehicle. The current all-wheel-drive Pilot has an EPA combined fuel economy rating of 21 mpg, so the new hybrid version could offer around 27 mpg, if our math is correct. And our One-Year Road Test Passport is still new but doing only 17.4 mpg on average, so a hybrid would be a welcome addition.

Honda also says the hybrid engine will make for a quicker vehicle. The company "will strive to improve full-throttle acceleration performance of the finished vehicle by more than 10% compared to the [gas] models currently sold in the same segment," Honda said in a statement.

Honda engineers said this new hybrid engine will be used in its Acura luxury division too. That means we could see the return of the MDX hybrid — or even an RDX hybrid at some point.

When will the new Pilot and other hybrid vehicles hit the road? Sometime before the end of the decade. Right now, Honda is estimating "before 2030" but "after 2027." Considering the high demand for hybrid vehicles of all shapes and sizes, this new V6-based powertrain can't come soon enough.