Where does Honda build the Prologue?
The Prologue is built at General Motors' CAMI Assembly Plant in Ingersoll, Ontario, Canada.
This arrangement stems from Honda and GM's North American electrification partnership, which uses GM's Ultium-based platform to produce Honda's first electric SUV for the region. The plant in Ingersoll serves as the production home for the Prologue, highlighting a cross-brand approach to accelerating Honda's electric-vehicle rollout in North America.
Production location and facility details
Key facts about the production site are summarized below.
- Location: CAMI Assembly, Ingersoll, Ontario, Canada
- Facility role: General Motors manufacturing site housing Honda Prologue production as part of the Honda–GM collaboration
- Platform and powertrains: Built on GM's Ultium battery platform, with components supplied through GM’s EV supply chain
- Production timeline: Planned for North American customers starting with the Prologue’s model year rollout in 2024
These details establish CAMI in Ingersoll as the production center for the Prologue, reflecting the broader strategy of pairing Honda’s design with GM’s electric-vehicle architecture for the North American market.
Implications for Honda's North American EV strategy
Here's what the CAMI-based production means for Honda and the broader market.
- Strengthened North American manufacturing footprint for Honda’s electrics
- Shared development and production with GM to accelerate time-to-market for EVs
- Reliance on GM’s Ultium platform helps standardize components and scale across models
- Potential for additional Honda models to be produced at CAMI or other GM facilities under the same collaboration
These implications illustrate how Honda is leveraging GM's EV platform and manufacturing network to advance its electrification goals in North America while expanding production capacity without building entirely new facilities from scratch.
Summary
The Honda Prologue is produced at GM’s CAMI Assembly Plant in Ingersoll, Ontario, as part of a broader North American EV collaboration between Honda and GM. Utilizing GM’s Ultium platform, the Prologue marks a strategic move to expand Honda’s electrified offerings in the region, with production slated to begin for the North American market in 2024. The arrangement underscores a shift toward cross-brand manufacturing partnerships to accelerate electric-vehicle deployment.
Why is the Honda Prologue not selling?
The Honda Prologue is not selling well due to a combination of high cost, a lack of unique features, a perceived low-quality interior compared to its price, and a strategic sales model that may be designed to encourage leases over purchases. Other factors include a less-than-competitive charging speed and the perception that its infotainment and user experience are dated or are not truly "Honda" quality.
Cost and sales strategy
- High price: The Prologue is not considered cheap, and some argue it isn't a good value compared to its features and quality.
- Lease-focused strategy: Honda may be intentionally offering attractive lease deals to get customers into the vehicle, with the ultimate goal of converting them to more expensive, in-house-designed EVs later on.
Vehicle features and performance
- Lack of unique features: The Prologue does not have advanced driver-assistance features like hands-free driving, which are becoming common in competitors.
- Underwhelming performance: It is criticized for having a subdued, lazy handling feel and lacking a sporty character, which is a disappointment for a brand known for performance.
- Slow charging: Its charging speed is slower than many competitors, topping out at 150 kW.
Interior and user experience
- Perceived low quality: Some reviews point to cheap-feeling materials, particularly in the rear seats, and steering column stalks that feel "flimsy," a significant drawback given the car's price.
- Dated infotainment: The user interface uses generic GM graphics and branding, and the system has been criticized for not integrating supercharger locations into its native navigation.
- Clunky usability: The car has a number of minor inconveniences, such as requiring the car to be turned off to view battery percentage and the auto high beams being integrated with the blinker stalk, which can be confusing for some users.
Honda's brand perception
- Perceived "not-a-Honda" feel: Because the Prologue is built on a GM platform, some existing Honda customers feel it doesn't have the quality or feel of a true Honda.
Is Honda Prologue bigger than CR-V?
Yes, the Honda Prologue is bigger than the Honda CR-V, being about 8 inches longer and 5 inches wider. This puts the Prologue in a larger, midsize SUV category, more comparable in size to the Honda Passport than the CR-V.
- Length: The Prologue is approximately 8 inches longer than the CR-V.
- Width: The Prologue is about 5 inches wider.
- Wheelbase: The Prologue has a longer wheelbase, at 121.8 inches compared to the CR-V's 106.3 inches.
- Overall Size: The larger dimensions of the Prologue mean it offers more interior space, particularly for rear passengers.
Why is the Honda Prologue made by GM?
Honda needed a way to quickly get back into the U.S. EV market and chose to partner with General Motors to produce the Prologue SUV. It borrows its platform, battery, and motors from the Chevy Blazer EV, giving front-drive models 220 horsepower and all-wheel-drive versions 300 horses.
Where are Honda prologues assembled?
GM cut a shift at its Ramos Arizpe manufacturing plant in Mexico, where it builds the Chevy Equinox EV and Honda Prologue.
