As GM Authority has covered previously, GM and Honda have formed a strategic alliance to produce several electric vehicles. One of these new EVs will be the 2024 Honda Prologue, a crossover that will share the BEV3 platform with Chevy Blazer EV. We’ve already known that the Prologue will use GM Ultium batteries and GM Ultium drive motors, and will have similar exterior dimensions to those of the Blazer EV. Now, we’ve gotten our first glimpse of the Honda’s interior, which appears to feature many GM components.
Recently-released photos of the 2024 Honda Prologue interior show several GM-sourced components, including:
- Steering wheel, featuring the same buttons as the Blazer EV but with a different airbag cover
- Power window switches
- Climate controls
- Switchgear below outboard driver’s-side air vent
- Vehicle start button (Blazer EV doesn’t have one, but the Prologue uses a GM button nonetheless)
- Turn signal stalk
- Gear selector stalk
As such, it would appear that the Prologue will be closer to a badge engineered vehicle, rather than a fully-fledged Honda design that shares GM’s vehicle architecture.
“We announced a plan two years ago, positioned as a smart strategy, to co-develop an electric vehicle with GM,” said Mamadou Diallo, vice president of Auto Sales, American Honda Motor Co. “What will result is not just a more efficient process, but a great looking new vehicle, the Honda Prologue. Our dealers are excited about Prologue and the fact that it is just the first volume Honda EV, with more Honda engineered EVs we will begin building in North America coming to market in 2026.”
In April, GM announced an investment of over $1 billion USD in the GM Ramos Arizpe plant in Mexico to re-tool the facility for EV production.
For now, the Honda Prologue EV is expected to launch in 2024, with production likely taking place at the aforementioned Ramos Arizpe facility in Mexico. This next-gen vehicle will set the stage for a variety of new EV models to follow, both from The General and from Honda.
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Comments
As the old saying goes, “If you csn’t beat them, join them”. That is what Honda did. Other foreign brands will just make cheaper copies.
The majority of foreign brands have been asleep at the wheel, unaware of the blitz of environmental regulations that would attack ICE transportation. In short order, Honda, Toyota, Nissan, and the rest of the SEA manufactuers would find themselves scrambling to adjust to the demo-rats and teir climate hysteria.
Boy, that’s one ugly dash.
Anyhow, I’m just not seeing the upside for GM. This really seems like Honda just coming in and taking everything they can with zero to offer in return. I fully understand that many think that the Japanese build better vehicles. They don’t. Some may even go as far as to say that this will benefit GM just because it’s Honda. How? Maybe if you go back 20 to 30 years, Honda had more value in it’s name. However, I don’t see anything there that is better than GM and I feel GM is the better company from many angles. So I’m just not getting why GM would do this. Maybe Honda is paying them a lot of money, but they will use GM, abuse GM and leave them the second Honda feels they got what they wanted.
GM and Honda have had a number of strategic alliances over the years. In this case, Honda gets to market with a vehicle so as to not be left out in the cold, and GM probably gets a ton of upfront and residual money. As a very capital intense industry, GM can offset some of the costs involved with the transition to EVs.
I don’t personally condone the switch to EVs, but GM is all-in, so if they can defray some costs, I think that’s the business case here.
GM is not doing this for free. Honda is paying and it will help GM recover development cost faster and to build lower cost EV models sooner.
Also Honda is to do a small EV sedan that will use the GM platform but they will build the car for GM and Honda.
Honda is just not able to do the whole EV thing without help. GM is willing to sell technology with a partner to save cost and add profits.
This is nothing new as GM has for years supplied transmissions to Rolls, Jag and BMW and air conditioning to many others. Even engines to Honda.
Expect more partnerships in the industry as companies look to share costs and they look to remain alive and independent.
Honda is paying GM hundreds of millions of dollars in exchange for access to cutting edge EV tech, among other auto tech. GM is using Honda money to help subsidize their own engineering work. Honda is the subservient one in this relationship you fool.
There has always been joint ventures: Isuzu/GM, Pontiac vibe/Toyota matrix, Saturn use of Hondas V6, etc.
It’s a win win for gm for selling parts to them I guess
GM has had a deal with Honda for a LONG time, where Honda supplies money to assist in developing EV tech that it shares with Honda. Honda was asleep behind the wheel and GM is profiting now that Honda is desperate to catch up.
This is what happens when you don’t invest in future technology. Honda used to be a good company, now it has lost the most in sales year over year. They seem to be grabbing at straws.
Mor like resting on their laurels. The first Accords had incredible handling and braking compared to the competition, were assembled with gnat’s-eyebrow precision, and were just, all around, a very good value for the money spent.
Today, the Accord is just another sedan in a sea of Mazdas, Kias, Hyundais, Nissans, and others. Nothing really stands out about them. Add in the issues with fuel in the oil on some of the smaller Honda engines, the dismal electrical issues in some of the Odysseys, and other problems, and they have become just another car.
The Prologue is better looking than the Blazer EV,
I agree not sure why GM insists on being polarizing
People complain if they go plain and others complain if they go edgy.
They can’t win with some folks.
This would have been the Saturn Variant had Saturn survived.
No surprise here in how it looks.
The sharing arrangement was announced several years ago. I would thing Honda chipped in on the development cost. GM does not give away technology or applications without compensation.
For those that might be confused, GM signed an agreement with Honda in which Honda would contribute some money toward’s GM’s EV technology program. In the past I have been surprised by the number of imbeciles that think that GM signed a deal with Honda to borrow technology in exchange for money. It’s the opposite. Honda is behind on EV tech and gave money to GM in exchange for sharing EV platforms developed by GM.
The dash sucks.
What a step back for Honda.
I bet this is an unreliable, disappointing, and dangerous POS like the all the GM EV’s.
Late to class and about to get schooled! They will pay the price in a few years and have to discount their prices huge just to sell! My family doesn’t want a gas car anymore, same goes for most other people i meet who have at least 1 EV. But i so realize the charging infrastructure totally sucks, for now we have a volt and barrow ice suvs twice a year for camping