Flip through the latest issue of Gulf Weekly.
National Motor Company launched the 2016 Honda Pilot at a glamorous ceremony at its showroom in Sitra, before confidently letting a group of motoring journalists, including yours truly, loose on the streets and beaches of Bahrain in the new model.
The third generation of the Pilot features a radical redesign, with either a seven-seat (in a nifty 2-2-3 layout which provides much more comfort for rear passengers) or an eight-seat option, and much-improved off-road functionality with its Traction Management system.
It was precisely the latter which had me excited to take the Pilot out for a spin, and where better than the deep sands of Zallaq beach?
With a press of the push-button mode switch on the instrument panel, I had access to a plethora of off-road tools that I quickly put to use. With 20cm of ground clearance, the terrain proved no hindrance as I zig-zagged my way across the beach and ploughed through stones and sand alike with perfect performance and barely a hint of wheel spin.
The same couldn’t be said for the Pilot’s competitors in the segment which were also offered to us for comparative purposes, as one got beached into the sand and required a 12-man operation to rescue it!
Although off-road capability is largely pointless in Bahrain, this would be the perfect model to take on a long weekend trip to Dubai as you tear across dunes and push the car to the limit.
The Pilot has had a significant upgrade in style too, with the bold front grille and elegant lines befitting both the curvaceous body of a sport coupe and the bold, muscular exterior of an SUV on the other.
After the fun of the beach, I had a chance to take the Pilot out on the roads of Bahrain to put its standard features to the test, and again I was left extremely content. The 3.5-litre V6 delivered its 280bhp efficiently and with a surprisingly responsive quickness.
The infotainment system was easy to navigate on the eight-inch touch screen, while the leather seats and individual arm rest offered comfort most cars in this segment can only dream of. Props to the designers for including captain seats in the rear so that backseat passengers can travel in style too!
A tri-zone automatic climate control system ensures there will never be any squabbling between mum, dad and kids, while those in the back can be entertained with a nine-inch rear display that comes packed with wireless headphones so parents don’t have to listen to that episode of Phineas and Ferb on repeat for the hundredth time.
Featuring outstanding comfort both on-and-off the road, a raft of safety features and delivering a solid, smooth drive, Honda have really stepped up their game with the new Pilot.
The new 2016 Honda Pilot is available starting from BD13,300. For more information, call 17457100 or visit the showroom.
