2019 Honda Pilot: Tough When You Want It To Be

Honda wants to remind buyers its Pilot likes to play in the dirt (and the sand and the snow).

For the launch of the 2019 Honda Pilot the automaker is emphasizing more of the SUV aspect of its crossover this go-round. I took it through a bumpy course that Honda set up in California, nearly tipping the Pilot over with wheels spinning in the air (to show off its torque vectoring), stopping in and taking off from a sand trap (to demonstrate its all-wheel-drive skills) and hanging out on a steep incline (to flaunt its autobrake). Fun for me, a spine-crunching ride for the professional driver assigned to sit beside me. (Check out the video and tune in next week for a full review including safety systems, a couple of quirks, and driving impressions.)