LOS ANGELES () — If you want a new SUV that’s also an EV, there’s no shortage of those on the market right now. There’s versatility via battery power from a number of manufacturers.
But most buyers these days still want an SUV with a conventional engine, and a familiar model name offers an advantage. Take Honda’s mid-size Pilot for example, which has gotten a mild makeover for 2026.
“We made exterior updates to the front, as well as the rear, and then we did technology updates on the inside,” said Jody Suzuki, a Honda product planner.
Specifically, a new larger center screen incorporating Google. Also, upgraded interior quietness, better insulation, and even improved window glass do the trick. The 2026 Honda Pilot starts at $43,690.
Honda’s largest SUV is not just running on gasoline, but with V6 power under the hood, a lot of buyers still prefer that over a turbo four, which some of the Pilot’s competitors have switched to.
For even larger SUVs, six cylinders is the growing sweet spot these days for many of them, including Toyota’s big Sequoia, which used to be V8-only.
In this generation, twin-turbo V6 power, but with an added twist: a hybrid assist. Toyota calls it i-Force Max Hybrid, meaning maximum power with reasonable fuel economy. And you’d want for nothing in this top-of-the-line Capstone edition, though it obviously carries a top-of-the-line price tag of over $85,000. Prices for lower trim Sequoias start at $66,920
Then there’s Volvo, the brand that made a big pledge to be all-electric by 2030. But eventually, the company figured out that timeline wasn’t feasible.
They had come out with a three-row, all-electric SUV called the EX90, which was originally supposed to replace the XC90. Well, when that timeline changed, the gasoline-powered XC90 got a new lease on life.
So it carries on, and it too gets a clearer touchscreen inside with Google to help out on the tech side. The exterior was refreshed a bit in front, and an all-new XC90 is in the works as Volvo further embraces the trend of plug-in hybrid power.
The current T8 PHEV version lets you glide along on battery power for up to 32 miles while the gas engine stays quiet. The next big Volvo SUV will supposedly be some kind of extended-range hybrid. The current 2026 XC90 carries a base price of $62,445.
Sure, if pure battery power right now is your choice in an SUV, those are out there, but as the way to propel vehicles slowly evolves, gasoline – with increased efficiency and even battery assist – is sticking around.
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