For some reason, automakers believe that simply blacking out a vehicle’s body and exterior accessories is a magic recipe for commercial success. This has been going on for a while so we assume it is actually working — otherwise we would not see so many “Black Edition” models launched, would we? The latest one comes from Honda and is based on the 2020 Pilot.

Arriving in dealerships tomorrow, the new Black Edition trim sits at the top of the 2020 Honda Pilot lineup with an MSRP of US$ 49,620 (excluding US$ 1,095 destination). Since that’s an increase of almost 50 percent over the base Pilot LX which starts at US$ 31,550, we figured the Black Edition should bring more than just a sinister styling upgrade.


It does, but let’s focus on the black stuff first. Inspired by the Honda Ridgeline Black Edition, the new range-topping Pilot comes finished exclusively in Crystal Black Pearl paint and features Black Edition badges on the grille and tailgate. The SUV rides on black-painted 20-inch alloys and features blackout treatments for the grille, headlight trim, side trim, door handles, window trim, and fog light accents.

Inside, red accent lighting for the dash, doors and center console are combined with red accent stitching on the front and second row captain’s chairs, door panels, and steering wheel. Other distinctive touches include Black Edition logos embossed on front seats and floor mats, as well as red accents on the perforated leather for the front and second-row seats.

Based on the range-topping Elite trim, the 2020 Pilot Black Edition is basically a fully-loaded model. Standard features include a nine-speed automatic transmission, intelligent Variable Torque Management (i-VTM) all-wheel-drive system with true torque-vectoring, second-row Captain’s Chairs, the Honda Sensing safety pack, and more.


Technology highlights include an 8-inch touchscreen Display Audio system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility, CabinTalk in-vehicle public address system, wireless smartphone charging, a hands-free power tailgate, and 4G LTE in-vehicle Wi-Fi capability/compatibility.

The latter enables expanded subscription-based HondaLink services such as Amazon Key In-Car Delivery, stolen vehicle locator, geo-fencing and speed alerts for parents of teen drivers, enhanced roadside assistance, automatic collision notification, remote start, and even personal concierge services.