Honda Continues To Tease 2023 Pilot TrailSport, Will Compete In The Rebelle Rally

Honda is looking to give the 2023 Pilot TrailSport some off-road cred as the company has announced the model will compete in the 2022 Rebelle Rally.

The eight-day competition kicks off on October 6th and covers more than 1,500 miles (2,414 km) of “unforgiving desert conditions” in the American Southwest.

Chassis reliability test engineer Liz Long and project administrator Hillary Tate will be driving an early production model in the event, which sees competitors forced to navigate without the assistance of GPS. Long and Tate will be competing in the Bone-Stock category as their crossover won’t be modified.

Also Read: 2023 Honda Pilot TrailSport Teased As The Company’s Most Capable SUV Ever

That being said, the vehicle has a colorful wrap that is inspired by pixel art. As Honda explained, the wrap “draws connections to the TrailSport logo and Californian landscape with a mountainous design, while portions of the sky represent the all-new and Pilot TrailSport-exclusive Diffused Sky Blue color. The sun on the hood signifies a full day of adventure from sunrise to sunset.”

The redesigned Pilot will be unveiled this fall and Honda has already confirmed the TrailSport variant will have a lift, an enhanced all-wheel drive system, and all-terrain tires. Buyers will also find steel skid plates, front and rear recovery points, and a full-size spare tire. As for the design, it’s not much of a secret as Honda has released an assortment of revealing images.

Performance specifications remain a mystery, but the current model has a 3.5-liter V6 that develops 280 hp (209 kW / 284 PS) and 262 lb-ft (355 Nm) of torque. However, the redesigned crossover may see some performance gains as the Acura MDX’s 3.5-liter V6 produces 290 hp (216 kW / 294 PS) and 267 lb-ft (362 Nm) of torque.