Honda Adds a Black Edition Pilot to the SUV Lineup for 2025

• Honda announces a new Black Edition of the updated 2025 Honda Pilot three-row SUV, arriving today at US showrooms.

• Earlier Pilots came available with dark appearances packages too, but this one has gloss black 20-inch alloy rims, grille bar, and other trim, along with black leather seats with red accents.

• For 2025, the new Black Edition trim with standard all-wheel drive will represent the top of the Honda Pilot price range, capping out at a steep $55,675. That’s a step up from the Elite AWD model that topped the Pilot scale for the 2024 model at $53,875.

Black appearance packages have been around long enough now—well over a decade—to constitute a sustained trend among car shoppers. And it’s not just for sport sedans or American muscle cars. Heck, Chrysler blacked out its Pacifica minivan in 2017, and a murdered out Chevrolet Tahoe hit the market a year later.

Even if only a handful of customers spend extra money for these blacked out rims, grilles, and exterior trim, there apparently is money still to be made in this space, generally on higher-end models.

Just about every mainstream brand has jumped on the blackout bandwagon, using slightly different names that ultimately mean the same thing: Nightshade Edition (Toyota), Onyx Edition (Subaru), Carbide (Jeep), Midnight Edition (Nissan), Nightfall (Kia), Black Optic (Audi), Dark Accent Package (GMC), Blackout and Midnight (Chevrolet), and the simple, declarative Black Appearance Package (Ford).

Honda has been in this game for a number of years, too—across all its models—and today it’s announcing a new Black Edition of the updated 2025 Honda Pilot three-row SUV, arriving today at Honda dealerships.

Earlier Pilots came available with dark appearances packages too, but this one has gloss black 20-inch alloy rims, grille bar, and mirror housings, along with blacked-out front fascia ducts, window and door trim, and rear bumper garnish.

That’s just on the outside. The Black Edition cabin was designed to be upscale, with exclusive styling enhancements, like the red-accented perforated leather seating, red contrast stitching on the steering wheel, seats and doors, and red accent lighting throughout.

For 2025, the new Black Edition trim with standard all-wheel drive will represent the top of the Honda Pilot price range, capping out at a steep $55,675 with destination. That’s a step up from the Elite AWD model that topped the Pilot scale for the 2024 model at $53,875.

The Elite trim stays in the lineup but at a higher price for 2025 ($54,175 with destination). Then comes TrailSport (also AWD only) at $50,495, then Touring, EX-L, and the base model Sport, and all three of those are available with either AWD or two-wheel drive.

The base model Sport 2WD starts at $41,295 with destination. Gone for 2025 is the former LX base trim, which started at $38,485 with 2WD.

For adventurous customers, Honda also tweaked the Pilot TrailSport trim with expanded AWD capabilities, steel skid plates, all-terrain tires on unique 18-inch rims, and a raised off-road tuned suspension with additional ground clearance. Honda says the changes make for increased articulation and better off-road ride quality, without sacrificing on-road comfort.

This fourth-generation Pilot launched in December 2022 as a 2023 model, assembled at Honda’s plant in Lincoln, Alabama. The press release doesn't mention powertrain options, so we assume the 285-hp 3.5-liter V6 carries over, with 262 lb-ft of torque channeled through a 10-speed automatic transmission.

The Pilot does well in its large crossover segment, much like the smaller Honda CR-V among midsize crossovers.

In 2023, as the new model was rolling out, Honda sold 110,298 Pilots, placing it No.4 behind the Toyota Highlander (169,543), Chevrolet Traverse (123,555), and Kia Telluride (110,765). That means the Pilot outpaced the Hyundai Palisade, Mazda CX-90, Nissan Pathfinder, Subaru Ascent, and VW Atlas, according to Wards Intelligence data.

If the Honda Pilot is on your shopping list, will the Black Edition be of interest? Please comment below.