The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

17 Friday , January 14, 2011 O A KVILLE BEA V ER w w w .o akvillebeaver .co m Motown is paved in green at the 2011 Detroit Auto Show Story and photos by Rob Beintema Metroland Newspapers Carguide Magazine Well now, this is ver-r-r-y smooth, Mary purred from the passenger seat. My wife has her own set of criteria when it comes to car reviews, developed over the thousand or so vehicles shes driven or rid- den in. One of them is what she calls the Tims test, judging the jiggle of the suspension by how much takeout coffee you might unfortu- nately wind up wearing. Not a problem in the 2011 Honda Pilot. She sipped contentedly and settled deeper into the seat. Now, there are sports cars that fail her spill test miserably and still make our list of favourite weekend getaway vehicles, just for their sheer exuberance, boundless energy and the adrenalized joy of corner-carving. But for relaxed, long haul cruising, when you want to ease serenely into travel and a tranquil state of mind, its that sense of smoothness that makes it seem like the pass- ing kilometers are putting equal distance between you and the mundane cares of everyday life. The Honda Pilot was built to be smooth, founded on the car-like construction of a unibody layout with a chassis that shares ele- ments with the upscale Acura MDX SUV, Honda Accord and Honda Odyssey minivan. The Pilot was one of the early innovators in the crossover SUV segment, stressing inte- rior room in a midsize package and a mix of on-road civility with off-road toughness that offers standard three-row eight-passenger seating with plenty of power and reasonable fuel efficiency levels when compared to con- ventionally designed SUVs. Now in its second generation, this latest Pilot was originally unveiled for the 2009 model year. Unlike crossover competitors who have evolved away from their SUV starting points, the Pilot has reversed the trend, moving towards a more macho image. Its truck-like exterior has been bolstered with blockier fender styling, a more upright grille and stronger exterior lines. Inside, however, the emphasis is on interi- or refinement and increased content, tweaked by small packaging adjustments as the model lineup carried over for the past two years. For 2011, the only modifications are ambient console lighting and the new White Diamond Pearl exterior paint covering my test model. We might expect a few fur- ther changes next year with a probable major revision slated for either 2013 or 2014. The Pilot is powered by an advanced 3.5- litre 24-valve V6 with "intelligent" Variable Valve Timing and Lift Electronic Control (i- VTEC) technology. The motor makes 250 hp at 5700 rpm and 253 lb/ft of torque at 4800 rpm. Much of that torque pulses in at a rela- tively low rpm level, pulling the Pilot and its load up to speed satisfactorily. The engine responds with a surprisingly sporty snarl from under the hood and out of the exhaust. Variable Cylinder Management (VCM) allows the V6 to pull with all six cylinders or the engine can run in four- or three-cylinder modes for fuel efficiency under light cruising conditions. Fuel economy is officially rated at 13.1/9.1L/100km (city/hwy). My numbers usually come closer to the city ratings, with my personal fuel averages working out to 13.3L/100 km. The Pilot matches engine power to a stan- dard five-speed automatic transmission. Shifting seems seamless but Im pretty sure this tranny will be one of the focus points of the next revision, probably with an upgrade to at least a six-speed or CVT version. The model lineup starts with an econom- ical front-wheel drive LX version that starts at $34,820. All other trim levels use the VTM-4 auto- matic four-wheel-drive system. The VTM-4 offers a push button-activated "lock mode", available for low speed maneuvering in first or second gears and designed to provide maximum power transfer to the rear wheels for low traction or stuck conditions. Continued on page 18 The 2011 Honda Pilot in this years new White Diamond Pearl and in top-of-the-line Touring trim, blending the Pilots burly all-weather abilities with a list of luxuries and technologies to rival Hondas premium Acura entries. Car Name At A Glance: BODY STYLE:five door, eight-pas- senger midsize crossover SUV.DRIVE METHOD:front engine, all- wheel drive.ENGINE:3.5-litre SOHC V6 (250 hp, 253 lb/ft of torque) with five-speed automatic transmission.FUEL ECONOMY:13.1/9.1L/100km (city/hwy)PRICE:$48,420 (fully-loaded Touring model)WEB SITE:www.honda.ca