2023 Honda Pilot now available in "Trail Sport" grade

The Honda Pilot is slated for a makeover in 2023 and will be taken off the cover later this year.

On Wednesday, Honda teased that its new mid-size SUV will once again be the next recipient of off-road inspired trail sport treatment.

First offered in the 2022 Passport, the Trail Sport treatment will add a unique fascia design, wheel patterns, and interior accents; the 2023 Pilot may change things up, but will not add any serious off-road modifications. Honda describes the vehicle as its "most rugged and high-performance" SUV to date.

The new Pilot is expected to twin under the skin with the redesigned 2022 Acura MDX. This will make the platform stiffer than its successor and lead to better road manners; the SUV is expected to seat up to eight passengers and come standard with a V-6 engine.

The prototype shows a more rugged design than the current Pilot, with soft lines more like a minivan than an SUV.

The unveiling of the new Pilot will cap off a busy year for Honda's SUV engineers. Honda has already unveiled new versions of the subcompact HR-V and the compact CR-V. But Honda's SUV onslaught is not about to stop just yet. In addition to the new Pilot, the company plans to debut the electric Prologue in 2023.