Introduced for the 2003 model year, this was Honda’s first dedicated midsize three-row SUV for the North American market, created to give the brand a larger family utility vehicle with the packaging and refinement associated with its cars and minivans. It debuted in 2002 as an all-new Honda-designed and -built SUV and was positioned as a practical, class-wide competitor rather than a truck-based off-roader. From the start, it emphasized passenger space, flexible seating, and everyday usability, helping establish Honda as a serious player in the mainstream three-row SUV segment.
The nameplate has remained in continuous production since its launch, evolving through multiple generations rather than disappearing and returning. Early versions were closely associated with Honda’s V-6-powered, all-wheel-drive family-SUV formula, while later generations moved toward a more polished, road-biased character and added modern convenience, safety, and efficiency features. A major redesign for the 2009 model year gave it a bolder, more traditional SUV appearance, while the 2016 redesign further refined the model’s role as Honda’s larger family hauler.
Over time, it has become one of Honda’s signature utility vehicles in North America, known for balancing everyday comfort, seating capacity, and reliability with a more carlike driving character than many body-on-frame rivals.