Honda, by just about anyone’s yardstick, offers well engineered, reliable, safe products for its customers. What I wondered – and now know – is just how Honda accomplishes that year after year.

We all know that products evolve, but the way Honda developed what the new 2009 Honda Pilot should be was not done in a cluttered board room, but by holding meetings with Pilot owners.

What did they want to see in the new Pilot?

Where were the areas that Honda needed address to improve the new Pilot?

More room for strollers was one of the big things. More aggressive looks was another. More of an upscale interior was also on the list.

Honda then took the ‘suggestions’ of their customers, and worked that into the equation that is the new 2009 Pilot, that will hit Honda showrooms in early June.

With the new Pilot, Honda has clearly addressed the looks issue. The wider stance – its 30mm wider than the previous model – and the strong, aggressive front fascia all lends itself to the Pilot’s new look.

In addition to being wider, the new Pilot is 75mm longer in both overall length and wheelbase. It’s also grown 10 mm higher.

Inside the new Pilot, the interior is spacious, with seating for eight – and room for a stroller with all the seats still in place. Honda has also increased the Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH) system for child seats from two to four locations. The front seats have active head restraint system, and are much improved on the comfort front.

Our test Pilot was the top of the line in trim levels, the Touring, and it featured the new eight inch navigation screen. The center mounted screen is one of the best as far as glare goes. It is easy to read in even bright sunlight, and it is part of a packed center dash that also features the three climate zone controls. To be honest, the number of controls both on the center console and on the steering wheel took a little getting used to as to what does what, but once we became acclimated to the new Pilot, the controls were in their logical places.

What will help the new Pilot reach the anticipated 5000 unit sales mark in Canada is what lies beneath the skin of the new Pilot. Power comes from a 3.5L/VTEC V6, with 250bhp and 253lb/ft of torque, which is up from the 2008 models 244bhp and 240 lb/ft.

These days, the emphasis is on fuel economy, and the new Pilot features an impressive seven percent improvement over the older model. On the two-wheel drive model, that only comes in the base trim, the LX, you can expect 12.7L/100km on the highway and 8.7 city. On the four wheel drive models, fuel mileage is 13.1 highway and 9.1 city. All models meet Tier 2, Bin 5 emissions standards.

The new Pilot is able to achieve these fuel ratings because of the new and improved Variable Cylinder Management (VCM). On the previous system, the engine would switch to three cylinders when not under a load to conserve fuel. The new system now has a ‘mid level’ that will let the V6 go to four cylinders when only a mild load on the engine is required. There is also an “ECO” light on the dash that lets drivers know when they are in full conservation mode. Without the light telling you what is happening, you’d have no clue that the Pilot is on three, four or six cylinders. The VCM is seamless. You cannot feel or hear it change between modes. This is due to the Active Control Engine Mount (ACM) and Active Noise Control systems that minimize the effects of engine vibration. The ACM electronically positions the engine mounts to absorb the vibrations while the ANC sends canceling vibrations through the speakers – even when the stereo is off.

The bottom line is that the new Pilot offers better performance, while achieving better fuel economy, actually best in class fuel economy. Normally, better performance comes at the cost of fuel economy, but this is a good example of what makes the new Pilot worthy of the Honda nameplate.