Latest news with #HondaPrologue
Canberra Times
08-07-2025
- Automotive
- Canberra Times
Honda cuts EV development budget by 30 per cent
Outside of China, though, Honda's EV offerings are slim. There are no Honda EVs for sale in Australia, and in Europe just one model is available: the HR-V-based e:Ny1, while in the States the company offers the GM-built and engineered Honda Prologue and Acura ZDX.
The Drive
08-07-2025
- Automotive
- The Drive
Honda Is Selling More of GM's Electric SUVs Than General Motors
The latest car news, reviews, and features. While it's not something either company talks a lot about publicly, the Honda Prologue and Acura ZDX are essentially midsize GM electric SUVs in elaborate trench coats. Underneath their badge-engineered elements, they're fundamentally the same vehicle as the Chevy Blazer EV and Cadillac Lyriq. But despite arriving later and being sold through a smaller network of dealers, Honda's versions are somehow still selling better than the cars they're based on. The Q2 numbers tell the whole story. Honda's dealers have managed to sell more than 16,000 Prologues so far this year. Meanwhile, Chevy has sold fewer than 13,000 Blazer EVs. Bear in mind, Chevrolet has close to 3,000 dealerships in the United States; Honda doesn't even top 1,100. That means, on average, each Chevy dealership has moved fewer than 4.5 Blazer EVs in 2025; meanwhile, each Honda dealership is averaging more than 15 Prologues. On the premium side, Acura has racked up 10,335 ZDX sales for the year, to Cadillac's 9,317 Lyriqs. While the ZDX was only the third-best-selling car in Acura's showrooms through Q2, it more than tripled the volume of the (soon to be discontinued) TLX sedan and doubled that of the Integra. We didn't run the numbers on the ratio of Acura dealerships to Cadillac dealerships, but you can probably guess how that shakes out. In GM's defense, the company is actually moving more Ultium-based models than the above numbers suggest. In addition to Blazer EV and Lyriq, there's also the Cadillac Escalade iQ (3,766), Optiq (4,940), and Vistiq (1,745); and the Chevy Equinox EV (27,749). And that's not even getting into the trucks (GMC Hummer EV, Chevy Silverado EV and GMC Sierra EV). Point being, in terms of sheer Ultium EV sales, GM is moving a lot more metal than Honda, even if Honda is doing better in the segments where their offerings overlap. There's also plenty of good news on GM's side of this equation. While Blazer EV might be losing the race to Prologue, it's still pacing well ahead of its 2024 sales. In fact, out of GM's entire EV portfolio, only the Lyriq's sales are off compared to last year's. The Cadillac brand, in aggregate, has sold 50% more EVs so far in 2025. Got a tip? Send it to tips@
The Drive
30-05-2025
- Automotive
- The Drive
$16,500 Off Honda Prologue Makes It Even Cheaper to Lease Than HR-V
The latest car news, reviews, and features. A CarsDirect report calling out over $16,000 in discounts on the 2025 Honda Prologue EV caught our eye this morning. Under the right conditions, a Prologue can now be leased for even less money than an HR-V. Looks like you really can grab a great price on one of these; let's run through the details to see how realistic these deals are. The biggest deal-stack combo you can theoretically create on this vehicle would add up to $16,500 off, combining: A $7,500 federal EV tax credit Another $2,500 credit if you're in a ZEV-incentive state (we'll list those in a second) A $1,000 conquest or loyalty bonus (if you've got an '09 or newer Honda or are switching out of certain rival vehicles, which we'll also circle back to) A $3,500 bonus from Honda (nationwide) And finally, another $2,000 discount that Honda reportedly just authorized its dealers to make to move these units If you're buying, and have great credit and a big down payment, 2025 Honda Prologues are financing at 0.99% APR through Honda. The automaker's consumer site lists an example deal of a 10% down payment, with 60 months financing, at $17.09 per month per $1,000 financed. As of this writing, if you can find a 2024 model that's still on the lot, you can get 0% APR with a big enough down payment. The 2024 model looks the same, but the new 2025 Prologue claims slightly improved specs: 'For 2025, Prologue's top-class EPA range rating increases by 12 miles on a single charge to 308 miles, and the output ratings of single-motor two-wheel drive models increase to 220 horsepower (+8) and 243 lb.-ft. of torque (+7). Similarly, the EPA range ratings of Prologues equipped with AWD increase to 294 miles for the EX and Touring (+13), and 283 miles for the Elite (+10). Power and torque ratings in AWD models rise to 300 horsepower (+12) and 355 lb.-ft. of torque (+25),' Honda announced this year. To me, the lease deals seem more attractive. You can drive a 2025 Prologue EX for $259 per month for 36 months after $3,999 due at signing with a decent 10,000-mile yearly allowance. CarsDirect notes that the compact Honda HR-V SUV can only be had for $289 at best, with $3,299 due at signing. It's worth noting that leased EVs are still eligible for the $7,500 credit, but it goes to the finance company itself. In most cases, the savings are passed on to the customer through a reduction in monthly payments. Still, that lease deal is dependent on getting out of a new-ish Honda or rival vehicle. Honda's official list of what qualifies for a loyalty or conquest bonus or deal is a 2009 or newer Honda, Buick, Chevrolet, Chrysler, Dodge, Fiat, Fisker, Ford, GMC, Hyundai, Jeep, Kia, Mazda, Mini, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Polestar, RAM, Rivian, Scion, Subaru, Tesla, Toyota, VinFast, or Volkswagen. As for the geographic limitations on Honda's best bargains, the company is only offering its advertised Prologue deals in 19 states and Washington, DC. Specifically, that's California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia, Vermont, Washington, and West Virginia. The ZEV states mentioned earlier, with their own EV rebates, are simply states that have adopted California's Clean Air Act standards. Right now, that's Colorado, Connecticut, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington. The nation's capital, Washington, DC, is also on that list, as well as, of course, CA itself. New-car buying or leasing math is annoyingly opaque, and ultimately, your own out-the-door price is going to depend on many factors, including what kind of mood the salesperson you encounter is in when you meet them. And don't forget that car MSRPs never list tax, title, and registration costs, or baloney like documentation fees and nitrogen tire-filling fees dealers are often inclined to stick you with. However, if you live in one of the states mentioned, you should have a lot of leverage at a Honda store to get a deal on a Prologue right now. And if you're aggressively price-shopping, don't forget to take your best Prologue deal to a Chevy place to compare it to the price of a Blazer EV, which shares the same platform and should provide a very similar ownership experience. Got any EV leasing tips? Drop us a line at tips@
Boston Globe
30-05-2025
- Business
- Boston Globe
As Michelle Wu and Josh Kraft compete for Boston mayor, one issue is taking center stage: Money
Outside spending and immense private wealth are hardly new concepts in Massachusetts politics. But the sums reported so far could set the city on a course to its most expensive mayor's race yet. Advertisement Amid all the talk of dollars and cents, money has also become a favorite attack line for both candidates. Wu has repeatedly said Boston is 'not for sale' as she argues Kraft is a rich carpetbagger trying to buy his way into City Hall. Kraft, meanwhile, has taken aim at Wu over her fiscal stewardship of the city. He has said she should cut Boston's operating budget, Advertisement During a radio appearance Wednesday, Wu took the chance to go after Kraft for the big money coming in to support him. 'We have not experienced in Boston's history a race of this kind before, with such sums of money pouring in,' Wu said during an appearance on GBH's 'Boston Public Radio.' Seeking to draw a contrast, the mayor also emphasized her more modest finances. 'I have never in any point of my life or my family's life, been able to put $2 million of cash into a campaign account,' she said. Wu's Wu's campaign said the mayor and her husband hold about $450,000 in investment accounts for retirement and college savings, owe about $17,000 in federal student loan debt, and lease a 2025 Honda Prologue. They also own their Roslindale home, a two-family that is assessed at $806,100, though Zillow and Redfin estimate its sale price would be closer to $1 million. Related : That's an apparent contrast with Kraft, whose father is It's not clear how much of his family's wealth Kraft has direct access to, as he has not released his tax returns or shared more details on his investments and assets. A spokesperson said this week Advertisement While Kraft has tried to set his campaign apart from his family's privileged background, it is undeniable that he is benefitting from it. He has Related : Wu has also attacked Kraft by linking Kraft's father to his waterfront condo in the North End. Public records show that in the fall of 2023, an LLC called 'Two BW Boston LLC' purchased the $2.4 million condominium where Josh Kraft lives. The address for the LLC is One Patriot Place — Gillette Stadium. The Kraft campaign called Wu's attacks dishonest, saying this week that the candidate 'purchased his Boston home with his own money,' and he is the 'sole owner' of Two BW Boston LLC. Kraft's campaign did not provide documents showing who was behind the purchase or support his claim that he owns it outright. Advertisement Speaking to reporters Wednesday night after a mayoral candidate forum, Kraft defended the decision to invest so much in his own campaign, arguing he needs the money because of the steep odds he faces. 'I'm going against the power of incumbency. Mayor Wu has had four years to raise money. I haven't, I've had four months,' Kraft said, also pointing out his campaign has had to hire a number of staff. Above all, though, Kraft said he made the donation because he believes he can win this race. 'I believe in the campaign,' he said. 'Every neighborhood I go in, I hear about it, about the energy and the passion for my candidacy.' Scott Ferson, a political consultant who worked for Wu's general election rival in 2021 and is not involved in the race this year, said by putting so much of his own money into his campaign, Kraft is trying to 'shock the system.' 'He's talking to people in Boston who are saying, 'I don't think you can win.' He needs to show he's moving the needle somehow,' Ferson said. 'It's more fun than standing in the middle of Comm. Ave and lighting your money on fire,' he added. Related : Democrat Shannon Liss-Riordan poured $9.3 million into her unsuccessful bid for state attorney general in 2022, and Republican John Deaton put more than $1 million into his losing campaign for US Senate in 2024. But those were both statewide races, meaning candidates were competing for a much bigger audience than Boston mayoral hopefuls are courting. By comparison, when Wu last ran for mayor, she raised $2.6 million over the entirety of 2021. Her general election opponent, then-City Councilor Annissa Essaibi George, raised $2.7 million that year, including the $250,000 she loaned to her campaign in October 2021, in the final weeks of the race. While Boston mayoral candidates have loaned themselves tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars over the years, no candidate in recent history has come close to Kraft's $2 million sum. Advertisement Including the hearty infusion from his own coffers, Kraft has already topped the sums Wu and Essaibi George amassed in a full year of campaigning. According to the latest campaign finance reports, in 2025, Kraft has The spending this year looks less like Boston's past contests and more like the Related : And that's to say nothing of spending by so-called super PACs, the outside groups that can raise and spend unlimited sums but are not permitted to coordinate with campaigns they are supporting. The Kraft-aligned super PAC called 'Your City, Your Future' has said Advertisement 'If it continues at this pace, it will definitely be unprecedented,' Doug Rubin, a longtime political consultant who worked for one of Wu's rivals in the 2021 mayor's race, said of the PAC spending. He predicted that it could be 'just the beginning of a wave of negative attacks.' In campaigns, he said, 'once you go up [on television], you don't come down.' Money certainly helps, but it hardly guarantees a candidate will win a mayor's race in Massachusetts. In 2021 and 2023, top spenders Matt Stout of the Globe staff contributed reporting. Emma Platoff can be reached at
Boston Globe
28-05-2025
- Business
- Boston Globe
Amid reelection campaign, Boston Mayor Wu releases 2024 tax return, annual financial disclosure
'I've provided a full and complete accounting of my family's financial interests, and I expect my fellow candidates will honor our democratic process and be just as transparent,' Wu said in a statement to the Globe. Wu also released her tax return during the 2021 mayoral race. Kraft told the Globe when he launched his campaign that he would release his tax returns, which his team seemingly confirmed in a statement to the Globe Wednesday. Advertisement 'Josh Kraft intends to release information related to his tax returns in the near future,' wrote Kraft spokesperson Eileen O'Connor in the statement. Kraft's campaign also confirmed to the Globe that Kraft intends to inject about $2 million of his own money into his campaign, which was first reported by Politico Massachusetts. That contrast in their backgrounds was emphasized in Wu's tax returns and other financial forms her campaign shared with the Globe Wednesday, on the condition that the Globe not publish the documents themselves. Advertisement The vast majority of Wu's income came from her mayoral salary, which she reported as $207,000 on her 2024 financial disclosure form she is required to file with the city clerk's office every year. Her campaign told the Globe that amount includes about $29,500 that went towards her pension contributions, health insurance premium deductions, and an MBTA transit pass, all of which are pre-tax contributions and not included in federal gross income. Wu also reported additional income of just under $6,600 on her tax return, which her campaign said is the profit from reselling Celtics season tickets to various games last year. Wu filed a joint tax return in 2024 with her The couple's tax return shows they claimed child tax credits for their two young sons, Blaise and Cass, and the standard deduction for married couples. They did not report any additional income other than what they made from reselling the Celtics tickets, or any charitable donations. They paid a total of around $32,400 in federal and state taxes in 2024, or roughly 17.6 percent of their federal gross income, and are receiving a total of about $3,500 in refunds from the federal and state governments. The only assets listed on Wu's financial disclosure form with the city, aside from their home, were several index funds and stocks her husband owns. Wu's campaign told the Globe that the total value of those investments is roughly $450,000. They comprise individual retirement accounts, the vast majority of which are invested in either S&P 500 or Nasdaq 100 index funds, and 529 college savings accounts for their children, which are managed by Fidelity. Advertisement Wu and her husband still owe a total of $17,000 in student loans to the Department of Education, and together lease a 2025 Honda Prologue, her campaign said. They do not own or stand to benefit from any trusts or real estate besides their home in Roslindale, according to the Wu campaign. Wu also included mortgage information for their Boston home, which she reported was valued at $806,100, on the city financial disclosure form. The median household income in Massachusetts was about $101,300 in 2023, Wu has repeatedly emphasized Kraft's wealthy background throughout the campaign, pointing out that Kraft only moved within the city's boundaries in the fall of 2023, after an LLC connected to the Patriots purchased a condo in the North End. Kraft later listed that address on his voter registration. During the campaign, Kraft has highlighted the decades he spent working in nonprofits in the city, including leading the Boys & Girls Club of Boston. So far, Kraft has raised just under $925,500, and had nearly $152,000 in cash on hand at the end of April. Wu had about $2.2 million in cash on hand at the end of the same period. A Advertisement Wu's team has highlighted that spending in recent fundraising emails, with subject lines including 'Our city is NOT for sale,' and 'We don't have personal millions,' since Tuesday. Emma Platoff of the Globe staff contributed to this report. Niki Griswold can be reached at
