2014 Honda Pioneer 700 Unveiled

Honda surprised us back in February when it unveiled the new multi-passenger Pioneer 700-4 and announced it would be replacing the Big Red. Just a few months later Honda has expanded the Pioneer line with a two-seat version – the Pioneer 700.

If you take a look at the specs, there really isn’t a whole lot of difference between the Pioneer 700 and 700-4. Basically, the two fold-down seats and the extra rear roll cage are gone and that’s about it. This sheds about 135 pounds in weight (from 1,396 pounds to 1,261 pounds) – 172 pounds less than the Big Red. It will also probably reduce the MSRP by a few hundred dollars, but we’ll have to wait and see as pricing has not been announced for either model.

COMPARE: Read about Honda’s new Pioneer 700-4

For the first time, Honda will have more than one option for UTV consumers.

The Pioneer 700 is 114.8 inches long, basically the same as the Big Red. It sits 61.1 inches wide (about four inches narrower than the Big Red), 77.6 inches tall (76.9 for Big Red), and offers 10.3 inches of ground clearance (same as the Big Red). It also has the same 1,500-pound towing capacity as the Big Red and holds 8.2 gallons of fuel. Where the Pioneer really stands out compared to the Big Red is with suspension travel – 7.9 inches front, 9.1 inches rear (5.9 and 7.1 for Big Red).

The Pioneer gets a big upgrade in suspension travel over the Big Red.

COMPARE: Read our Honda Big Red review

Honda promises quick acceleration from is 700cc-class liquid-cooled OHV single-cylinder engine, but we’ll have a better idea after getting behind the wheel. We can say we’re looking forward to seeing what the extra suspension travel will mean for the ride.

With a tilt bed and plenty of payload capacity, the Pioneer should be an adept worker.

While you can certainly have some fun in the trails, this is a vehicle meant to help you work. The bed is easy to tilt and dump and the vehicle has a 1,000-pound payload capacity. As well, you can add a host of accessories to customize the Pioneer 700 any way you see fit.

Add a hitch ball and you can tow as much as 1,500 pounds with the Pioneer.

Honda has more than 50 accessories available, including a fabric roof/rear panel, hard roof, Bimini roof, glass windshield, wiper kit, hard or fabric doors, cargo net, rubber floor mats, bed mat, heater/defrost, light bar, rear view mirror, side mirrors, A-arm guards, bumpers, horn kit, winch, snow plow, hitch ball, and much more. All Honda accessories come with a one-year warranty.

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Three color options are available for the Honda Pioneer 700 – red, olive and Honda Phantom Camo.

You’ll find the Honda Pioneer 700 in dealers in September.