The Honda Pilot was first introduced in 2002 for the 2003 model year. It has always been a pretty bland, boxy mid-size crossover ever since. This year, Honda wants to spice things up and will give the Pilot a big makeover for the 2016 model year.

The 2016 Pilot will be the third generation for the vehicle and it will debut at the Chicago Auto Show Feb. 14-22. The SUV will first be shown at 9:30 a.m. on Feb. 12 at the Auto Show. 

"The new Pilot will raise the bar in a segment it helped to create, with more innovation, style, premium features and family utility than ever before," Jeff Conrad, senior vice president of Honda said.

The Pilot will likely get most of its changes cosmetically. The V6 engine that provides 250 horsepower will probably stay the same.

In 2008, Honda made the Pilot boxy and boring. Its rivals like Mazda's CX-9 and Ford's Explorer have all used modern athletic looking exteriors.

Honda promises that the 2016 model will "represent a dramatic shift in design." 

The Pilot will continue to seat eight passengers in three rows of seats but will get cabin upgrades, new technology and better safety features.

Honda's CR-V a step below the Pilot, utilizes a four cylinder engine. The Pilot could do this too to be more fuel efficient but then the SUV might be pokey and accelerate slowly.

Four-wheel drive will be optional and an added cost. The base models will be front wheel drive. 

The current price on Pilots starts at $30,700 according to Car and Driver. They predict that there will not be much difference in price for the 2016 models due to competition from their rivals.

In 2014, sales of the Pilot dropped by a little over 14 percent. It is wise that Honda re-vamps the vehicle to get drivers back into it.

What do you think of the new Pilot? Is it better than the 2008-2015 model? Leave us a message below and let us know what you think.