Again within the Nineteen Nineties prior to popping out with its personal crossover, the CR-V, Honda introduced the first-generation Passport, a rebadged Isuzu Rodeo that used to be a professional body-on-frame SUV. Since then, the Jap logo has principally caught to crossover-y fashions that aren’t fascinated about off-roading, however that’s converting with the fourth-generation Passport. Described as Honda’s maximum off-road succesful SUV ever, the 2026 Passport appears out of the ordinary and gives options that adventurous varieties in point of fact need, particularly in rugged TrailSport trim.Jonathan Bennett And His Past due 1980’s Honda Accord | My First CarForming the foundation of the Passport is identical platform that underpins the Pilot and Ridgeline, however with numerous improvements. In comparison to the outgoing Passport, the brand new fashion’s wheelbase is two.8 inches longer, matching the Pilot’s, and its monitor is 1.3 inches wider up entrance and 1.5 inches wider in again. Honda says the Passport’s entrance lateral stress is higher by means of 72 % and the rear torsion stress is up by means of 50 %. Its new suspension has more potent solid palms and solid iron knuckles, with MacPherson struts within the entrance and a multilink setup within the again, and flooring clearance is now 8.3 inches, two tenths better. The steerage column and torsion bar are each stiffer, and Honda says the variable-ratio rack gives faster responses and higher dealing with.
Photograph: HondaAlso shared with the Pilot is the Passport’s powertrain, consisting of a naturally aspirated 3.5-liter V6 paired with a 10-speed computerized transmission and same old torque-vectoring all-wheel pressure. The engine places out 285 horsepower and 262 pound-feet of torque—5 hp greater than prior to—and its energy and torque curves were tweaked. That AWD gadget can ship as much as 70 % of torque to the rear axle and distribute 100% of that torque to both rear wheel, and Honda says the gadget is 30 % quicker to reply. Seven pressure modes are same old on each Passport, together with Snow, Sand, Tow and Path modes, and each Passport additionally has hill descent regulate.Honda is specializing in the rugged TrailSport fashion for the Passport’s release, unsurprising given the TrailSport variations make up two out of the 3 trim ranges. The TrailSport has its personal suspension tuning with other spring charges, damper valves and stabilizer bars. Each new Passport has 18-inch wheels, however the TrailSport will get 31-inch Normal Grabber all-terrain tires with a unique compound which are wider than the traditional Passport’s, and the valve stems are sunken so that you don’t knock them off. Underbody skid plates protective the gasoline tank, oil pan and transmission are comprised of thick metal, and Honda says they are able to beef up all the weight of the Passport touchdown on a rock. 
Photograph: HondaStylistically now not only a Pilot with a shorter rear finish just like the awkward outdated Passport used to be, I believe the brand new Passport is Honda’s very best design in years. It’s boxy, chunky, well-proportioned, difficult, and simply undeniable incredible; greater than the rest, it feels authentically Honda. It has this type of lovely expressive face that rings a bell in my memory of a bulldog, with a narrow grille and oblong headlights that experience amber DRLs on TrailSport fashions. Honda simplest confirmed us footage of the TrailSport, which has distinctive styling components like a pretend hood scoop, thicker fender flares, massive silver bumper sections and other fog lighting. The TrailSport additionally will get a couple of enormous orange tow hooks up entrance that may cling two instances the Passport’s weight, and they are able to break free in an twist of fate.That upright rear finish is supposed to seem like a climbing backpack, and at the TrailSport the roof phase above the rearmost aspect home windows is plastic so you’ll be able to lean pieces like fishing poles or skis towards it with out being worried in regards to the paint. Honda built-in the antenna into the aspect window so there’s no shark fin to doubtlessly get broken when loading tools or off-roading, and the exhaust on each trim is tucked underneath the bumper for a similar explanation why. A tow hitch is same old, and the Passport can tow as much as 5,000 kilos.
Photograph: HondaStep inside of and the entrance part of the cabin is most commonly shared with the Pilot, which is okay because it’s rather great. The TrailSport has artificial leather-based upholstery with great material panels at the seats, doorways and dashboard that really feel lovely plush, and a variety of orange sewing and accents additional spice issues up. Rubber garage cubbies have a topographical map design, and different trim items have a fab geometric glance. The upper-end TrailSport Elite will get leather-based upholstery that may be had in brown, although the orange bits at all times stay. Slightly unusually, Honda caught with its push-button shifter setup as a substitute of going for a extra conventional tools lever.A ten.2-inch virtual gauge cluster and 12.3-inch central touchscreen are each same old, with the latter working Honda’s newest infotainment gadget that has Google Integrated with Google Maps and the Google Assistant, plus wi-fi Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. There’s a regular wi-fi charger and a couple of 60W USB-C ports up entrance, some other pair of USB-C ports for the again seats, and the TrailSport has 110-volt retailers within the heart console and load space.
Photograph: HondaThe again seat is in point of fact spacious, with 1.3 inches extra legroom than prior to and a ton of headroom in spite of the TrailSport’s panoramic sunroof. There are ten cupholders in general, together with six that may cling 32-oz water bottles, plus two-tier door panel cubbies, a middle console that may have compatibility a “full-size pill,” and a shelf in entrance of the passenger. The brand new Passport has 44 cubic toes of space for storing at the back of the second one row of seats and 83.5 cubic toes with the rear seats folded, and it will probably have compatibility full-size golfing baggage sideways or mountain motorcycles with the entrance wheels got rid of. The underfloor space is divided in two, with the left aspect being a big garage cubby and the appropriate aspect protecting the spare tire, and the quilt is divided to permit simple get entry to to both. On each side of the shipment space are extra cubbies that may have MOLLE racks.Usual on each 2026 Passport is Honda’s suite of driver-assist options that incorporates adaptive cruise regulate with site visitors jam help, blind-spot tracking, lane-keeping help, site visitors signal reputation, and a rear-seat reminder gadget. The TrailSport Elite has a TrailWatch surround-view digicam gadget with a entrance digicam that has tire strains that can assist you navigate hindrances, and it is going to keep on at as much as 15 mph and reactivate should you return underneath 12 mph. Different to be had options come with ventilated entrance seats, a heated steerage wheel, rear-seat local weather controls, a 12-speaker Bose sound gadget, keyless access, rear door sunglasses and ambient lighting fixtures.
Photograph: HondaHonda will be offering a ton of manufacturing facility equipment at release, maximum of that are aimed on the rugged varieties amongst us. You’ll be capable of get further skid plate components, rock sliders, a full-size spare tire that sits upright within the shipment space like on outdated SUVs, other wheel designs, roof racks and load organizers. The most suitable choice is a shipment shelf that may be got rid of and became a picnic desk by means of attaching 4 integrated legs, similar to the desk within the second-gen CR-V.The 2026 Passport shall be constructed at Honda’s plant in Lincoln, Alabama that has produced greater than 6.5 million mild vans — and it’s additionally the place the engine is assembled. Honda isn’t detailing pricing but, simplest pronouncing that the bottom RTL fashion will get started within the mid-$40,000 vary when it hits broker loads in early 2025, making it most likely a pair grand costlier than the outgoing fashion. 
Photograph: Honda
Photograph: Honda
Photograph: Honda
Photograph: Honda
Photograph: Honda
Photograph: Honda
Photograph: Honda
Photograph: Honda
Photograph: Honda
