2026 Honda Passport Steps into the Spotlight with a New Overlanding Focus
Honda has been late to the adventure-SUV trend, but is jumping in with both feet with the new-for-2026 Passport, going so far as to declare it the “ultimate Honda adventure SUV with true rugged design, authentic off-road capability, next-level versatility and exceptional on-road performance.”
It’s hard to believe that this is the fourth-generation Passport, after years of being the “other” SUV that Honda builds (though the first Passports were Isuzu Rodeos), lining up behind the CR-V and Pilot. With this latest iteration, the Passport steps out into the spotlight with three models: The base RTL, the TrailSport and the TrailSport Elite, which is more than ready to “overland,” if we may over-use that catchy new word as a verb.
Honda has provided a video of the TrailSport Elite sliding around in the dirt, fording creeks, dodging boulders and climbing hills, lest you think it is incapable of such off-road prowess. The TrailSport comes standard with an off-road tuned suspension, more ground clearance (8.3 inches), expanded all-wheel drive system capabilities, robust steel skid plates, heavy-duty recovery hooks, specially engineered all-terrain tires and more “to get weekend adventurers even farther down the trail or up the mountain.”
“Our completely redesigned Passport redefines Honda rugged design and capability with tough new styling and substantially increased off-road performance for fun adventures without losing its everyday ride comfort,” said Jessika Laudermilk, assistant vice-president of Honda National Auto Sales. “We top that off with the new Passport TrailSport, a new halo off-road vehicle that is the ultimate validation of our TrailSport concept, created to fully express Honda rugged design and capability.” She uses “new” three times to emphasize that it is, well, new.
The design is “tough and aspirational, with an increased dash-to-axle ratio, and PASSPORT proudly stamped both in the front fascia and in the steel tailgate. Flared fenders, wider tracks and 18-inch wheels with 31-inch tires on all Passports accentuate its powerful stance.” The looks, “brawny and broad-shouldered,” may remind you of the new Hyundai Santa Fe, which is not a bad thing. This Passport is 190.6 inches long, about an inch more than the current Passport.
Power comes from the 285-horsepower, 3.5-liter V-6, paired with a 10-speed automatic transmission. It gets the second-generation of the Honda torque-vectoring all-wheel drive system, which features a stronger rear drive unit with 40 percent more torque capacity and 30 percent faster response, optimizing traction especially in slick and off-road conditions.
The interior, Honda says, has more rear seat legroom, increased cargo space and “more standard tech than ever before,” including a 10.2-inch digital driver instrumentation display, and a 12.3-inch touchscreen. New front “Body Stabilizing Seats” help reduce fatigue on “long adventure drives.” An all-new Bose 12-speaker audio system is standard on the TrailSport Elite.
If that isn’t enough, there’s the “broadest line of genuine Honda accessories ever,” including a variety of wheels, an aluminum front scuff plate and rock sliders with a stainless-steel plate. An extensive line of available cargo accessories “with an overlanding focus” includes a cargo roof platform, MOLLE (modular light-weight load-carrying equipment) storage systems “and a clever cargo shelf that transforms into a sturdy adventure-ready picnic table large enough to seat four. For durability, the lightweight composite cargo shelf/tabletop features a grippy rubberized surface finished with a unique Baja topographic map design.”
Look for the new Passport “early in 2025,” Honda says, with a starting price of about $45,000.
