The 2026 Honda Passport TrailSport Is Tougher Than You Think: First Drive Review

With extra patrons looking for solace within the nice outdoor, they want automobiles able to getting them there. That is why most automakers have taken a ruler and chisel to their beloved household haulers in hopes of capitalizing on these requires journey.

The earlier Honda Passport began life as a comfortable and squishy mid-size SUV. Not even within the TrailSport trim might it meet the calls for of adventure-seeking patrons. However the brand new 2026 Honda Passport TrailSport heeds these wants with a daring new look and a bevy of real off-road tools that transforms this former soft-roader right into a trail-ready SUV.

Photograph by: Jeff Perez / Motor1

Visually, the earlier Passport was principally a blob. However this new one seems damned good. Honda sharpened up its mid-sizer with a tapered form, yielding a genuinely attractive-looking SUV the likes we’ve not seen out of Honda… perhaps ever?

The practically flat entrance finish is highlighted by a slim higher grille (with a practical shutter) that morphs seamlessly into two rectangular headlight fixtures. Orange daytime working lights—a enjoyable, retro contact—make the Passport look meaner within the rearview mirror, whereas a bigger decrease grille accented by a silvery trim piece provides an additional air of toughness.

From the aspect profile, the Passport is about as shapely as a cardboard field, however the angled C-pillar and rearmost black-painted roof portion assist make it look extra angular. The roof rack would not harm, both. The 18-inch wheels fill out the wheel wells properly, and the Passport’s back-end has robust first-generation Pilot vibes with its vertically oriented tail lighting fixtures and an almost flat trunk lid. To make it look extra truck-like, Honda stamped “PASSPORT” into the tailgate.

Photograph by: Jeff Perez / Motor1

Professionals: Good-looking Design, Good To Drive, Genuinely Succesful, Roomy

My tester wears a Platinum Pearl White end, which seems sharp in opposition to the darkened silver and black accents. However as a robust proponent of enjoyable colours, Sundown Orange and Ash Inexperienced metallic are the best way to go.

The inside is straightforward however likeable. The TrailSport Elite provides fancy leather-based seats to go together with the black-and-orange motif, however I desire the simplicity of the usual Passport TrailSport’s faux-leather-and-cloth seats and gray fabric accents throughout the sprint.

A 12.3-inch touchscreen graces the middle of the sprint, and a ten.2-inch digital instrument cluster sits simply behind the steering wheel. All the graphics are crisp and the primary touchscreen is straightforward to cycle by means of due to the Google Constructed-In system, whereas the digital cluster is very configurable with a couple of nifty preset display choices—together with a selected off-road setting with roll, pitch, and elevation shows. Wi-fi Apple CarPlay and Android Auto come normal, as does a Qi wi-fi charging pad.

Photograph by: Jeff Perez / Motor1

The place so many others have opted for turbocharging or hybridization, Honda sticks with the identical naturally aspirated 3.5-liter V-6 engine from final 12 months. With new pistons and cylinder heads, it now makes 285 horsepower—5 extra horsepower—and the identical 262 pound-feet of torque. It’s paired to a more recent, higher 10-speed computerized transmission.

Honda’s dedication to the naturally aspirated V-6 is admirable, I assume, however the brand new Passport actually might’ve carried out with some increase. It’s not the torqueiest engine, particularly down low, which implies a heavier foot for low-speed obstacles and hammering the throttle at freeway speeds. Even at these speeds, that you must maintain your foot buried for finest outcomes.

Photograph by: Jeff Perez / Motor1

Cons: Wants Extra Torque, Finest Stuff Is Elective

The Passport does at the least reply shortly to throttle inputs, which makes it straightforward to modulate at crawling speeds, particularly with Honda’s new Path and Sand off-road modes. Alongside Sport mode, Path and Sand change the best way the accelerator pedal responds relying on every use case. However, a lot of the credit score goes to the brand new 10-speed for these improved response occasions.

All-wheel drive is normal throughout all Passport trims, which is what you need for an off-road-focused SUV, naturally. Intelligent digital torque vectoring sends as much as 70 p.c of energy to the rear, and as much as 100% of energy to both of the rear wheels. There’s a noticeable switch of torque to the tires that want it most when three-wheeling, particularly, which helps to shortly get you out of that scenario.

The dangerous information, for followers of effectivity, is that gasoline financial system truly drops on the Passport TrailSport for 2026. Whereas the earlier mannequin was good for 19 miles per gallon metropolis, 24 freeway, and 21 mixed, the brand new Passport TrailSport will get simply 18 metropolis, 23 freeway, and 20 mixed.

Photograph by: Jeff Perez / Motor1

Not solely does the brand new Passport TrailSport look more durable—it’s more durable. Honda touts huge enhancements in stiffness and a suspension tuned for off-road use within the TrailSport. That provides the Passport a lot better physique management, which implies tall rocks and deep ruts that will have undoubtedly unsettled the earlier mannequin are barely a problem for this new one.

The 2026 Passport TrailSport skips over obstacles and uneven terrain with glorious articulation (for a unibody crossover, at the least) and a beneficiant 23.0-degree strategy angle. General floor clearance jumps from 8.1 inches within the earlier Passport TrailSport to eight.3 inches right here. One other plus.

As a result of the brand new Passport’s wheelbase is 2.7 inches longer than its predecessor, the breakover angle is barely worse (17.3 to 16.7 levels). Additional overhang additionally ends in a reasonably worse departure angle (24.3 to 23.1 levels). With that, you suppose it’d be tougher to maneuver. However in actuality, the stiffer chassis means it’s no much less nimble than its better-on-paper predecessor, and the brand new variable-ratio electrical energy steering makes positioning the Passport’s nostril no downside, even in tighter areas of the path. If something, the turning radius might be only a titch tighter.

Hill-descent management and brake maintain enable the Passport to easily assault steep declines, whereas the top-end TrailSport Elite comes with front- and side-facing cameras which can be an absolute should if you happen to hit the path often. For a tall-hooded, wide-bodied mid-sizer just like the Passport, these cameras present a a lot clearer view of the environment. A nifty button on the tip of the wiper stalk lets you shortly cycle by means of two totally different views, too.

Normal metal skid plates shield the oil pan, transmission, and fuel tank—they usually saved my ass on a couple of event—whereas the 31-inch all-terrain tires are further grippy (aired down, on this case). There’s even an uncovered heavy-duty tow hook on the entrance of the automobile in case you get caught; it’s painted orange for good measure.

Even with that newfound deal with stiffness and functionality, my butt and again had been barely sore after two hours of off-roading. The plush leather-based seats on the Elite trim provide ample help, whereas Honda fastened considered one of my largest gripes with the earlier Passport: The seating place. Now not does it really feel such as you’re propped up too excessive. The telescoping steering wheel, in the meantime, makes it a breeze to search out the best driving place.

Photograph by: Jeff Perez / Motor1

Photograph by: Jeff Perez / Motor1

On the street, although, there’s undoubtedly some trip harshness—shocking, given how good the suspension is off-road. Perhaps it’s the all-terrain tires, perhaps it’s the chassis, or perhaps it’s Puerto Rico’s jagged pavement; both method, the Passport TrailSport isn’t practically as plush because the earlier mannequin and stiffer nonetheless than rivals just like the Jeep Grand Cherokee or Nissan Murano.

Dynamically, at the least, the Passport rises heads and shoulders above the competitors when it comes to athleticism. That added rigidity makes it good and tidy in corners, and the steering is tight however not too heavy. One thing that may’t be stated of many mid-size SUVs, the Passport is genuinely enjoyable to drive.

Photograph by: Jeff Perez / Motor1

The Passport TrailSport begins at $49,900 with vacation spot, which makes it about $3,000 pricier than its predecessor. No small sum. However when you think about {that a} equally outfitted Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland prices $58,990 out of the field, the Passport TrailSport doesn’t sound all that dangerous. And actually, there isn’t one other competitor that comes near the Passport TrailSport’s functionality.

In case you’re merely enthusiastic about a 2026 Passport with out the TrailSport’s frills, the bottom RTL mannequin prices a pricier, relative to the phase, $46,200. The Hyundai Santa Fe begins at $35,775, the latest Nissan Murano is $41,860, and the Mazda CX-70 prices. $41,900

General, although, the 2026 Honda Passport TrailSport really nails the fundamentals: It seems good, it has a pleasant inside, and it’s fairly nifty to drive. Tack on off-road functionality—which patrons can’t get sufficient of lately—and Honda has produced one other winner. If solely the engine had been a bit torquier, it’d be excellent.

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Supply: Jeff Perez / Motor1