The new-generation of Honda’s mid-size SUV looks much boxier this time around, but retains its 3.5-liter V6 power
October 22, 2024 at 09:00
- Honda confirmed the 2026 Passport will feature a 3.5-liter V6 and a new 10-speed automatic transmission.
- The off-road-focused TrailSport trim includes 18-inch wheels, all-terrain tires, and bright orange recovery points.
- The new TrailWatch system offers 360-degree camera views designed to help navigate tough off-road terrain.
Update 10/22: We may have received our best and most unobstructed view yet of the new generation 2026 Passport during last week’s Rebelle Rally, but but Honda isn’t done teasing. Once again, it’s the off-road-focused TrailSport model that’s getting all the attention, though we do get a brief look at the interior too, including the free-standing infotainment display and the trunk area.
Today, we learn that the the TrailSport comes kitted out with 18-inch wheels on 31-inch all-terrain tires and bright orange front recovery points. A shorter front overhang sharpens the approach angle, giving it a bit more bite when the terrain gets challenging.
The real party trick, though, is the available TrailWatch system. With front, rear, side, and 360-degree camera views, plus tire path guidelines, it’s designed to help navigate obstacles that would normally leave you guessing—like blind crests and narrowing trails. Honda’s also rolling out an extensive accessory lineup, including rock sliders, a front scuff plate, and an overlanding-ready MOLLE storage system.
The two-row SUV, which slots between the smaller CR-V and the larger three-row Pilot will make its debut next month, likely at the LA Auto Show. (Original story follows below).
Honda’s all-new fourth-generation Passport is having its papers checked one last time before it can make its global debut. But here’s a camo-clad prototype of the dirt-focused Trailsport variant to give us a taste of what’ll be on sale in Honda dealerships early next year.
Honda released a slew of images and a video of a disguised Trailsport being put through its paces, showing the SUV tackling both sand and rock trails, wading through deep water, and climbing and descending steep slopes.
Related: 2026 Honda Passport Trailsport Looks Like A Proper Off-Roader
Though Honda didn’t release any technical details like the ground clearance and approach, breakover, and departure angles, we can see that the prototype is at least wearing a suitable set of General off-road shoes. And it appears to be coping well with the terrain considering the Passport has traditionally been a road-biased SUV and not a serious rival to crawlers like the Ford Bronco and Jeep Wrangler.
Text accompanying the teaser video confirms good news for those who are fed up with downsizing. It tells us that the Passport continues with 3.5-liter V6 power, though not whether that V6 makes more than the 280 hp (284 PS) delivered by today’s SUV, and also reveals that the current nine-speed automatic transmission is being upgraded to a “high-strength” 10-speed unit.
Power is sent to all four corners through a second-generation i-VTM4 all-wheel drive system with torque vectoring, according to the video.
Honda describes the new Passport Trailsport as “the most adventure-ready and capable Honda SUV ever,” claiming its engineers have tested the SUV everywhere from the rocks of Moab to the muddy trails of Appalachia by way of Western Michigan’s Sand Dunes.
The automaker’s designers, meanwhile, have been rediscovering their love of straight lines. The new Passport is the boxiest yet, squarer even than the 1993 original and its 1997 successor, whose sloping C-pillars the incoming SUV has adopted.
And although the prototype doesn’t give a lot away in terms of finer design details, an earlier teaser sketch showing the 2026 SUV’s front end, including prominent “Passport” lettering, a “Trailsport” badge, intriguing hood ornamentation, and horseshoe-shaped DRLs let us know what to expect.