2026 Honda Passport Up Close: Broadcasting Its Intentions
Honda’s larger SUVs and the Ridgeline pickup truck have always been sneakily capable off-road despite a very street-oriented exterior appearance. When the automaker revealed the redesigned 2026 Passport earlier in November showcasing a bigger, brawnier exterior and updated tech, it signaled its intent to be a lot less sneaky about its capabilities. We got our first look at its conspicuousness up close during the 2024 Los Angeles Auto Show.
Related: More 2024 L.A. Auto Show Coverage
Looks Rough
The star of the new Passport lineup is the TrailSport trim level, which boasts all-terrain tires, amber LED daytime running lights surrounding the headlights, plenty of cladding and — in the model I climbed into — a significant number of accessories to help you get and stay off the beaten path.
The rugged appearance is a welcome nod to Honda products of yore, from the beloved Element to the first-gen Passport, a badge-engineered Isuzu Rodeo. The entire package looks better than the previous Passport and brings it more in line with the redesigned Pilot; no longer do both look like glorified minivans. The Passport turns the aggression up even more than the Pilot, however, and may be enough to entice buyers away from car-based and car-looking SUVs.
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Nicely Appointed Interior
The interior of the new Passport is well done, with available leather upholstery on the TrailSport and updated interior tech, including a standard 12.3-inch touchscreen display. The display uses Google Built-In and offers wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity; we’ve seen it in other Hondas, and it works well and is intuitive to use even if it doesn’t have the same graphical panache of competitor systems from Kia, Hyundai or GM. I would also prefer a redesigned gear selector over the button-based system that only saves vertical space, but Honda has used this for so long that saying more is like talking to a wall. The remaining controls are well thought out and intuitive, and the marque deserves praise for keeping physical climate controls.
Interior space front and rear is more than adequate for taller adults, and cargo space can be adequate for a ton of camping gear, but beware: The full-size spare kit mounts that full-size spare tire inside the cargo compartment and cuts down on usable space for other items. It doesn’t block the view out the back, however, and I’m grateful for that.
More From Cars.com:
- All-New 2026 Honda Passport Revealed: Larger, More Capable, Less Frumpy
- Honda Previews Enhanced Off-Road Tech, Accessories for 2026 Passport TrailSport
- 2024 Honda Passport Review: Your Ticket to (Mild) Adventure
- Is the 2024 Honda Passport a Good SUV? 5 Pros, 2 Cons
- Find Your Next Car
Rugged Enough?
The current Passport is long in the tooth, and its low sales volume reflects that; with a starting price expected to be in the mid-$40,000 range (the TrailSport will likely come close to or eclipse $50,000), the new Passport will be squarely in the middle of a host of options for shoppers. It’s an intriguing choice, but if it can keep the on-road manners of its Pilot big brother while offering legitimate off-roading capability to go with its good looks inside and out, the new Passport should be competitive.
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