All-New 2026 Honda Passport Revealed: Larger, More Capable, Less Frumpy
Competes with: Mazda CX-70, Toyota Highlander, Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport
Looks like: A handsome throwback to a time before Honda made SUVs
Powertrain: 285-horsepower, 3.5-liter V-6 engine; 10-speed automatic transmission; all-wheel drive
Hits dealerships: Early 2025
Retro SUVs are hot right now — witness the reborn Ford Bronco and Volkswagen’s resurrection of the Scout as an all-electric brand. But what’s an automaker that doesn’t have (or didn’t recently purchase) a rich SUV history to do? Honda has one suggestion: say “who cares,” pull out the T-squares and apply some retro cues to its Passport mid-size SUV anyway for the 2026 model year.
Related: 2024 Honda Passport Review: Your Ticket to (Mild) Adventure
Broad and Bold
From our first look at the all-new 2026 Passport, the approach appears to be a strong one. With upright, chunky exterior styling that relies on bold forms for character rather than the outgoing generation’s oversized detailing, the next-generation Passport makes a strong first impression. The slim, simple grille, rectangular LED headlights and broad, flat hood provide just enough of a throwback look without pandering to a past Honda didn’t participate in. Aft of the forward-canted C-pillar, a blacked-out roofline and D-pillars create what Honda calls a “backpack” design theme. It’s not just aesthetic; the company points out that the scuff-resistant plastic trim along the edges of the roof and the top of the liftgate allows you to lean skis, fishing poles and other adventure gear (or floor lamps, lumber and other Home Depot detritus) against the back of the Passport without scratching the paint.
While the images Honda released show a black interior with orange striping and accent stitching and an attractive two-tone black and camel interior, the new Passport’s cabin still seems conservative, and the overall look is uncluttered. Where some competitors are racing to replace ever more dashboard real estate with larger, busier displays, the Passport contains the pixels within a 10.2-inch digital instrument cluster and 12.3-inch touchscreen, both standard. Simple, straightforward knobs and buttons for the climate controls live beneath the central touchscreen.
New Bones and Heart
The 2026 Passport is 1.5 inches longer than the outgoing model, but its wheelbase increases nearly 3 inches. Some of that stretch goes into moving the front wheels closer to the nose, reducing the Passport’s front overhang and allotting 1.3 inches for increased rear-seat legroom. While the body is less than 1 inch wider, the track (width as measured at the wheels) grows 1.3 inches at the front axle and 1.5 at the back, contributing to a powerful, planted stance. Honda says that the new Passport is substantially stiffer than before, and along with a stiffened steering column, that reinforcement should help the Passport back up its tough new looks with a solid feel.
Powering the new Passport is a new V-6. Although it still displaces 3.5 liters like its predecessor, the all-aluminum engine switches from a single to dual overhead cams, which is not a minor undertaking. Shared with the redesigned Honda Pilot, the 3.5-liter produces 285 horsepower and 262 pounds-feet of torque — an increase of 5 hp and equal torque output to its predecessor.
As in the Pilot, the V-6 is backed up by a 10-speed automatic transmission and standard all-wheel drive. With a sturdier and faster-acting rear differential, the second generation of Honda’s i-VTM4 torque-vectoring AWD system can now send up to 70% of engine torque to the rear axle and 100% of that to either side. The 2026 Passport can tow up to 5,000 pounds, and a hitch receiver and seven-pin connector for braked trailers is standard on the TrailSport trim levels.
Luxury for All, Capability for Most
The new Passport will debut in three trim levels: RTL, TrailSport and TrailSport Elite. The amber daytime running lights seen in these photos are unique to the TrailSport trims, but the hood scoop is not just a TrailSport flourish; neither are the 18-inch wheels and 31-inch tires, which are standard on all trims. Other standard equipment includes leather upholstery, power-adjustable and heated front seats, and a power liftgate. A wireless phone charger, the digital dash and 12.3-inch touchscreen are also standard, the latter featuring Google Built-In and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
The new TrailSport is said to be the “most off-road capable Honda SUV ever,” with an off-road-tuned suspension and General Grabber all-terrain tires. Steel skid plates protect the oil pan, transmission and gas tank, while bright-orange powder-coated recovery hooks rated for double the Passport’s maximum weight poke from the front bumper. They’re designed for pulling, though, not pushing; Honda says the hooks are engineered to break away in a frontal crash, protecting occupants in other vehicles while still allowing the Passport to earn what Honda expects to be a Top Safety Pick+ rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. A panoramic moonroof is standard on the TrailSport, inviting more of the great outdoors into the vehicle. Should you bring a little bit too much of the outdoors in, synthetic leather will hopefully be easier to clean than the real thing.
Unlike the current Passport, which demands buyers choose between capability and luxury, the new 2026 model rolls both into its pinnacle trim. The TrailSport Elite takes all of the off-road gear and bundles it with piped and perforated genuine leather, ventilated front seats, a 12-speaker Bose sound system and Honda’s TrailWatch system. Using four cameras, TrailWatch allows drivers to choose from four exterior views: front, rear, side and 360 degrees, with tire-placement graphics aiding in low-speed maneuvering. The forward camera activates automatically when the vehicle is traveling below 15 mph in Trail mode, and if you get going too fast, it will automatically reactivate when speed again drops below 12 mph.
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- Research the Honda Passport
Accessorize for Success
Honda is going all-in off-road, also releasing what it says is the “broadest line of genuine Honda accessories ever” for the 2026 Passport. The catalog includes a variety of wheel choices, an aluminum front skid plate and rock sliders that mount along the rocker panels to protect the bottom of the doors from damage in extreme situations. There’s also a rooftop cargo platform, modular lightweight load-carrying equipment rack for the interior and removable storage shelf that doubles as a picnic table.
It’s not all escapism, though. The 2026 Passport also features a full suite of modern safety tech including a new wider-angle camera and radar for improved forward collision warning, blind spot monitors, lane-centering steering and traffic-jam assist systems.
Availability and Pricing
We’ll have a full rundown of features closer to the launch of the 2026 Honda Passport, which will arrive in dealers in early 2025 with a base price in the mid-$40,000s.
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