Honda Passport TrailSport Touring - Bigger and Better

Honda’s mid-size Passport enters its fourth generation this year, and returning to the fold is the TrailSport model touted by the brand as “the ultimate Honda adventure SUV.”  

"The all-new Passport TrailSport is designed for those who demand nothing less than the perfect blend of off-road prowess, rugged aesthetics, and top-tier features," says Emile Korkor, Honda Canada assistant vice president, in a media release. "Every TrailSport trim promises to deliver this balance, offering adventurous Canadians from coast-to-coast-to-coast thrilling trail experiences, unmatched street comfort, and striking rugged looks in every situation. Get ready for big fun and bold adventures with the Honda Passport TrailSport." 

Immediately noticeable is the increase in the vehicle’s proportions. The height, wheelbase, width, and ride height have all grown, and combined with other changes like a thicker C-pillar, longer hood, blockier headlights, hood scoop, and flared wheel arches, give the crossover a burlier and more distinct appearance rather than resembling a shrunken-down Pilot as before. The Ash Green Metallic is also a perfect match, one of two exclusive fresh paint colors, the other being Sunset Orange.  

Possessing a shorter front overhang, thick steel skid plates, exposed orange heavy-duty recovery hooks, stronger roof rails, and 18-inch wheels shod in General Grabber 31-inch all-terrain tires (co-developed for the Passport TrailSport), the SUV seems to now have a legitimate claim to the label alluded to above.  

Thanks to the bigger overall dimensions, rear occupants enjoy 33 millimeters of extra legroom, and the cargo space gains 156 liters when the back seats are folded down. Shame a third-row bench option isn’t available, given all the added space, but Honda probably doesn’t want to detract from sales of its bigger brother, the Pilot.  

Our Touring-spec loaner was equipped with premium features, including perforated leather seating, ventilated front seats, 12-speaker Bose premium stereo, rear climate controls, and expanded ambient lighting. All models receive a large 12.3-inch Google built-in-powered infotainment touchscreen display, 10.2-inch digital instrument cluster, and a much roomier center console bin that easily accommodates a full-size tablet or small handbag.  

A personal pet peeve of mine is when there’s no place to put a smartphone while driving—fortunately, a wireless-charging tray ahead of the shifter fits two phones side-by-side, and even the passenger gets his or her own storage shelf above the glovebox.  

The familiar 3.5-liter V6 engine is found under the hood, slightly revised to output five additional horsepower compared to previously producing 285 horsepower and 262 lb-ft of torque. The nine-speed transmission is swapped out, and a new 10-speed automatic is installed. For the first time, the Passport takes advantage of the second-gen Honda i-VTM4 torque-vectoring all-wheel drive system, originally debuting on the current Pilot, which is advertised to react quicker than the outgoing setup.  

Though I didn’t get the opportunity to fully test the TrailSport’s off-road prowess, it has a specialty-tuned suspension and driving modes such as Snow, Sand, Tow, and Trail, each automatically optimizing vehicle settings to suit the selected setting. What is evident without hitting the trails is the stiffer chassis, resulting in a more refined and stable ride on the road.  

The 2026 Honda Passport is built at the company’s Alabama Auto Plant alongside the Pilot.    

Highlights (Base): 
MSRP: $63, 686 

Motor: 3.5-liter V6 

Horsepower: 285 @ 6,100 rpm 

Torque (lb-ft): 262 @ 5,000 rpm 

Gearbox: 10-speed automatic 

Layout: all-wheel drive    

Fuel economy:  14.5 L/100 km (observed combined city and highway)