The Honda Passport was always the most rugged Honda SUV sold in the United States, with more of an off-roading edge than the Pilot and more capability than the CR-V. However, the new 2026 Honda Passport is more capable off the pavement than ever before, making it the most rugged SUV to ever wear an “H” badge in America.
In its base spec, the new Passport is bigger, more spacious, and more practical than before. It has a 2.75-inch longer wheelbase and its wheel tracks are 1.3-inches wider up front and 1.5-inches wider at the rear. Its design exacerbates its size increase, however, as the new styling makes the Passport look almost as big as the PIlot—at least in photos. Its boxier shape provides more interior space, with an additional 1.3 inches of second-row legroom.
All models come equipped with 18-inch wheels and 31-inch tires. However, if you upgrade to either the TrailSport or TrailSport Elite trim levels, the Passport becomes Honda’s most off-road capable SUV ever. Both trims bring General Grabber all-terrain tires, an off-road-tuned suspension, red recovery hooks, skid plates, Honda’s second-gen i-VTM4 torque-vectoring all-wheel drive, and cool off-road screen readouts. The top-level TrailSport Elite gets Honda’s TrailWatch camera system that shows tire path graphics to help drivers through extra treacherous terrain.
If those off-road goodies aren’t enough, Honda is offering additional accessories, like an aluminum front scuff plate, rock sliders with a stainless steel plate, MOLLE (modular lightweight load-carrying equipment) storage systems, and a few different wheel options. Honda fans will also be happy to hear that the stowable picnic table returns for duty. It’s a lightweight composite table with a grippy surface and a topographic map design. Honda’s picnic table was made famous by the first-generation CR-V and is a highly sought-after feature among owners, but this is the first time it’s offered on the Passport.
As new as the Passport is, its engine isn’t. Under the hood is Honda’s venerable 3.5-liter naturally aspirated V6, making 285 horsepower and 262 lb-ft of torque. Just like the new Pilot, that V6 pairs with a 10-speed automatic transmission, along with new Sport, Trail, and Tow modes for optimized off-road driving. It isn’t all rocky roads and muddy trails, though. On-road handling is said to be sharper than before, with a revised variable steering ratio, a stiffer steering column, and a stiffer torsion bar said to improve steering feel and response.
Jump inside any new Passport and you’ll find a more spacious and comfortable interior than before, one that looks unsurprisingly similar to the new Pilot. It gets the same standard 12.3-inch touchscreen and a 10.2-inch digital gauge cluster. Cargo space is up 83.5 cubic feet with the second row folded, 5.8 cubic feet more than before, and 44 cubic feet with the second row in place—an increase of 2.8 cubic feet. Honda claims it can fit two full-sized bikes in the back with their front wheels removed.
We’ll have to wait a bit to drive the new Passport, but judging by its looks and specs—and recent drive of a camouflaged development mule—we expect it to be quite capable. Last year, deputy editor Jerry Perez did some tougher-than-average off-roading in a Pilot Trailsport and he walked away impressed with how easily it could conquer challenging trails.
The 2026 Honda Passport will go on sale early next year with a starting price somewhere in the mid-$40,000 range.
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