When Honda brought the Passport name back for the 2019 model year (after a 1990s run as a rebranded Isuzu), Honda aimed squarely at the middle of the market. The new crossover was sized right for family buyers and had decent V6 power, but it had no sense of adventure. It lacked off-road equipment, and its ride and handling were as inoffensive as possible. For 2026, Honda updates the Passport, this time adding a little spice to the gumbo in the form of more off-road capability for the TrailSport and improved on-road dynamics.
After driving the 2026 Honda Passport TrailSport on- an off-road in Puerto Rico I can say that this year’s changes make the Passport more ready for adventure and more engaging to drive on the street.
(Full disclosure: Honda flew me to Puerto Rico and paid for my meals and lodging so that I could drive the 2026 Passport.)
Honda added a TrailSport model for the 2022 model year, mostly relying on the standard i-VTM4 all-wheel-drive system and all-terrain tires for its limited off-road capability. This time around the TrailSport and TrailSport Elite models boast much more equipment and technology, including Trail and Sand drive modes, hill-descent control, front tow hooks, engine and fuel tank skid plates, a standard rear trailer hitch with recovery points, and a TrailWatch surround-view camera system for the Elite. Honda also worked with General Tire to design the 31-inch Grabber ATT tires especially for the TrailSports.
Honda’s Puerto Rico drive included off-roading on a course the company designed to show off the TrailSport’s capabilities without throwing too much at it. The drive involved steep ascents and descents, snaking along off-camber berms, fording about a foot of water, driving through sand, and picking our way through tight quarters.
For most of my drive in a TrailSport Elite, I engaged the Trail mode, which dials back traction control, dulls throttle response, firms up the steering, and turns on the TrailWatch camera system. TrailWatch stays on until 15 mph and turns on again when you slow back down to 12 mph. It has a dead-on forward view and a split view to the front sides. The system proved useful to see spotters when the front end was pointed in the air over large humps, as well as when driving through trees that creeped into the path, threatening to scratch the sides of the Passport.
Hill descent control was quite useful as well. Pressing a button on the center console turns it on, and the driver can adjust the speed between 2 and 12 mph using the pedals: add more throttle for more speed and press the brake pedal to reduce the speed when the slope gets too steep. It engages with the binding, almost grinding sound of working ABS brakes.
I switched to Sand mode for what amounted to some beach driving. Sand mode quickens throttle response, loosens traction control, and holds gears longer to keep up the speed in sand. The sand wasn’t deep and didn’t have any dunes, so my tromp through the sand was quite easy.
The TrailSport’s ace in the hole is the set of 275/60R18 Grabber A/Ts. They had no trouble digging in to claw up hills, wallow through the mud, or paddle through the sand.
Small berms, off-set ruts, and hill climbs put the updated i-VTM4 all-wheel-drive system to the test. The system works full time and can send 70 percent of the power to the rear axle. From there, a rear drive unit updated to handle more power can vector all the torque to one side of the rear axle thanks to a pair of clutch packs. That allows the system to find the power at the rear and keep the vehicle moving when one tire is off the ground. It essentially does the job of a rear locker.
While the course was designed for the TrailSport to conquer, a couple of the berms did test out the 8.3 inches of ground clearance. This allowed the bottom to scrape on the dirt, where a 4-mm thick skid plate protected the engine, a 2.8-mm thick skid plate shielded the gas tank, and a $915 pair of accessory rock sliders protected the edges of the lower body.
The Passport TrailSport lacks some of the off-road features of competitors like the Jeep Grand Cherokee and Toyota 4Runner, the two best off-road competitors. It doesn’t have low-range gearing for controlled driving through tough obstacles. It also lacks disconnecting front sway bars like the 4Runner, or an air suspension for increased ground clearance like the Grand Cherokee.
The design also can’t match the off-roading angles of those vehicles. With its air suspension, the Grand Cherokee maxes out with approach, breakover and departure angles of 30.1, 24.0, and 26.6 degrees, respectively, compared to 23.0-, 16.7-, and 23.1 degrees for the Passport TrailSport.
The 2026 Passport rides a new platform borrowed from the larger, three-row Honda Pilot. It’s larger and stiffer this year, as the wheelbase increases 2.8 inches to 113.6 inches, the overall length is up 2.4 inches to 191.5 inches, and the front track increases 1.3 inches while the rear track is 1.5 inches wider. The platform boasts a 50 percent increase in rear torsional rigidity and a 72 percent increase in front lateral rigidity. The front and rear subframes are also now hard mounted instead of mounted via bushings, contributing to more stiffness and quicker reactions. All this improves roll stiffness by 6 percent.
However, the MacPherson strut front suspension and multi-link independent rear suspension are softer in the TrailSport models thanks to tuning changes for the dampers, springs, and anti-roll bars. This allows the tires to stay on the ground longer in off-road situations.
A mostly low-speed on-road drive on tight Puerto Rican roads revealed the suspension changes make for a rather comfortable ride, as the dampers and off-road tires soak up even larger bumps with little disruption to passengers.
Handling fits with the off-road mission. It’s controlled, but not sharp, the body leans a bit in corners, and riders experience some head toss due to the tall riding position. However, a quicker steering ratio (16.1:1 from 17.1:1) creates a more direct feel that’s enhanced by a stiffer steering column.
A new powertrain also helps the Passport take a step forward. The engine is still a 3.5-liter V6, but it’s uses dual overhead cams instead of a single cam. Horsepower increases slightly (5 hp) to 285 while torque remains steady at 262 pound-feet.
The bigger change is the move to a 10-speed automatic instead of the old nine-speed. The previous transmission occasionally got confused and suffered from sometimes disruptive shifts. The 10-speed is quicker to react, smoother, and offers four-gear downshifts to access power more readily. That makes power easier to tap into, but don’t expect quicker acceleration as the larger Passport gains about 500 pounds this year. Look for a 0-60 mph time between seven and eight seconds.
The larger cabin of the 2026 Honda Pilot gains 2.8 cubic feet of cargo space behind the second row for a total of 44.0 cubic feet. Drop those seats down and cargo room tops out at 83.8 cubic feet, up 6.1 cubic feet versus the outgoing model. That’s a lot for a two-row SUV.
Front seat occupants enjoy eight-way power-adjustable bucket seats on either cloth and synthetic leather in the TrailSport or real leather in the TrailSport Elite. Standard features of the $49,900 TrailSport include a 10.2-inch digital instrument cluster, a 12.3-inch touchscreen, a wireless phone charging pad, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Google built-in, and a panoramic roof. The TrailSport Elite runs $53,900 and adds the TrailWatch camera system, cooled front seats, a heated steering wheel, heated rear seats, and a Bose 12-speaker audio system.
Both TrailSports add a little cayenne pepper to the mix to make the 2026 Honda Passport a more interesting vehicle. It’s still rather subdued on-road, but it’s the most off-road-capable Honda yet, and the TrailSport models should satisfy adventurous buyers who want Honda room and reliability.
[Images © 2025 Kirk Bell/TTAC.com]
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