Name: 2026 Honda Passport
Brand: Honda

Honda Passport

EPA MPG: NA

Honda Passport First Drive

Summary

Introduction

2026 Honda Passport Gets Tougher Looks and an Updated V6 Engine

A TrailSport trim adds more off-road capabilities, but there’s no hybrid version

Overview

For 2026, the Honda Passport is bulking up and getting meaner, with a boxy and bold design that suggests its owners spend weekends competing in triathlons and whitewater rafting—or at least aspire to.

The current Passport is competent, even pleasant, but unremarkable. We would guess that Honda sent it to the gym to help it stand out in a crowded field of excellent midsized two-row SUVs. The makeover goes further than looks, however. Unlike many of its competitors, the 2025 Passport continues to be powered by a V6 engine instead of a turbocharged four-cylinder or hybrid setup. That 3.5-liter six-cylinder is an updated design, good for 285 horsepower. Also new is a 10-speed automatic transmission, which replaces the previous nine-speed. It’s the same powertrain found in the current Honda Pilot.

A new TrailSport trim gets steel skid plates and off-road capabilities. To prove that it’s not just another family hauler, Honda offered photos of a Passport TrailSport climbing rocky hills and performing tasks normally associated with trail-focused SUVs such as the Ford Bronco, Jeep Wrangler, and Toyota Land Cruiser. Of course, the Passport lacks the rugged, body-on-frame design and low-range gearing of those rustic off-roaders.

Honda says the TrailSport version of the Passport is a “halo” trim—a marketing term used to describe a model or version that attracts attention to a brand even if it’s too expensive or impractical to sell in large numbers. (Other examples of halo cars include the Chevrolet Corvette and Volkswagen ID. Buzz.) That means the majority of Passport owners will get less-rugged versions. When we purchase a Passport for our test program, we’ll do the same thing—we want to test the same car that most people drive, not the souped-up version that only a few people will get to experience. We plan to buy one as soon as it goes on sale in 2025.

We haven’t driven the new Passport yet, but we can help you decide whether you should wait for one if you’re in the market for a new midsized two-row SUV. Here’s what we know so far.

It competes with the Chevrolet Blazer, Hyundai Santa Fe, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Kia Sorento, Mazda CX-70, Nissan Murano, Toyota 4Runner, and Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport. Price range is estimated to be about $45,000-$55,000. The Passport will go on sale in Early 2025.

Impressions

Outside

“Bold,” “adventure,” “wild,” “sportier,” “robust,” and “rugged” are some of the words Honda uses to describe the 2026 Passport. It’s boxy like a Toyota Land Cruiser and has industrial design touches, including the word “PASSPORT” stamped into the sheet metal.

It’s only a little bit longer, taller, and wider than the current model, but Honda says interior cargo volume is up almost six cubic feet—that’s about the size of a large suitcase. We’ll be sure to test Honda’s claims when we buy our own Passport.

Honda put a lot of thought into the roof, including matte trim on the back half that’s supposed to prevent scratches when leaning skis against the rear of the vehicle, and an integrated satellite antenna that eliminates protrusions that would get in the way of loading or unloading roof-mounted cargo. At the front and rear of the TrailSport trim are recovery points—hooks where you can attach a tow rope—that are designed to break off in a crash to prevent injury and damage.

Bucking the trend of fitting giant, 20-inch-plus wheels on SUVs, all Passports come with 18-inch wheels. The RTL trim level has black and matte exterior trim, and the TrailSport features skid plates and fog lights. Buyers can opt for bold, bright paint colors across the Passport lineup.

Inside

Honda says the new Passport is roomier than its predecessor for people, too, adding 1.3 inches more rear legroom, and the front seats have been redesigned for improved comfort. There’s a bigger infotainment touchscreen that runs on Google software (it’s also compatible with Apple CarPlay). The prior model’s flat seats and sluggish infotainment systems were downsides, so we will pay special attention to these features when we purchase a Passport for our test program.

We like that audio and climate are controlled by buttons and knobs that appear to be easy to reach. The Passport gets the same pushbutton gear selector as other Honda models.

There’s no three-row version of the Passport. If you want an extra row, you’ll need to opt for the larger Pilot.

What Drives It

Although both the current and upcoming 2026 Passport models are powered by 3.5-liter V6 engines that aren’t turbocharged, the two engines are quite different from each other. The new Passport uses the same engine and transmission that debuted on the 2024 Honda Pilot; it returned 21 mpg overall in our tests. The V6 has been redesigned in ways that reduce particulate emissions, and the 10-speed automatic is supposed to make for smoother shifts and better fuel economy.

Honda hasn’t shared any information about the Passport’s fuel economy. Those hoping for a significant jump from the current model’s 21 mpg are out of luck: There’s no technology that would make a V6 competitive with the Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid’s, which got 34 mpg overall in our tests. Based on the Pilot, we’d expect around 22 mpg from the Passport.

We experienced some “jumpiness” when accelerating from a stop on the Pilot we tested, but otherwise found that the engine and transmission worked smoothly together. Honda says the transmission has been tuned differently for the Passport, and we’re looking forward to seeing how it performs in our tests.

All-wheel drive is standard, and Honda says it has improved the Passport’s torque vectoring—when a vehicle sends more or less power to specific wheels to prevent slipping and improve cornering performance. The towing capacity is 5,000 pounds. Honda also claims that the suspension and steering ratio have both been improved for better handling and that the TrailSport trim gets an even beefier setup.

Active Safety and Driver Assistance

Honda says that every Passport will come standard with a bunch of key active safety features, including an upgraded blind spot warning (BSW) system that can “see” vehicles further away, and a better automatic emergency braking (AEB) system with improved radar and camera that can better detect vehicles, bicycles, and pedestrians. Adaptive cruise control (ACC) and lane keeping assistance (LKA) have been reprogrammed for use in traffic jams and what Honda calls a more “natural” response—a good thing, the prior Passport’s ACC didn’t work at low speeds and accelerated too slowly. TrailSport Elite trims get exterior camera views that help drivers navigate around off-road obstacles.