2026 Honda Passport
Let it be known that the 2026 Passport TrailSport is Honda’s most rugged SUV ever. Their development team pushed its “Born Wild” concept to the limit with extensive trail testing in challenging regions of the U.S. They also took part in October 2024’s Rebelle Rally, a competition in which teams had to navigate challenging terrain without the help of cell service or GPS. When Honda says the 2026 Passport has authentic off-road capability, they back it up.
The fully redesigned Passport truly stands out in both its design and attributes. Its revamped powertrain carries one of the most powerful engines in the segment, and the i-VTM4 all-wheel drive system boasts best-in-class torque vectoring. The Passport’s interior exceeds many of its competitors in passenger room and cargo space, with class-best utility in its cargo bay, including clever underfloor storage. Look for double-tiered storage bins inside the doors, a multipurpose tray in front of the gear shifter, a redesigned center console, a new passenger-side instrument panel shelf, an expanded underfloor storage compartment behind the second row, and 10 total beverage holders, including six that’ll accommodate 32-ounce water bottles.
For passenger comfort, Honda has not only improved second-row legroom, but its all-new body stabilizing front seats have been named the most comfortable in the segment. Plus, there are new trim-specific interior designs featuring premium materials and upgraded technologies.
Trims, Powertrain, and Performance
Honda’s all-new Passport presents a choice of these seven trim packages: RTL, RTL Towing, RTL Blackout, TrailSport, TrailSport Blackout, TrailSport Elite, and TrailSport Elite Blackout. This lineup is driven by a 3.5-liter V6 engine and the model’s first-ever 10-speed automatic transmission. This powertrain generates 285 horsepower and 262 lb.-ft. of torque. All-wheel drive, hill start assist, hill descent control, and trailer stability assist come standard, and the intelligent traction management system has seven drive settings: Tow, Trail, Sport, Snow, Sand, Econ, and Normal. The TrailSport Elite and TrailSport Elite Blackout take off-roading to another level with their multi-view camera and TrailWatch, an innovative system that provides 360-degree views to help the driver avoid hard-to-see obstacles on the path ahead. Regardless of the trim level, the ’26 Passport can tow up to 5,000 pounds.
Standard Amenities
The RTL has remote start, a power tailgate, heated side mirrors, black roof rails, LED exterior lighting (headlights/daytime running lights/taillights), Smart Entry with Walk Away Auto Lock (front door/tailgate), a leather-wrapped steering wheel, cloth/leather combination upholstery, heated front seats, a 10-way power driver’s seat with memory settings, a 4-way power passenger’s seat, tri-zone automatic climate control, a wireless phone charger, a 10.2-inch digital instrument cluster, ambient LED cabin lighting, an auto-dimming rearview mirror with MyQ, four USB ports (two front/two rear), two 12-volt power outlets (front and cargo area), and 18-inch Shark Gray alloy wheels. The RTL Towing and RTL Blackout carry the same feature set, with one main difference: the RTL Towing adds a Class III trailer hitch with a harness and hitch panel, and the RTL Blackout is outfitted with the Blackout Package (black emblems, gloss-black exterior accents, and 18-inch rugged black alloy wheels with HPD center caps and black lug nuts).
All TrailSport trims have the option of two exclusive paint colors, Ash Green Metallic and Sunset Orange, and come with an off-road tuned suspension, an underbody skid plate, high visibility recovery hooks, a Class III trailer hitch with a harness and hitch panel, and all-terrain tires. The original TrailSport has durable leatherette and cloth seating with orange stitching and accents, amber-colored LED cabin lighting, two 115-volt power outlets (rear/cargo area), TrailSport all-season floor mats, a panoramic moonroof, power-folding side mirrors with integrated turn signals, a heated windshield and wipers, LED fog lights, amber LED daytime running lights, and 18-inch matte-finished Shark Gray alloys. The TrailSport Blackout has the same features, plus the Blackout Package for a dark exterior treatment.
The TrailSport Elite is both off-road ready and luxuriously accommodating with perforated leather seats with contrast stitching and black piping, heated and ventilated front seats, heated rear seats, a heated leather-wrapped steering wheel, integrated rear door sunshades, Bose audio, rain-sensing windshield wipers, a power liftgate with hands-free access and Walk Away Close, auto-dimming side mirrors with puddle lights, 18-inch machine-finished Berlina Black alloys, and Smart Entry with Walk Away Auto Lock on all of the doors and tailgate. The TrailSport Elite Blackout has the same equipment, but it’s distinguished by the Blackout Package.
Safety Tech
The 2026 Passport lineup comes with the latest version of Honda’s Advanced Compatibility Engineering body structure, new knee airbags in the front row, a next-generation front-passenger airbag, upgraded front-side airbags, rollover mitigation, and the Honda Sensing suite. This comprehensive package of advanced driver-assist technologies brings together automatic high-beams, low-speed braking control, a driver attention monitor, forward collision warning, collision mitigation braking with advanced pedestrian detection, a blind-spot information system with lane change assist, lane departure warning, lane keeping assist, road departure mitigation, adaptive cruise control with low-speed follow, traffic jam assist, traffic sign recognition, a cross-traffic monitor, and front/rear parking sensors. To enhance their off-roading capabilities, the TrailSport and above are outfitted with a rear camera washer, and the TrailSport Elite adds a front camera washer and a multi-view camera system to help the driver see obstacles beneath the vehicle.
Multimedia and Connectivity
Every ‘26 Passport gets a 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment array (54% larger than the 2025 version) with wireless Android Auto, wireless Apple CarPlay, HD Radio, a 5G Wi-Fi hotspot, access to HondaLink services, Alexa Built-in, and Google built-in with a 3-year unlimited data plan for in-vehicle apps. The RTL through the TrailSport Blackout have a nine-speaker audio system, while the TrailSport Elite and TrailSport Elite Blackout upgrade to a Bose premium sound system with 12 speakers and a subwoofer.
