It feels like the new Honda Passport has been teased for ages, and while it’s almost officially here, an entirely undisguised example is currently out roaming America as part of an off-road competition. As a result, we’ve just seen the best look yet at the incoming 2026 Honda Passport TrailSport, and we’re really liking this new direction Honda’s taking.
For those who are simply overwhelmed by the sheer variety of crossovers on the market today, fret not — the current Passport is essentially a cut-down two-row version of the old Honda Pilot, 3.5-liter V6 engine and all. It’s quite good by the standards of the underloved midsize two-row mainstream crossover segment, but this new one looks like it very well could be even better.
Granted, this one’s stickered up to compete in the Rebelle Rally, a 1,500-mile off-road competition, but other than a set of Maxxis RAZR all-terrain tires, Honda claims it’s stock. Well, it looks pretty damn good for a largely stock vehicle, and we’re getting a decent look at it thanks to pictures posted on Instagram by the team competing in the competition, the TrailSport Trekkers.
View this post on Instagram
What Honda’s seemingly done with the new Passport is mash together everything good in the crossover space in a cohesive manner. From the boxier silhouette to the almost 4Runner-like C-pillar to the blunt front bumper, it’s a look that just gels. Plus, the hood vent is a fun throwback to icons like the original Nissan Pathfinder. Is it functional? Who knows? I’m sure we’ll find out at some point.
Under the skin, expect to find a 3.5-liter V6 engine shared with the new Honda Pilot, a ten-speed automatic transmission, and torque-vectoring all-wheel-drive. Not groundbreaking stuff by Honda standards, but in an age when many competitors are going for turbocharged four-bangers, a V6 is nice to have. More cylinders usually means more smoothness, and in a family car, smoothness is good.
Anyway, apparently the new 2026 Honda Passport will debut in full later this year, but for now, this is as good of a look as we could possibly expect without an official debut. Considering the current Pilot has been on sale for nearly two years, it’s been a bit of a wait for a new Passport, but it looks like it’ll be worth it.
(Photo credits: rebelleteam208/Instagram)
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I’m actually surprised the CRV stepped into “midsized” SUV by now. Everything just keeps on growing.
Interesting! My first reaction is that someone at Honda said, “How can we steal some sales away from Bronco buyers? Especially the ones that really only care about an off road look!”
Honda needs a BOF option. Toyota prints $ with theirs, I’d think they’d step up and try to take some profit.
I dig it.
The Honda midsizers have generally been too wide for my taste but this looks good, if heavy on the Bronco Sport.
Hill Descent plus a rear axle lock option like older models would be neat but I completely understand why Honda removed it.
I really like this – the size looks good and I like the styling. It would be very cool if the hood vent works but either way I am a fan. We have an early ’23 Pilot and I had 80’s and 90’s Hondas as a teen / young adult so would happily go back to the brand for more.
S2000 or Prelude my first choices forever though.
Looks good. I have a 2005 MDX with the 3.5/5 speed and my only real complaint is horrendous fuel economy.
I just wish it had a real 4wd unit in it.
Why? It’s not like it would have locking diffs anyways…
log range even without lockers makes a huge difference. Cjs and Wranglers did not have a dif locker for decades and did fine off-road with just a t case with low range.
Sure, but I don’t think anyone intends to rock crawl with this.
Outbacks, Foresters and other AWD vehicles have done wonders offroad despite not having 4-low, lockers, all while being saddled with CVTs.
yes but they are often a false sense of capability and I and my friends end up having to pull them out of stuff they should not be in and these things usually do not have recovery points.
Yeah I like the looks of this but it is not a solid axle or full frame SUV so does not do much for me. Unless I am wrong?
I agree with you. loads of crossovers with rugged packages get in too deep off road and it can be an issue. Frames are not as necessary as the old chreokee and grand cherokee were good off-road but unibody but have a transfer case with low range.
Though the old XJ and ZJ one of the main things people did with the unibody was add stiffeners to it for when wheeling haha
Yes but not necessary. I have wheeled with a lot of them and few had stiffeners including the the ZJ I owned and wheeled hard.
I like it so far and am interested in how the full lineup turns out. I shared it with some car people in my work Slack though and one of them said the getup reminded them first of Sid from Toy Story, then the I like turtles kid, which I can no longer unsee.
It has the Audi fake hood scoops
I think that C pillar is a throw back to the original Passport (Isuzu Rodeo). Actually the whole design looks like an updated Rodeo design for modern trends.
True, but the C-Pillar isn’t unique to the Passport. Like the prior Passport, this one is–at its core–a sawn-off Pilot.
You mean the roof and doors don’t come off?
Everything can come off if you have enough motivation.
I really like the livery on this. It just sort of looks like every other mid-sized SUV out there these days, though. I could see losing it in a parking lot, especially in the grayscale color it will invariably end up as.
its a beautiful green – honda seems to do greens better than most..
I wish they had any green on their current lineup. Just red, Blue Raspberry Airhead Blue, and the usual grayscale. We need to go back in time and kill minimalism…
I like it, and am hoping some of the styling gets carried over to Pilot, as the Pilot is on the short list to replace our Odyssey in a year or two. I think the current Pilot looks good, but this new Passport looks better.
wasn’t the pilot new for 2023? I doubt there will be a new redesign soon
Yeah, it was refreshed for the 2023 model year, but it isn’t unheard-of for Honda to do minor refreshes after 3-4 years, so if throats carry it over it may be in a year or two. If not, I still think the Pilot looks good enough to own.
Glad that Honda styling no longer makes me want to look away and vomit
Sad that Honda styling hasn’t converged to the Honda e language
GOOD NEWS!
Anyway….
Nice job re-interpreting the Nissan Harbody Truck’s hood vents.
Call me when Honda makes a new S2000.
No hybrid no care
Gas is $2.XX, long live the V6!
You know V6 hybrids exist right?
Really? I had never heard of that!
Lexus has a traditional hybrid and a PHEV that use the 3.5 liter V6 as the ICE engine
I know.
I’m returning sarcasm for sarcasm.
Usually V6 + hybrid is a V8 replacement and I4 + hybrid is a V6 replacement.
If the Passport goes hybrid I fully expect it to be the latter.
Or in the same way, the LC250 Land Cruiser and it’s GX twin use a TTV6 and a Turbo i4-Hybrid, respectively, as V8 replacements to the GX460/LC Prado
Gas is $3.99 where I live. I haven’t seen $2 gas for quite some time.
If you want cheap gas, order anything off the Cravings Value menu at Taco Bell.