Honda has jumped onboard the serious off-road bandwagon, releasing a tougher, lifted version of its all-wheel drive Passport SUV.
It has been positioned as “the most off-road-capable SUV Honda has ever built”.
Designed at the Honda Design Studio in California, developed at the Honda Automotive Development Centre in Ohio and produced at its main US plant in Alabama, the fourth-generation Passport debuted for the North American market early last year.
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Off-road focused upgrades
The new Passport TrailSport has been reengineered for extra off-highway ability with upgrades including:
- Revised suspension with 245mm of ground clearance (+35mm)
- Increased approach, breakover and departure clearances
- Extra wheel articulation
- Amber hood scoop lights
- More pronounced fender flares
- Resculpted lower front fascia
- TrailWatch camera system
- General Grabber A/T Sport tyres
In a launch statement Honda said, “Rather than simply adding taller springs (our) engineers comprehensively re-designed the 2027 Passport TrailSport suspension system to ensure proper geometry for desirable handling and ride characteristics, while substantially improving capability.
“Nearly 70 per cent of the major suspension components were redesigned, including springs, dampers, control arms, stabilizer bars and knuckles.
“The front driveshafts and front subframe were also redesigned to help facilitate the increased ride height and wheel travel.
“A total of 28 suspension and related chassis parts have been redesigned, reengineered or are otherwise new for the 2027 Passport TrailSport,” it said.
Best-in-segment ground clearance
And Honda was keen to point out the TrailSport’s ground clearance exceeds that of its main North American competitors, the amazingly-named Ford Bronco Sport Badlands Sasquatch, Subaru Outback Wilderness and Toyota 4Runner TRD Off-Road.
At the same time, the Passport TrailSport’s TrailWatch camera system incorporates front, rear, side and 360-degree views as well as tyre placement graphics to help drivers navigate obstacles outside their natural line of sight.
The Passport’s 3.5-litre, naturally aspirated V6 engine (built in Alabama) sends 213kW/355Nm to all four wheels via a 10-speed ‘shift-by-wire’ automatic transmission and Honda’s ‘i-VTM4’ variable torque management all-wheel drive system.
Export from the USA to Japan
Interestingly, the Passport TrailSport, in top-spec Elite trim, will be exported from the USA to Japan from early 2027.
But sadly for Aussie off-roaders, that doesn’t mean the export cars will be produced in right-hand drive. Rather they will arrive in Japan in left-hand drive as LHD cars are legally allowed on Japanese roads without restrictions.
And much as the Passport TrailSport would fill a yawning gap in Honda Australia’s local line-up, the company is on the record saying it has no plans to launch the car Down Under.
