The Japanese automaker's newest and toughest crossover SUV for the North American market was officially presented early in November, but it won't go on sale before early next year with a fresh starting price in the mid-$40k range.
Honda has subtly reinvented the fourth iteration of the Passport series (born in 1993 as a rebadged Isuzu Rodeo), and now the mid-size five-seat crossover SUV has become their "most off-road capable" high-riding vehicle ever made for the United States automotive market. The first details regarding the next-level rugged Passport seem to confirm that – but keep in mind the company has only shown the TrailSport and TrailSport Elite models so far.
Beneath the vented hood resides the classic 3.5-liter V6 engine shared with the larger three-row Pilot and the current generation – but with 285 horsepower now. It's just five ponies more than before, and the torque rating is the same: 262 lb-ft, while the automatic transmission is now a fresh ten-speed with a specific tune in place of the older nine-speed gearbox.
Honda's torque vectoring i-VTM4 all-wheel-drive system comes standard along with a bunch of other features – redesigned suspension, bigger brakes, General Grabber all-terrain tires, longer wheelbase, increased ground clearance, a 10.2-inch digital instrument cluster, and 12.4-inch infotainment screen with Google Built-In, Android Auto, and Apple CarPlay. There are also cool things like ten cupholders, a returning stowable four-person picnic table, plus Sunset Orange and Ash Green Metallic colors that are exclusive to the TrailSport versions.
Speaking of shades, the parallel universes of vehicular CGI have also noticed the introduction of the 2026 Honda Passport TrailSport and the fact that it's only been shown in one hue, the attractive Sunset Orange. Well, the members of the imaginative guild of digital car content creators couldn't leave it like that, so they decided to do something unofficial and hypothetical about that.
More precisely, the good folks over at the AutoYa info channel on YouTube have unofficially imagined the CGI looks of the color reel in the 'configurator tool' for the 2026 Honda Passport TrailSport and TrailSport Elite. They start with a CGI look of the Elite version, which hasn't been shown just yet, and then the host continues the digital presentation with a quick dimensional comparison between the old and the new mid-size SUV.
He points out the increased dimensions and bigger cabin space for rear passengers and cargo before proceeding to show what the resident pixel master has worked out for the 2026 Honda Passport – the color reel. Starting with the exterior, it includes shades like green, red, silver, white, yellow, black, blue, dark gray, purple, or forest green, then switches to the interior to show us blue, maroon, black-orange, green, cream, red, or silver upholstery options. So, what do you think?
Aurel has aimed high all his life (literally, at 16 he was flying gliders all by himself) so in 2006 he switched careers and got hired as a writer at his favorite magazine. Since then, his work has been published both by print and online outlets, most recently right here, on autoevolution. Full profile
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