2026 Honda Passport

The 2026 Honda Passport is here and it finally looks like a real off-road machine. With a bold, boxy design and a long list of off-road, tech and safety features, the new Passport is gunning for the Jeep Grand Cherokee, Subaru Outback and even the Toyota 4Runner, and we’re all about it.

An all-new look (finally)

Boxy design is all the rage at the moment. There are obvious examples like the Ford Bronco and Land Rover Defender, but even Lexus and Hyundai are following suit with the GX and Santa Fe SUVs. Now, it's Honda's turn.

Every new Passport features the same blocky styling as the vehicles mentioned above, but it's the off-road-ready TrailSport trim that maxes things out. There are nonfunctional bits like the hood scoop, but most of the Passport’s design is there to work hard off-road. The front fascia has two recovery hooks that can handle double the vehicle’s weight in a situation where it needs to be pulled out. And between them is a thick steel skid plate to protect the SUV's underside while you're out on the trail.

The new TrailSport rocks 31-inch General Grabber all-terrain tires — the largest that Honda has ever fitted to a vehicle — in addition to a wider front and rear track compared to the previous Passport. There isn't any major suspension trickery like what you'll get in a TRD Pro Toyota, but Honda added stronger steel arms and cast iron knuckles up front along with a retuned multilink rear suspension setup. Basically, the Passport is better able to handle rough terrain.

The Passport retains its 3.5-liter V6, which now makes 285 horsepower, a whopping 5-hp increase over the previous model. While the engine itself is largely unchanged, the Passport does get a new 10-speed automatic transmission. The combo sends power to Honda’s new all-wheel-drive system, which can handle more torque at the rear axle and shift side to side to an individual wheel. Translation: The 2026 Passport is better at getting you out of sticky situations.

People can customize this SUV more than ever before thanks to a long list of dealer-installed accessories. Honda showed us just a sampling, but they include custom wheels, rock sliders for extra off-road protection and a cargo shelf that doubles as a table for when you’re camping (first-gen CR-V, anyone?).

Interior steps up its game

To accompany its fun new exterior, the Passport also shakes things up in the cabin with some big upgrades. There's a standard 12.3-inch touchscreen that comes with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto; this is actually more screen real estate than you get in the larger Honda Pilot. Another nice feature found in the Passport is Google built-in services with maps, voice assistant and the app store to download third-party things like Spotify. We’ve played around with Google built-in in the Honda Accord and Civic and came away very impressed.

In the second row, Honda added more legroom compared to the last-generation Passport. Overall, this SUV has a spacious, comfortable rear cabin, with cupholders everywhere and two USB-C ports to charge your phone. The top-spec TrailSport Elite even comes with heated seats in the back. Honda also improved the cargo space, now up to 44 cubic feet with all seats upright. There’s a clever lower cargo area that provides safe storage for smaller items. And for the die-hard off-roaders, you can option a full-size spare tire that fits into the cargo area with straps and remove it once you’re back home.

The new Passport is coming soon

It’s clear that Honda wants a bigger bite of the apple with the new Passport, and the biggest targets all strong competitors. The Subaru Outback Wilderness, Jeep Grand Cherokee and Toyota 4Runner all offer a similar package for the money. The new Passport stacks up nicely against the group, especially with the strong standard technology that Honda includes on every model.

Honda will offer three trim levels: RLT, TrailSport and TrailSport Elite. Pricing will start in the mid-$40,000 range, likely sneaking up a few grand from where the current model sits. It will go on sale early next year, and we expect to take our first drive around the same time.

The 2026 Honda Passport is fully redesigned and poised to be even better than the current version. And that's saying a lot — today's Passport is one of our favorite two-row SUVs.

Overview

Two-row midsize SUVs are nowhere near as popular as their three-row counterparts, but enough customers are buying the excellent Honda Passport that the roomy crossover is returning for round four. Based on the recently overhauled Pilot, the 2026 Honda Passport is fully redesigned and should arrive with a tough new exterior to complement a modern interior and more features than ever before.

Edmunds spotlight: The Pilot connection

We say “should” because Honda hasn’t released any images yet. It should look a lot like the current Pilot since the Passport is essentially a variation of that SUV. The primary difference is the number of seats, but the Passport’s shorter length also means it’s generally easier to park and maneuver.

Expect the 2026 Passport to be powered by the same 3.5-liter V6 that the current model uses, though if the Pilot is anything to go off of, we’ll likely see a mild bump from 280 to 285 horsepower. We also believe the rugged TrailSport model will be even more capable, with the addition of skid plates and special off-road driving traction modes.

Competitors to consider

We think the current Passport is the best vehicle in its class, and unless Honda totally whiffs on the redesign, the new Passport should retain the crown. But there are several highly regarded rivals, including the Subaru Outback and Jeep Grand Cherokee. Both offer more off-road cred than the Passport while remaining comfortable on the pavement. If you want to do serious rock crawling, however, there's really no substitute for the Ford Bronco and Jeep Wrangler.