2026 Honda Passport TrailSport Review: Honda’s SUV Finally Discovered Its Wild Side

The newly launched 2026 Honda Passport TrailSport combines actual off-road ability with daily livability. Read this comprehensive review that encompasses interior, performance, safety, capabilities, pricing, pros & cons, and why it could be Honda’s most daring SUV yet.

A Passport With a Story

SUVs now are akin to sneakers — everyone owns a pair, but not everyone’s prepared to sprint a marathon in them. Some SUVs are designed to look tough without ever leaving the mall parking area. But the Honda Passport has always played footloose.

Introduced in the late ’90s, the first Passport was Honda‘s attempt to say to families, “Hey, you don’t need a minivan to go adventuring.” It evolved into a stalwart suburban battler, carrying kids, groceries, and camping gear for the weekend. But come on — it wasn’t necessarily climbing mountains.

Then Honda introduced its TrailSport badge. Critics giggled initially. “TrailSport” was like a hiking club for folks who drive up to the trailhead, take an Instagramselfie, and drive home. But Honda apparently paid attention. The 2026 Passport TrailSport isn’t dressing up anymore. It comes equipped with bash plates, orange tow hooks, rugged A/T tires, and an attitude that yells: “Yes, Karen, I will run over that rock.”

Interior: Designed for Humans, Built for Adventure

The interior of the 2026 Passport is where Honda exhibit it gets it. Adventure is not just about rock climbing — it’s about living in a vehicle every day.

Build quality is reassuring. Surfaces are not cheap but rather sturdy. There are soft-touch panels combined with scratch-resistant trim that can withstand scratches from camping equipment or a dog jumping in after a dirty hike.

The 12.3-inch touchscreen dominates the dash, running Google Built-in with seamless wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The tech experience is smooth, quick, and genuinely helpful when you’re halfway to Yosemite and need to find the nearest gas station.

The 10.2-inch digital gauge cluster looks sharp and customizable — great for toggling between fuel data on-road or torque distribution when you’re off it.

Cabin space has increased: rear seat passengers receive 1.3 inches of additional legroom, and cargo space reaches 84 cu. ft. with seats folded. Room enough for camping equipment, bikes, or even a golden retriever sporting a “this is MY SUV” expression.

Honda even stashed a picnic table in the rear. A picnic table. Somewhere, a product planner received a raise.

The TrailSport Elite level goes even further – leather seats, ventilated seats, heated rear seats, and a Bose 12-speaker sound system. It’s essentially a cabin that says: “Yes, I will climb a mountain, but I also insist on superior sound while climbing a mountain.”

Performance: The V6 That Could

Under the hood is Honda‘s well-proven 3.5-liter naturally aspirated V6, now calibrated for 285 horsepower and 262 lb-ft of torque. On paper, not earth-shattering, but in reality, it provides smooth, predictable power.

The 10-speed automatic transmission gets a bow— shifts are buttery smooth, whether drive onto a freeway or picking over rocks.

What sets the Passport TrailSport apart isn’t brute numbers, but its i-VTM4 torque-vectoring AWD system. This genius technology constantly transfers power between wheels, providing grip where you need it most. On slick trails, you’ll catch it working quietly, preventing you from wheel spin.

Toss in seven drive modes (Snow, Mud, Sand, Trail, Normal, Sport, and Tow), and the Passport is like a Boy Scout — ready for anything.

Fuel efficiency? Approximately 20 mpg combined. Not revolutionary, but fine considering the off-road tires and off-road equipment.

Towing? A respectable 5,000 pounds, good for a pop-up camper, a boat, or a weekend toy hauler.

Safety: Because Adventure Has Rules

Adventure is excitement, but Honda believes safety first. The 2026 Passport comes with the complete Honda Sensing® pack on all trims:

Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC)

Collision Mitigation Braking (CMBS)

Lane Keeping Assist (LKAS)

Road Departure Mitigation (RDM)

Blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert

Only on TrailSport Elite is TrailWatch™, an available multi-angle camera system that informs you of what’s lurking beneath your bumper. You can consider it your on-board spotter when you’re conquering a challenging incline — or attempting to steer clear of scraping the curb on the way out of Starbucks.

Off-Road Abilities: Not Marketing Fluff

This is where the TrailSport moniker finally lives up to its badge. This isn’t merely an aesthetic package. Honda outfitted it with:

31-inch General Grabber A/T tires (co-developed with General Tire, sounds fancy because it is).

8.3 inches of ground clearance — and approach and departure angles of ≈23° and 27°.

Real steel skid plates and bash plates, not the plastic variety.

Hill Descent Control and smart trail cameras to manage gnarly terrain.

Suspension is tuned for more high articulation and stability on rough terrain.

Let’s get real: this isn’t going to out-climb a Jeep Wrangler Rubicon or Toyota 4Runner TRD Pro. But for 90% of SUV shoppers who simply want to drive boldly on muddy trails, gravel roads, or snowy mountain passes — it’s more than sufficient.

Pricing and Availability: Adventure Isn’t Cheap

Honda stack the Passport TrailSport directly in the middle of the mid-size SUV segment. Trim levels for 2026 are:

RTL (base) – approximately $44,750

TrailSport – approximately $49,900

TrailSport Blackout – approximately $51,100

TrailSport Elite – approximately $53,900

TrailSport Elite Blackout – approximately $55,100

Sales start late 2025, with the main market being North America. Expect a rollout in Canada shortly thereafter, while worldwide rollout will depend on demand.

Pros and Cons

Pros:

Tough appearance now finally with god off-road capability

Roomy, intelligent interior with special touches (picnic table = genius)

Smooth V6 powerplant with robust AWD

Sophisticated safety and driver aids standard

Excellent towing ability for its category

Cons:

Fuel economy trails hybrid rivals

Road noise added by off-road tires

Price escalates rapidly with Elite models

Final Verdict: The SUV That Finally Wore Its Hiking Boots

The 2026 Honda Passport TrailSport feels like the SUV Honda has always wanted to build. It’s family-friendly, tech-packed, and safe — but it also has genuine trail chops. It won’t replace hardcore off-roaders like Jeep or Bronco, but that’s not its mission.

In place of it, it hits the mark: an SUV that takes you through workdays, road trips, and Costco runs — and becomes a trail buddy on the weekends. It’s tough, capable, and bears Honda’s seal of reliability.

If you’ve been holding out for a Honda that’s really ready to get dirty, your passport has been stamped.