The new 2026 Honda Passport has 285 horsepower and 262 lb-ft of torque.Mark Richardson/The Globe and Mail
The redesigned Honda Passport is a more rugged version of the two-row SUV, which is a little larger than the CR-V and a little smaller than the Pilot. I cannot tell you Canadian prices, however. Even the president of Honda Canada doesn’t yet know how much it will sell for, though it’ll be in showrooms this month. That all depends on tariffs that may be announced this week.
The Passport is built in Alabama and Americans will pay a manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) that varies from US$48,450 for the basic Trailsport edition to US$53,650 for the Trailsport Elite Blackout edition. This is an increase for Americans of about US$3,500 to US$5,000.
Those American prices convert directly for Canadians to about $69,500 up to almost $77,000. That’s a hefty hike from the current Passport, which starts at about $50,500 and rises to about $57,000. Those earlier prices were set, however, when our dollar was stronger against the greenback.
But – tariffs.
As of press time, few people aside from the U.S. President know what tariffs might be imposed on which Canadian goods this week, if he has made a decision. Those American prices might increase if any of the Passport’s content – such as the seats, wheels or wire harnesses – are sourced in Canada or Mexico, as they most surely are. And for Canadians, those potential tariffs will likely create reciprocal tariffs from the federal government and they might well be placed on American-built cars and trucks. Or not. In other words, the new Passport might cost up to $100,000, and if it’s that inflated price, Honda may not bother bringing it in – not if it’s more expensive than a made-in-Canada Lexus RX, and there will be plenty of made-in Canada CR-Vs to be sold.
In the meantime, the Passport is already in production. A Honda of America spokesperson here said he knew of at least 200 vehicles that have already been shipped into Canada. Perhaps many more. Tariffs are only due when goods cross the border, so they may have slipped in under the deadline or there may be no tariffs at all. If there are penalties, it’s most likely the Passport will be priced realistically in Canada, but just not be available. Such is the bizarre economic situation in which we are living these days.
(Editor’s Note: Honda Canada released the final pricing for the new Passport on May 22. The basic Trailsport edition has a Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) of $56,990, with a selling price, not including provincial taxes, of $60,158. The most costly of the four trim levels, the Trailsport Touring Blackout, has an MSRP of $61,740, with a final selling price of $64,909, before provincial taxes.)
Anyway, let’s try to put aside the questions of cost and value and availability for now – we’ll aim to update this review when we know more. Is the new Passport any good?
Of course it is, if you like the idea of a rugged SUV. Most drivers will probably prefer the mainstream family appeal of the mid-sized, three-row Pilot, with which the Passport shares a (shortened) platform, but “we really wanted to separate the two,” says Todd Hemmert, the Passport’s chief engineer. “This is more rugged, more masculine, for a single male or female who wants to go out and have fun and get dirty. Singles or empty-nesters – non-family customers.”
The Passport is no Jeep Wrangler or Ford Bronco, but proved capable on a challenging off-road course.Mark Richardson/The Globe and Mail
It doesn’t really matter if the owner actually goes out and gets dirty or not, so long as the rugged image is there. There are many improvements to the new Passport to macho it up, including better designed, thicker skidplates under the transmission and fuel tank and even optional rock-slider bars as well as greater allowable angles for approach and departure (which help avoid grinding away on the front or rear bumpers at the bottom of a steep incline). The all-new suspension is stiffer both longitudinally and laterally, though the on-road ride itself is not harsh.
The Passport is no Jeep Wrangler or Ford Bronco, but a couple of hours on a challenging off-road course here proved it more than capable. A half-day of driving to the beach also proved it very comfortable and relatively quiet on tarmac, even on Puerto Rico’s pot-holed roads.
This redesigned vehicle is a little larger than the current model, with a wheelbase that’s 69 millimetres greater as well as 61 millimetres longer and 20 millimetres wider. Those don’t sound like much, but they do make a difference. Most notably, the rear leg room is boosted by 36 millimetres. There was plenty of space for my six-foot frame even behind the front passenger seat when it was pulled right back.
There’s a less expensive trim level of the Passport called the RTL that’s only sold in the United States, which retails for almost US$4,000 less. It has fewer off-road features, but Honda Canada decided not to bring it in – those potential buyers could likely be talked into a Pilot, after all.
The cargo space behind the second row of seats is supposed to resemble a backpack from the outside, with the straps stretching over the rear blacked-out glass.Mark Richardson/The Globe and Mail
Tech specs
2026 Honda Passport
- Price: $56,990 (basic Trailsport) to $61,740 (Trailsport Touring Blackout, plus $3,100 for freight and pre-delivery inspection and dealer fees, plus taxes
- Engine: 3.5-litre V6
- Horsepower / torque (lb-ft): 285 / 262
- Transmission / drive: 10-speed automatic / All-wheel drive
- Fuel consumption (litres per 100 kilometres): 13.1 City, 10.2 Highway, 11.8 Combined
- Alternatives: Toyota 4Runner, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Mazda CX-70, Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport, Subaru Outback
Looks
The new, more rugged Passport looks the business, with steel bumpers and what Honda calls a “backpack design theme.” This means the cargo space behind the second row of seats is supposed to resemble a backpack from the outside, with the straps stretching over the rear blacked-out glass. Okay – sure. That strap section is actually finished with a hardened matte surface that allows skis and fishing poles to be rested against it without scratching anything. Some designer must have learned this the hard way.
Interior
The front seats and dash of the new Passport with a 12.3-inch central touchscreen.Mark Richardson/The Globe and Mail
The seats are redesigned for greater comfort. Honda calls them “body stabilizing” seats. Apparently, the seat bottom has a newly shaped curve to reduce tilting, among other things, and the entire seat better centres the passenger’s upper body over the pelvis. They were certainly comfortable for a couple of hours at a time.
The cabin itself is well finished, and everything falls to hand as you’d want. The 12.3-inch central touchscreen is more than half as large again as its predecessor. There’s dedicated space for two large phones (and 15-watt wireless charging for one), as well as a centre console cubby that’s big enough for a full-size tablet. A small panel shelf ahead of the front passenger is reminiscent of the smart design Toyota’s been using for years.
The back seats have more leg room than the previous version.Mark Richardson/The Globe and Mail
Performance
Despite its 10-speed automatic transmission, the naturally aspirated V6 engine sucks back gas – or at least, it would seem to if the official consumption figures are accurate. The Passport is a heavy and powerful vehicle, but a combined average of 11.8 litres per 100 kilometres is still half-a-litre thirstier than the 2025 model. I didn’t drive far enough to create a meaningful consumption figure for myself. This is the same, retuned powertrain that’s found in the Pilot, which records similar fuel consumption for its Trailsport edition. The Passport doesn’t lack for power, though, and seven different drive modes, including Sand and Snow and Trail, help distribute it properly. There’s also a Sport mode that will hold the lower gears a little longer.
The new Passport is rated for towing up to 5,000 pounds and its recovery hooks are exceptionally strong, capable of holding at least twice the vehicle’s weight. Honda recently hung three of them from a crane in California, lashed together in series by their recovery hooks, to prove the point.
Honda hung three 2025 Passports from a crane in California, lashed together in series by their recovery hooks, to prove how strong the hooks are.Courtesy of manufacturer
The best part of the Passport’s performance is how it behaves off-road and in this it was exceptional. Its new, second-generation torque-vectoring system apparently provides 40 per cent more torque at launch, allowing up to 70 per cent of power to move to the rear axle and up to 100 per cent of that to move to either of the two rear wheels. This sounds impressive – in practice, it meant I never got stuck on the loosest of surfaces and I happily drove up and down the steepest of hills. Hill Descent control was especially effective.
Technology
The new SUV is now fully up-to-date with driver’s assistance technology, not to mention wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The front camera that senses traffic and pedestrians and other objects now has a 90-degree field of view, compared to the current 50-degree field, while the radar’s sweep angle is more than doubled to 120 degrees. Blind-spot sensing, which can reach three metres in the 2025 version, now reaches up to 25 metres.
The Elite model I drove off-road had Honda’s TrailWatch camera system as standard, which let me see the trail ahead from beneath the hood as well as alongside the tires. When you switch to Trail mode, this activates automatically and I referred to it constantly.
Cargo
With the second row down, there is 2,373 litres of space and 1,246 litres with the seats up.Mark Richardson/The Globe and Mail
Honda says there’s enough space in the back, when the rear seats are flat, to stow two mountain bikes with their front wheels removed. The official cargo space is 2,373 litres, with more than half of that, 1,246 litres, behind the second row when the seats are in place. There’s also a donut spare tire beneath the cargo floor. Honda will sell you a full-size, 18-inch spare tire and wheel that can be kept upright inside the cargo space, for easier access when you need it.
There’s a donut spare tire beneath the cargo floor. Honda will sell you a full-size, 18-inch spare tire and wheel that can be kept upright inside the cargo space.Mark Richardson/The Globe and Mail
The verdict
You probably don’t need all the off-road capability of the new Honda Passport, but you’ll likely feel good about knowing you have it, and letting others know.
The writer was a guest of the automaker. Content was not subject to approval.
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