On your next visit to a Honda dealer, you might notice that the Passport has a new look for the 2026 model year. What you might not know at a glance is that this makeover isn’t just skin-deep, as it includes an updated powertrain and a variety of new features. Most of this is centered around a simple goal: to be more rugged and adventurous. Did Honda hit the mark and make its midsize model truly off-road capable, or is this a swing and a miss? Let’s dig into the details and see what the new Passport brings to the table…
Under the Hood
Since performance is the focus of the new Passport, let’s start by taking a look at the powertrain. The 3.5L V6 engine is carried over for the latest model year but is re-tuned to produce extra horsepower, bringing its total output up to 285 hp and 262 lb-ft of torque—enough to allow the SUV to tow up to 5,000 lbs. The transmission paired to this engine is also getting a boost, moving up from a 9-speed to a 10-speed automatic transmission for smoother gear changes and ideal performance across a wider range of driving scenarios. Paddle shifters come standard, so you can change gears manually if you like despite the system being automatic.
The 2026 Passport will continue to offer standard all-wheel drive but with an improved system in place. That’s because it’s getting the second generation of Honda’s torque vectoring i-VTM4 AWD, a system capable of distributing torque across the wheels at different ratios so you can get traction where you need it for a variety of on- and off-road situations. The new version has a stronger unit on the rear axle, which allows it to handle 40% more torque and respond to commands 30% faster, making it more capable and versatile.
Off-Road Tech
Speaking of features that come in handy off-road, there are plenty of other new treats on the 2026 Passport designed to help drivers explore the great outdoors. The 2025 model already had a traction management system with snow, sand, and mud drive modes, but the new version is expanding with sport mode for optimal performance, tow mode to make driving with a heavy trailer easier, and trail mode for extra traction during off-road excursions. Hill Descent Control now comes standard across the lineup, making it easier and safer for drivers to tackle steep declines.
The two TrailSport trims (as you might expect) get extra features that make them more capable than the starting trim. For example, they come standard with a special off-road tuned suspension system, all-terrain tires, steel skid plate, and recovery hooks to assist with rescue efforts in case of an emergency. New for the 2026 model year, the TrailSport trims can now provide roll, pitch, and elevation readouts on a digital instrument display, so you can see this information at a glance and be better informed while navigating rough terrain.
The new top-tier TrailSport Elite trim gives you even more information to work with, thanks to a TrailWatch camera system with tire path graphics that can clearly guide you around obstacles. The system uses four exterior cameras to provide front, rear, side, and 360º views.
New Trim Level
While the TrailSport trim was already available for the 2025 Passport, the more advanced TrailSport Elite trim is a new addition to this year’s lineup. In addition to the TrailWatch camera system and all of the off-road features included on the TrailSport trim, the Elite grade also includes a variety of comfort and convenience features designed to give the rugged SUV a bit of added luxury. These include perforated leather seats, ventilated front seats, a heated steering wheel, dedicated climate controls for the rear seat, and a 12-speaker Bose premium audio system that’s new to the 2026 Passport.
Available Extras
If the features included in the TrailSport trims don’t make the Passport rugged enough for your liking, you don’t necessarily have to abandon all hope. In addition to new features, the 2026 model also has a newly expanded lineup of genuine Honda accessories that can make your SUV more prepared for handling off-road trails. An aluminum front scuff plate and rock sliders help protect the vehicle’s body from obstacles like rocks and roots that can damage the front or undercarriage of the Passport.
Since outdoor adventures often call for plenty of camping equipment and other gear, there are storage solutions like a cargo roof platform and a MOLLE (modular lightweight load-carrying equipment) storage system to help you bring everything along and keep it organized. One available cargo shelf can also act as a picnic table for four, so you can stop for a snack break wherever you go. And if you don’t think the wheels that come standard with your trim of choice are right for your needs, you can find plenty of other options to upgrade to.
Upgraded Tech
Not all of the Passport’s updates involve off-road capability or even performance; some are the quality-of-living upgrades that you might expect from the newest model of any modern vehicle. For example, there’s a bigger touchscreen: out with the 8-inch display and in with a 12.3-inch version that pairs with a 10.2-inch digital gauge display behind the wheel.
The Honda Sensing suite of driver assistance features also has some new tricks, including a new camera with a 90º field of view and a radar system with a 120º field of view, both of which allow the standard features that prevent collisions and alert drivers to danger to work more accurately for the new model year. A traffic jam assist and traffic sign recognition have also been added to the Passport’s array of standard features.
Fresh Aesthetics
Lastly, let’s cover the most eye-catching aspect of the new Passport: its looks. Whether you want to call the exterior “brawny,” “broad-shouldered,” or “boxy,” it clearly conveys the adventurous attitude that Honda is going for with the overall direction of the redesign. It certainly differentiates the Passport more clearly from Honda’s more urban-oriented offerings, like the CR-V and HR-V.
The interior follows this theme, adding body-stabilizing front seats designed to reduce fatigue on long drives and journeys over bumpy ground. The Passport has also grown a bit larger, giving you more cargo space and extra legroom for passengers in the back row.
The Refreshed Passport Has a Lot to Love!
When the TrailSport trim first debuted on the 2022 Passport, it left a lot to be desired, to say the least; most of the upgrades it included were aesthetic, and it was more suited to flat, well-maintained dirt roads than real off-road trails. But Honda learned from its mistakes, as we saw when that trim was upgraded in the 2023 Pilot to include significant features like higher ground clearance, purpose-tuned suspension, and underbody protection. That kind of serious off-road treatment is now coming to the 2026 Passport, and the results look pretty darn promising.
The Passport’s entire trim lineup has been nudged in a rugged direction, giving this midsize model a clearer identity. The new exterior design is backed up by not one but two TrailSport trims that have a variety of features that can make a significant difference on the trails. It looks like the Passport is coming into its own and finding a groove that might just make it a hit with drivers looking for some fun beyond the pavement.
