The world isn’t short on roads. There’s winding mountain passes, endless stretches of highways, and trails that fade into wilderness. This new generation 2026 Honda Passport Trailsport was designed to tackle all of those roads along with the day-to-day family commute. So can it handle it all?
Performance
Engine – Under the hood, Honda stuck with what works. The familiar 3.5L V6 engine that produces 285 hp and 262 lb-ft of torque (212 kW & 355 Nm). It’s naturally aspirated, smooth, predictable, and even sounds pretty good when you give it the beans. This engine has old school vibes which some consumers still prefer over modern and increasingly complex powertrains.
Fuel Economy – But with the V6 engine, an AWD system, and about 2.1 tonnes in weight don’t let this Passport TrailSport sip fuel. Officially, it’s rated for 12.6 L/100km (18.6 MPG) in a city and 9.9 L/100km (23.7 MPG) on a highway. I only managed to achieve 12.2 L/100km (19.3 MPG) which involved quite a bit of highway driving while roughly 60% was city driving.
Transmission – The Passport receives one more gear over the previous model year with a 10-speed automatic transmission. This is a smooth shifting transmission albeit a little on the slow side to react to a stab of the throttle. It does have quite a few gears to go through before settling onto the correct gear. But once it does, it sticks with it and it doesn’t change its mind.
Braking – The brakes are average for an SUV of this size. They provide good stopping power and are easy to modulate in everyday traffic. However the soft-ish suspension allows for quite a bit of nose dive under emergency situations.
Handling – The Honda Passport is first and foremost an on-road family SUV. The suspension is tuned to be soft and absorb bumps which in turns leads to a bit of body roll but it still feels under control. However, the steering is direct albeit on the light side in feel. The Passport also delays the effects of understeer thanks to the i-VTM4 AWD system which has clutch packs in the rear differential that allows for real torque vectoring.
As for the off-road TraiLSport trim, I’m happy to say that this is a genuine off-road capable SUV. Perhaps not a proper off-roader like the Ford Bronco but more so an off-road specialist… which is more than what the previous generation TrailSport was. This new one has 8.3-inches of ground clearance, unique stabilizer bars, and skid plates to protect the important components underneath the vehicle along with all-terrain tires. But this demo vehicle had snow tires already equipped on it.
Comfort
Ride Comfort – With the softer suspension, the 2026 Honda Passport Trailsport is a very comfortable family SUV. I would even say that on some roads, the ride can become overly floaty in feel. But with that soft suspension, it means that your kids in the back will stay asleep even over the roughest and poorly maintained highways when taking a family road trip.
Interior Space – Sharing the same chassis as the Pilot, the Passport has a cavernous interior. Tall adults will have absolutely no problem with legroom and headroom in the front row. The seating position is high up with the 10-way power adjustable driver’s seat providing many adjustments for both tall or short drivers. Additionally, the front seats are soft and supportive.
In the 2nd row, at 6’4”, I have zero issues with space even behind my tall driving position. My knees do not feel squished behind the seat, my feet have plenty of space underneath the driver’s seat, and my hair doesn’t brush up against the headliner.
And finally in the trunk, the 2026 Passport can swallow up to 1,246 L (44 cu-ft) of cargo behind the rear seats. Fold them down and cargo capacity increases to 2,356 L (83.2 cu-ft). Under the trunk floor you’ll find some small item storage space and a spare wheel.
Noise, Vibration, & Harshness – With the 2026 Honda Passport TrailSport being essentially a box on wheels, wind noise is actually well subdued from the cabin. As I mentioned earlier, engine noise is pleasant to the ears at higher rpms but in everyday city driving, it’s not too loud. As well, tire noise, with the equipped snow tires, is not too bad on highways but it is the most prevalent sound.
Odds and Ends
Pricing – Here in Canada, the 2026 Passport Trailsport starts at $56,990 CAD ($44,950 USD, RTL). A fully loaded Touring trim is about another $3,500 CAD ($7,700 USD). That’s not cheap, but it’s in the same ballpark figure as the Toyota 4Runner and Jeep Grand Cherokee.
Gadgets – The Passport TrailSport Touring is well equipped with leather upholstery, heated & ventilated front seats, heated steering wheel, panoramic sunroof, surround view cameras, power liftgate, 3-zone climate control, heated rear seats, wireless phone charging, and a pretty good 12-speaker audio system.
Interior Design – If the outside says “rugged”, the inside says “refined”. The TrailSport’s cabin blends function with comfort. Honda has kept physical controls for commonly used items such as the climate. There’s a new fully digital driver display, a larger 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen, and orange stitching to remind you that you’re in an off-road focused SUV.
Exterior Design – The 2026 Passport is a rugged, chunky looking SUV. From certain angles, it looks almost like a Hummer EV SUV. The front looks very muscular with its new amber daytime running lights and functional hood scoop.
Safety – Regardless of which trim of the 2026 Passport you choose, they are all equipped with every safety & driver aid. This means each Passport will come with blind spot sensors, automatic emergency braking, rear cross traffic alert, lane keeping assist, traffic sign recognition, and so on.
Warranty – The 2026 Honda Passport TrailSport is covered by a 3 year / 60,000 km new vehicle and 5 year / 100,000 km powertrain warranty. For more information on Canadian warranty,click here. For information on USA warranty,click here.
Conclusion – So what’s the final verdict on the 2026 Honda Passport Trailsport? Well, it’s not a rugged trail warrior like the Jeep Wrangler. It’s a more blanched SUV that feels every bit as comfortable tackling the school run as it does going down a muddy trail. This might just be the sweet spot between urban comfort and weekend adventure.
Thank you to Honda Canada for providing the Passport TrailSport. www.Honda.ca
2026 Honda Passport TrailSport Gallery
