The current generation of the Honda Passport is great — so great, in fact, that it was our 2026 Adventure Vehicle of the Year. Sure, its naturally aspirated V6 is a little inefficient compared to some of the competition’s hybrid offerings.
Still, it’s comfy, competent, and in the off-road-lite Trailsport trim, it’s more capable than you’d think once you leave the pavement. Now, according to an announcement Honda made this week, that Trailsport trim is getting even more capable.
Specifically, Honda is bumping the 2027 Passport Trailsport’s ground clearance to an impressive 9.65 inches. For those of you keeping score at home, that’s a bump of 1.38 inches. For some context, that’s more than the Subaru Outback Wilderness, more than the new Jeep Recon, and considerably more (almost 2 inches) than the Toyota Land Cruiser.
In short: Honda lavished the 2027 Passport Trailsport with a newly redesigned suspension, more aggressive bodywork, and made some features standard that were only available on the Trailsport Elite trim. The results look impressive.
But Honda didn’t just make the Passport taller. It rejiggered the suspension as a whole. The dampers were retuned for a more compliant ride off-piste, and with the lift and newly redesigned suspension arms, all of the relevant geometry has been improved. Honda even redesigned the front axles and subframe to accommodate the increased wheel travel.
The Passport’s approach, breakover, and departure angles are now more favorable at 22 degrees, 23 degrees, and 22 degrees, respectively. That’s a respective increase of 2, 3, and 2 degrees. The Passport Trailsport seems like it’s just a two-speed transfer case and some locking diffs away from being a real-deal hardcore off-roader.
In addition to suspension changes, the Trailsport gets Honda’s TrailWatch camera system as standard, which was previously exclusive to the Trailsport Elite trim level. This system uses front, rear, side, and 360-degree surround cameras along with off-road-specific line overlays to help take some of the guesswork out of navigating narrow trails or cresting steep hills. Further, this system works with Honda’s HTX (Honda Trail Experience) app that provides real-time vehicle data and the ability to make and share videos to social media.
Also, previously, the province of the Trailsport Elite was a heated steering wheel. Honda has now deigned to give it to plain ol’ Trailsport buyers, which is nice. Fatter fender flares are also now a thing, as are some amber clearance lights in the hood scoop, though the Trailsport doesn’t require them legally. Honda also made the front fascia more aggressive-looking.
The 2027 Honda Passport Trailsport is set to hit dealers later this month. Interestingly, despite its imminent release, Honda still hasn’t given us pricing. We’d expect a modest bump over the 2026 model’s asking price of $50,245 (including destination).
