I think we’re about to see the Honda Passport kind of reverse-halo its way up Honda’s hierarchy. Everybody loves the small SUV’s design. And a slide from Honda’s big “how we’re going to recover from losing all that money on canceled EV plans” presentation today has me convinced that the brand is going to increase the ruggedness of its big SUVs in the near future.
In case you missed it, Honda released a pair of radical wedge-shaped EV designs at the beginning of 2025 with the very clear goals of turning them into production cars. Then the regulatory environment changed. This March, Honda bailed on the idea entirely, killing its 0 Series vehicles and the upcoming Acura RSX electric SUV, which was going to share the platform.
Today, Honda published its Summary of 2026 Honda Business Briefing (subtitle: Rebuilding Automobile Business and Ensuring Mid- to Long-term Growth). The main takeaway from that is what most analysts already expected—it’s all about the pivot from EVs to hybrids and a next-gen V6 powertrain.
On a 30-page slide deck that was shared along with this corporate update, I found confirmation that Honda’s planning to “introduce 15 models globally, by the end of fiscal year ending March 31, 2030, primarily in North America.” That basically substantiates the brand’s stated plans to accelerate hybrid model launches ahead of original plans.
Honda-2026-Business-Briefing-DeckThe most interesting nugget about new models specifically relates to an upcoming large Honda SUV. In a slide describing “enhancement of the product lineup in North America,” Honda shared plans to introduce a “next-generation large-size model equipped with [a] newly developed V6 engine” and “newly developed [hybrid] drive units and battery pack.”
Here’s what I’m talking about:
This model is described as “D-segment or above,” and that last word is particularly interesting. The three-row Honda Pilot is a D-segment (mid-sized) SUV. So this is proof that Honda is, at the very least, seriously considering adding another model larger than Pilot. That would put it in contention with the Toyota Land Cruiser, at least in terms of scale and market positioning.
And while this illustration is only that—a conceptual illustration—I think it’s fair to extrapolate that Honda is planning to give its upcoming SUVs a boxy and truck-like look, considering its success with the current-gen Passport and TrailSport subbrand.
The Passport is not as off-road capable as the Toyota 4Runner in extreme situations, but it’s a superior vehicle in many practical senses and does have some moves off-road. If Honda upscales it and follows through with its stated off-road ambitions, it could have a really compelling large SUV on its hands.
Got a tip? Work in a Honda studio and know the real deal here? Drop me a line at andrew.collins@thedrive.com!