Whoa, the 2026 Honda Passport Looks Pretty Rugged After All

And even better, it'll keep the stout V6.
2026 Honda Passport Trailsport front three-quarter angle view ahead of Rebelle Rally.
@rebelleteam208 via Instagram, The Drive

Share

Honda told everyone that a next-gen Passport Trailsport prototype would run the upcoming Rebelle Rally, but I’m not sure anyone expected it to look this good. I mean, the Japanese automaker insisted it would be “the most rugged Honda SUV ever,” though that isn’t such a high bar to clear. Still, these photos posted to Instagram show a pretty muscular family hauler that ought to do just fine on the trail, especially compared to its unibody rivals like the Nissan Pathfinder.

We know a few details about the next-gen Passport. It’ll retain its 3.5-liter V6 engine while gaining more power, and also keep its 10-speed automatic transmission. The SUV’s torque-vectoring i-VTM4 all-wheel-drive system, which Honda calls best-in-class, will come standard. That’s a pretty solid bill of goods versus the competition, at a time when so many off-road SUVs are switching to turbo four-cylinders—heck, even the Toyota 4Runner has. Beyond that, it’s anyone’s guess what Honda has done underneath the vehicle’s fresh redesign.

Look at that lil’ bulldog! @rebelleteam208 via Instagram

Everything on this Rebelle competitor is stock besides the beefy Maxxis RAZR all-terrains, according to Honda. That’s kind of a shame about the tires, if you ask me. I’m sure that rubber is more aggressive than most customers want, but an SUV so-equipped from the factory would be more deserving of the nearly $47,000 starting MSRP the current-gen car already wears. Hopefully, that’s the first mod owners will make.

A few other details that stand out to me are the bright orange tow hooks up front, the maybe-functional hood scoop, and the relatively high-and-tight rear bumper for a respectable departure angle.

Honda quality engineers Adia Raya and Madison Russell will drive the 2026 Passport Trailsport in their Rebelle debut. @rebelleteam208 via Instagram

We’ll see how the next-gen Passport Trailsport prototype fares at the Rebelle Rally, a tough test for 4x4s and their drivers alike. It’s an all-women event that requires traditional map-reading and navigation skills, and often, trailside repairs. The 10-day event wraps up on Oct. 19 after the teams take off from Mammoth Mountain, California, to hit the 1,500-mile race course.

Correction Friday, Oct. 11, 2024, 1:30 p.m. ET: The original version of this article speculated as to the 2026 Honda Passport’s powertrain, when Honda had already confirmed that the SUV will utilize a 3.5-liter V6 and 10-speed automatic transmission. The story has been corrected to reflect this; The Drive regrets the error.

Got a tip or question for the author? Contact them directly: caleb@thedrive.com