Honda
Just like high-performance sports cars, most folks who buy an off-road-focused SUV never really tap into the potential and capabilities their vehicles offer. Sure, they may go down a dirt road every once in a while, and maybe they'll feel a bit more comfortable tackling freshly fallen snow, but it's not very often they're tackling the limits of what their lifted suspension, sophisticated drivetrain controller and all-terrain tires have to offer. This hasn't stopped Honda, because after just one model year of sales — which, to Honda's credit, has actually covered 19 months of production — the Japanese automaker is bringing some pretty sizable upgrades to the underside of its Passport TrailSport.
While it might not look hugely different on the outside, Honda's engineers have been hard at work making the already-capable Passport TrailSport even more capable than before. Honda says 70% of the crossover's suspension has been reworked in one way or another for the 2027 model year, and that includes raising the ride height by 1.38 inches for a total of 9.65 inches, improving the SUV's breakover, approach and departure angles.
Honda
The existing Passport TrailSport car was already pretty damn good off-road, especially for a unibody crossover, but after two days of subjecting a 2027 model to some of the most gnarly off-roading I've ever done at Overland Expert's 200-acre campus in Troy, North Carolina, I came away thoroughly impressed.
Full Disclosure: Honda flew me out to Asheville, North Carolina, put me up in a hotel and fed me all so I could check out the 2027 Passport TrailSport.
What's changed?
Andy Kalmowitz / Jalopnik
This fourth-generation Honda Passport has been in production for 19 months, first spinning up in March of 2025, so Honda could have left the styling alone and just raised the ride height, but it decided it was time for a little revamp of the midsize crossover. The '27 Passport TrailSport now has two amber light strips in its fake hood scoop. No, they don't serve any real purpose, but a spokesperson for the company said Honda added them because they "look cool," and, well, I've got to agree. The front fascia is also changed ever-so-slightly, and the fender flares are a bit more flared. Other than that, there's no material difference between the two model years, look-wise.
Underneath is where things do get fun. Thanks to that suspension lift, the approach and departure angles are both up 2 degrees, and the crossover's breakover angle increases by 3 degrees. Honda also went about increasing the Passport TrailSport's wheel articulation by 8 mm in the front and 9 mm in the back so that the 275/60R18 General Grabber All-Terrain tires stay in contact with the ground more. I should note that Honda claims these changes also make the TrailSport feel better on road. After driving both a 2026 and a 2027, I couldn't tell much of a difference, and neither will you.
Andy Kalmowitz / Jalopnik
Unfortunately, if you bought a 2026 Passport TrailSport, there's really nothing you can do. I suppose you could add the 2027 upgrades yourself, but there's no off-the-shelf way to do it, according to Honda. As for why there was such a big change after just one year, a spokesperson said the company is always "committed to making cars better," and later encouraged owners to do the same.
As for the base model Passport RTL, well, it'll continue virtually unchanged for 2027. That's not a big deal, though. Honda says 80% of the Passports that have been sold are TrailSports, and 50% of those are the higher-end TrailSport Elite trim.
Andy Kalmowitz / Jalopnik
The Passport's interior is still a very comfortable and slightly utilitarian place to spend your time, and there's plenty of space for five grown adults thanks to the car's wide stance. All of the normal Honda bits and tech are here, with an easy-to-use 10.2-inch digital gauge cluster and 12.3-inch center infotainment screen. Button stans will be pleased to know the car retains the physical HVAC controls you all know and love, as well. There's really not much that needs tweaking here, but Honda has added a standard trail camera and heated steering wheel to the TrailSport.
Little differences
Honda
What could use a tweak is the carried-over tried-and-true naturally aspirated 3.5-liter V6 under the hood. Sure, the 285 horsepower and 262 pound-feet of torque it delivers are healthy enough, but it does feel a bit antiquated in today's turbocharged world, as does the gas mileage it returns. 19 mpg city, 25 mpg highway and 21 mpg combined is pretty rough for the Big 27.
I know it doesn't sound like much has changed between the two model years, so there's really no way the 2026 and 2027 Passport TrailSports (Passports TrailSport?) could feel that different off-road. And its suspension specs and other stats are hardly world-beating. Surely, the Passport TrailSport isn't that much of an off-roading beast, right? Well, over two days of some very intense and technical off-roading, I found out that the TrailSport really is all that — just make sure you option the $865 rock sliders.
Honda
I was able to drive the '26 and '27 back to back on OEX's obstacle course, and the differences were stark and immediately apparent. While the 2026 TrailSport could do everything the '27 could, it was with far less ease and far more scraping. The extra ground clearance — which Honda pointed out is greater than that of the Subaru Outback Wilderness and Toyota 4Runner TRD Off-Road — pays dividends when it comes to getting over an uneven surface. The addition of trail cameras and a new front-facing camera in the front bumper also help a hell of a lot. The Passport TrailSport is a tall vehicle, so being able to see exactly what's in front of me as I headed down a dirt trail was incredibly helpful, though it did take some of the definition out of the ground around me.
A little too easy
Honda
What I really took away from my time with the Passport TrailSport was how easy it was to wheel in every situation. I'm sure a great deal of that was down to the hours of classroom time that Honda put our group of journalists through on this trip, teaching us the ins and outs of technical off-roading and recovery techniques, but the TrailSport also had a knack for making things feel incredibly easy.
Over and over again, when faced with seemingly insurmountable obstacles in our path, the instructors would say something along the lines of "just keep a consistent throttle and Trail mode will figure it out," and dammit, it did. Every time. For a vehicle that is essentially using a modified version of Acura's Super Handling AWD system in an off-roading application, it's fascinating how good it is. Rather than having any sort of diff at the back, the rear wheels are controlled through two clutches, and they can take up to 70% of the engine's torque.
Andy Kalmowitz / Jalopnik
There were times when I almost wished the TrailSport wasn't that capable so I'd have to do more, but I suppose that's not the point of a vehicle like this. Hardened off-road enthusiasts don't buy vehicles like the Passport, but as a jumping-off point for someone looking to get into that world, it's hard to think of an SUV that comes close to what the Passport TrailSport offers, especially for the price. The base 2027 Passport RTL will set you back $46,790, including destination, while the TrailSport is $51,590 and the big-dog TrailSport Elite will cost you $55,745. Just don't get too upset if the 2028 model offers even more.