Talking up angles & stuff like a real off-roader. We scoff.
Honda has unveiled what they’re calling an all-new model, one that promises greater all-terrain ability than nearly any other SUV they have in their lineup. It’s called the Passport and, in essence, they took their Pilot large-SUV, shortened it, and then replaced all the shiny chrome bits with rugged-looking (but to us, cheap) black plastic.
After that, they took out the measuring tape, and started making note of things. That’s why Honda, a company that hasn’t ever tackled the world of all-terrain vehicles with any serious effort, are talking up the Passport’s breakover, approach, and departure angles. Like anyone who’ll buy a Passport in the US will actually care.
It notably maintains the 2819mm wheelbase as the Pilot, though thanks to a butt reduction, it’s now 102mm shorter, coming up to a total overall length of just 4,839mm. There’s space for five inside (rather than the full-7 offered by the Pilot), and therefore it’s up against cars like the 5-seat Hyundai Santa Fe and Ford Edge in North America.
Style plays a big role in this end of the market and so, in addition to the expanses of unpaint-- sorry, rugged-looking black plastic, there are also black 20-inch alloys, and LED headlights. Inside you get tri-zone climate control, 8-inch MMI system, rear sunshades, wireless phone charging, and WiFi connectivity. Safety smarts are covered with intelligent cruise control, AEB, lane-keep assist, 360º parking sensors, and blind-spot monitoring.
Betraying the on-road reality of this car is one particular safety system: Road departure mitigation. In an SUV that’s so clearly geared towards off-road enthusiasts, you’d think that any road-departing made in the Passport would be intentional, no?
The motivation for the Passport comes from the familiar 3.5-litre iVTEC V6, with 209kW and 355Nm. Power goes to a 9-speed auto which could be had with an all-wheel drive system (replete with torque vectoring) or, laughably, to just the front wheels. The Passport is a North American product focused on North American buyers, and unless Australia physically moves into another continent, we’ll never see one of these identity-confused SUVs on our roads.
For the best deals on a new Honda you can buy, check out our Showroom.
