The all-new 2019 Honda Passport 5-passenger V6-powered SUV made its world debut. Going on sale in Canada early next year, Passport provides a unique combination of on-road driving refinement and off-road adventure capability along with best-in-class interior space. Canadians will get a first-look at the new Passport at the 2019 Montreal International Auto Show.
The all-new Honda Passport will slot between the compact CR-V and three-row Pilot in Honda’s award-winning SUV lineup. The model’s reinforced unibody frame, powerful direct-injected i-VTEC® V6 engine, fully independent suspension and nimble steering make it an ideal choice for driving long distances or around town. In addition, the robust off-road capability offered by the standard Honda i-VTM4™ torque-vectoring all-wheel drive and its four-mode Intelligent Traction Management system means Passport can tackle the kind of tough terrain normally reserved for less refined body-on-frame or off-road focused SUVs.
“The all-new 2019 Honda Passport provides the on-road comfort and nimble handling buyers will appreciate on their daily commute with the robust off-road and all-weather capability that make for a great weekend adventure vehicle,” said Jean Marc Leclerc, Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Honda Canada Inc. “We saw an opportunity to deliver something that Honda is uniquely capable of making and the new Passport is in a great position to capture buyers looking for a more personal, powerful and capable Honda SUV.”
Designed and developed exclusively by Honda’s North America R&D teams in Torrance, California, and Raymond, Ohio, the Passport and its V6 engine will be manufactured at the company’s Lincoln, Alabama plant.
Additional key product highlights include:
- Standard 280-horsepower, 3.5-liter, direct-injected V6 engine with i-VTEC® valvetrain mated to latest-generation 9-speed automatic transmission
- Standard Intelligent Variable Torque Management (i-VTM4™) torque-vectoring all-wheel drive enhances on- and off-road performance
- Intelligent Traction Management system with available Snow, Sand and Mud modes help optimize performance for varying surface conditions
- Standard Honda Sensing® safety and driver-assistive technology
- Standard 20-inch alloy wheels and tires on all trims
- Best-in-class underfloor cargo storage
- Wide range of Honda accessories for active lifestyles, including Adventure and Urban accessory packages
- Standard Heated Steering Wheel
The all-new 2019 Honda Passport’s rugged exterior design and stance is highlighted by standard 20-inch wheels, a matte-black grille, floating roof design, aggressive wheel arches, increased ride height and a tailgate design that emphasizes width.
Inside, Passport offers best-in-class passenger space (3,281L) and total interior volume (4,448L) for carrying family, friends and weekend adventure gear. Passport features a large (best-in-class 70L) segmented underfloor cargo compartment for carrying dirty gear or keeping valuables out of sight.
Passport will be offered in three trims: the well-appointed Sport, upgraded
EX-L, high-tech and fully equipped Touring.All trims will feature 20-inch alloy wheels and tires, the Honda Sensing® suite of advanced safety and driver-assistive technology, LED headlights, fog lights, taillights and DRLs, Smart Start and Smart Entry and three-zone automatic climate control and AWD. Honda’s latest Display Audio interface with an 8-inch touchscreen, a physical volume knob and Apple CarPlay® and Android Auto™ integration is also standard on Passport.
Additional exterior upgrades, depending on trim, include a power tailgate with available handsfree operation, heated auto-dimming and power folding side mirrors. Furthermore, the blind spot information system, rear cross traffic monitor, and front and rear parking sensors are available driver assistive technologies. Available premium features include wireless phone charging, embedded Honda Satellite-Linked Navigation System, 4G LTE in-vehicle Wi-Fi, premium audio, and HondaLink® cloud-based services, including remote unlocking, concierge services, stolen vehicle tracking and more.
Powertrain
All 2019 Honda Passport trims are powered by a 3.5-liter V6 engine that makes 280 peak horsepower and 262 lb.-ft. of torque (SAE net), placing Passport in the top of its class for standard horsepower in a segment where some competitors offer less powerful 4-cylinder engines as standard equipment. The Honda i-VTEC® V6 is mated to the latest-generation of Honda’s 9-speed automatic transmission (9AT) that is among the most advanced in the class, offering smooth and responsive power delivery.
At the heart of the robust all-weather and off-road driving capabilities is Honda’s i-VTM4™ all-wheel drive system. Unlike most competing systems, i-VTM4™ uses active torque vectoring to send up to 70 percent of engine torque to the rear axle and 100 percent of that torque to either the left or right rear wheels. This capability gives Passport excellent handling in all conditions, such as rain-slicked or snowy roads or sandy trails, while also contributing to more responsive performance by overdriving the outside rear wheel in turns.. The four-mode ITM systems works in conjunction with i-VTM4™, allowing drivers to customize powertrain performance for different weather and terrain, including sand, snow and mud. In front-wheel drive models, the system has two modes for normal and snow conditions.
Tested in the world’s harshest environments, including the sands of Dubai, muddy country roads of Russia, and snowbound trails in Minnesota, the combination of i-VTM4™ and Intelligent Traction Management make Passport more capable off road than many unibody SUVs, giving drivers the confidence to tackle not just wet or rainy conditions, but a variety of harsh off-road terrains.
Passport is well equipped for towing, with 3,500-pound capacity standard and 5,000 pounds when equipped with the optional towing package. Passport is the gateway to adventure being able to tow camping trailers, boats, or “toy” haulers, over rugged terrain. The standard multi-view rear-view camera makes connecting to a trailer easier than ever with its “overhead” option giving the driver a bird’s eye view of the hitch and trailer.
Exterior Design and Platform
Honda’s most rugged light truck yet, Passport’s expressive design leaves no doubt of its adventure-seeking mission and is highlighted by its higher ride height, standard 20-inch wheels, 245/50R all-weather tires and sporty styling cues, including a matte black grille and bumper, blackout headlights and black wheels. LED headlight accents, gloss black trim, a “floating” C-pillar, and chrome exhaust finishers hint at Passport’s around-town sophistication. Trim-exclusive wheel designs are available across the lineup, and Touring offer upsized 265/45R20 tires as standard equipment.
Beyond good looks, Passport’s design offers superior functionality as well. Ground clearance is up 27mm compared to Passport’s three-row sibling, Pilot, while its shorter overall length and shortened rear overhang offer improved approach, departure and breakover angles, suitable for more rugged terrain.
Passport’s wider wheels and tires complement its athletic and sporty stance and support both responsive around-town handling and increased grip off-road. A ruggedly styled front end stands out on the road with its scratch-resistant matte finish grill suited to the off-road adventures Passport is designed for.
Passport is based on Honda’s Global Light Truck platform and shares much of its underlying structure with the three-row Pilot SUV and Ridgeline pickup, including its highly rigid unibody construction. This platform has a fully boxed floor that is sophisticated yet strong with a four-wheel independent suspension, with MacPherson struts in front and a multilink independent rear. The latest generation of Honda’s proprietary Advanced Compatibility Engineering™ (ACE™) body structure, provides outstanding frontal collision protection and collision compatibility with larger and smaller vehicles.
Interior Design and Packaging
Passport’s modern and sophisticated interior design offers ample space for five people and provides class-leading passenger volume of 3,281L and best-in-class total interior volume of 4,448Lt. From Sport to Touring trims, Passport features high-quality interior appointments including attractive and durable cloth on Sport or perforated leather on EX-L and Touring trims, a blackout headliner, and generous use of soft-touch surfaces on the dash and doors.
Passport’s interior also offers class-leading utility. Behind the second row of seats is a cargo area generously sized for weekend camping trips or excursions to the home improvement store, with 1,166L of space, expandable to 2,205L with the second row folded, which is more than enough to accommodate mountain bikes or a week’s worth of camping gear. From the cargo area, the second-row seatbacks fold with the push of a button. Passport features class-leading underfloor storage, with 70L of easily accessible compartmented storage, which can be accessorized with removable washable bins, including a custom bin for storing the available accessory trailer hitch receiver.
There’s also plenty of space for small stuff. Passport offers generous storage space for front seat passengers, including a huge centre console bin between the front seats with a rolling cover that serves as a tray when closed. Additional storage is found in the doors and ahead of the push-button gear selector.
Technology
Packed with standard modern amenities such as an audio and connectivity system with Apple CarPlay® and Android Auto™ integration and a digital driver’s meter, Passport delivers all the modern technology that today’s SUV buyers demand.
Passport Sport trim comes standard with a 218-watt audio system with Honda’s 8-inch Display Audio touchscreen system with Apple Carplay and Android Auto smart phone integration and manual power/volume knob. The Display Audio system uses gestures common to smartphones and tablets, such as swipe, tap and pinch, to control the vehicle’s audio system, display settings and other advanced features. Intuitive and easy to use, with a simplified menu structure, it also offers customizable shortcuts for commonly used features and customizable app locations. Passport Touring come with a 540-watt 10-speaker premium audio system.
Passport’s instrument cluster uses a 7-inch Thin Film Transistor (TFT) screen with a wide range of information content. In addition to displaying typical vehicle functions such as vehicle speed and RPM, the full-colour digital meter includes a Multi-Information Display (MID) with customizable features, such as audio system information, a detailed trip computer, phone information, and turn-by-turn route guidance on Passport models equipped with navigation. Drivers navigate the new TFT using steering wheel controls designed for intuitive operation, such as Bluetooth® phone buttons that are more easily distinguished by touch.
Touring Passport provides 4G LTE in-vehicle Wi-Fi TCU that can supporting up to seven devices and a free 90-day/3GB trial period AT&T data plan. The TCU is key to Passport’s support of numerous HondaLink® cloud-based services. Using an app, owners can keep track of maintenance and even book appointments, remember their Passport’s location, and numerous other functions.
Safety and Driver Assistance Technology
The Honda Sensing® suite of advanced safety and driver-assistive technologies is standard on all 2019 Passport trims. Honda Sensing® helps provide greater awareness of driving conditions around the vehicle, in some cases helps drivers maintain lane position and, under certain conditions slowing or even stopping the vehicle if it detects a potential front collision. Honda Sensing® includes Collision Mitigation Braking System™ (CMBS™) featuring Forward Collison Warning (FCW), Road Departure Mitigation (RDM) including Lane Departure Warning (LDW), Lane Keeping Assistance System (LKAS) and Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC). The new Passport was designed to provide a high level of active and passive safety performance and targets an NCAP 5-Star Overall Vehicle Score safety rating and an IIHS TOP SAFETY PICK rating. All tested 2019 model-year Honda vehicles achieve an NCAP 5-star Overall Vehicle Score safety rating.
All Passport trims come equipped with a Multi-Angle Rearview Camera with top down view, ideal for trailer hookups. Additional available driver-assistive technologies include dynamic guidelines for the rearview camera, blind spot Information system ( and Touring) with Rear Cross-Traffic Detection, and front and rear parking sensors (EX-L and Touring ).
Accessories
A wide variety of Honda Genuine Accessories are designed for Passport, including roof boxes of various sizes, a roof basket, and roof-mounted bike, kayak and ski or snowboard racks. Inside, Passport owners can weatherproof their cargo area with hard plastic covers for the floor, sides, and seatbacks. The underfloor storage can be divided with separate, removable and washable bins.
For those seeking a more sophisticated look, a variety of cosmetic exterior items are available, such as, undercarriage welcome lights, and lighted door sills. Passport will be available with various accessories and packages to allow Canadians to customize their vehicle for their adventure.