The rumors were true, Honda has brought back the Passport with the introduction of the 2019 Passport. You might remember that the original Passport was a rebadged Isuzu Rodeo, which was Honda’s first SUV before the CR-V and Pilot. Now the Passport name is back for an adventure-ready SUV that will slot in between the CR-V and Pilot.

2019 Honda Passport

Just like before, the Passport will have room for five passengers, which means that it’s aimed at buyers that want something more upmarket than the CR-V, but don’t need the space that the Pilot provides. To separate it from the CR-V and Pilot, the 2019 Passport is a more rugged SUV, even though it’s still based on the same platform as the larger Pilot. It’s easy to see that the Passport is closely related to the Pilot, especially at the front. The Passport arrives with more rugged styling than any other Honda SUV and its higher ground clearance and standard 20-inch wheels make it ready to tackle the trails.

2019 Honda Passport

Compared to the Pilot, the Passport has 0.5 inches more ground clearance on front-wheel drive models and 1.1 inches on all-wheel drive models. The Passport is not only shorter, but also its shortened rear overhang offers improved approach, departure and breakover angles.

2019 Honda Passport

The 2019 Passport is only offered with one engine, a 3.5-liter V6 with 280 horsepower and 262 lb-ft. of torque, that’s mated to a nine-speed automatic transmission. The optional i-VTM4 all-wheel drive system 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. The 2019 Passport can also tow up to 3,500-pounds with front-wheel drive or 5,000 pounds with all-wheel drive.

The 2019 Honda Passport will be offered in Sport, EX-L, Touring, and Elite trim levels.

The 2019 Passport will go on sale in early 2019.

Source: Honda