SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — Honda is more than an appliance maker. It has thrilled enthusiasts with racy motorbikes, Civic Type Rs, S2000 sports cars on road — dirt bikes, FourTrax ATVs, Talon side-by-sides off-road.

Now it has an armored, dirt-kicking SUV to tow them. Say hello to the rugged all-wheel-drive Passport SUV with standard orange tow hooks, hood rack, big back seat, 285-horse six-banger — even C-clamp headlights and PASSPORT logo stamping that would make a Ford F-series proud.

'Bama made. Bam-bam looks.

Style matters. Sure, you say, Honda enthusiasts have towed bikes to the BMX track with Pilots and Ridgelines but they've looked soft compared to bruisers in the paddock next door. Jeep Grand Cherokees, Toyota 4Runners, Detroit pickups.

My 2026 Passport TrailSport tester looks like it just emerged from the ring after 12 rounds with a Grand Cherokee. Square haw, flared hood nostril, all-terrain tires, orange tow hooks, steel bash plates underneath. Built on the same platform as the terrific three-row Pilot TrailSport I scaled red rocks with in Sedona in ‘23, Passport duplicated its sibling’s off-road dexterity in the sun-kissed jungles of Puerta Rico near Humacao.

WHUMP! The reinforced rocker panels absorbed a hit from a mogul and I dangled in midair like a turtle on a tall rock, my wheels spinning. No worries; a fellow Honda traveler threw me a rope lifeline, wrapped it around the tow hooks and dragged me to safety. Note to adventure seekers: bring ropes and pals.

WHUMP! WHUMP! More hits followed along rutted trails. GRONCH! Hill descent control managed the brakes down steep, muddy descents. ROAR! The V-6 charged across a slope, the all-terrain, 31-inch General Grabber tires as sure-footed as Billy goats.

Passport takes the Pilot's confidence, then turns up the dial on personality. And price.

Sensing white space in the midsize SUV segment as Americans have embraced off-road motoring and other brands — Hyundai, Kia, Chevy — have poured money into EVs (or just left the segment altogether like the Ford Edge), Honda has drawn a bead on segment icons Jeep and Toyota.

Puerta Rico (not unlike the Midwest) was crawling with Grand Cherokees and Toyota 4Runners with their usual blizzard of model trims. Grand Cherokee Summit, Grand Cherokee Altitude, 4Runner Pro, 4Runner Pro Sport, 4Runner Limited. Jeep Grand 4Runner Altitude Hellraiser Pro Donkey Kong!

Honda takes on this army with three similar, nicely equipped trims: RXL, TrailSport, TrailSport Elite. My TrailSport Elite tester braced for the challenge with familiar Honda tools: tech, room, reliability.

Beginning with its entry-level Civic, Honda has been aggressive about new technology. My Passport is loaded with standard features (including aforementioned items) like Google Built-in, blind-spot assist, adaptive cruise control with lane centering, wireless phone apps, 10-speed transmission, leather power-and-heated seats, and rooftop jacuzzi (kidding about that last part).

Complementing the tech is Honda’s upgraded interior ergonomics and materials. Gone are the days of hard plastics on the steering wheel and console. With the Passport’s elevated price comes elevated materials and frame-reinforced seats that were easy on the bones for my looooong island journeys.

The Honda lacks the interior personality of the sleek Jeep and chunky Toyota, but shows attention to detail to match its “Born Wild” mission. Antennas and tailpipes are hidden to avoid off-road scrapes. Doors are configured for deep thermoses. The tablet touchscreen makes satisfying, Audi-like clicking sounds. Interior controls allow you to keep your eyes on the road with beefy climate knobs and raised toggles on the steering wheel.

These features are wrapped in acres of space.

Passport leapfrogs its rivals with best-in-class rear-seat room: There's a basketball player-friendly 41 inches of legroom. Compare that to 38 inches for the Grand Cherokee and a tight 35 inches for the pickup-based 4Runner.

Where 4Runner excels, of course is its 48 cubic feet of cargo space out back where sister Tacoma’s pickup bed would be — a yawning advantage over Grand’s 37 cubic feet. Passport’s determined to maximize this space.

The hero of this play is Honda chief exterior designer Randall Smock and his design team. If Subaru takes design inspiration from running shoes for its rugged look, then Honda wandered over to the backpack aisle. The result? A squared-off hatchback that will swallow a rhino. Or at least two bicycles (wheels removed). There is 44 cubic feet of space in all.

The backpack complements the bull-nosed front end and its improved 23 inch-approach angle for off-roading. Or just navigating mean streets.

San Juan’s Avenue Isla Verde has the biggest speed bumps I’ve ever seen. They should have signs that read: WARNING: MOUNTAIN CROSSING. My Passport fearlessly attacked the urban hills — the independent rear suspension nicely cushioning the vertical hop — an advantage over solid-rear-axle beasts like 4Runner. When traffic backed up, I nailed the V-6 and the buttery 10-speed transmission helped me vault the congestion.

Like Jeep, Honda has heard from customers that 6-cylinders = premium, and they’ve resisted the urge to downsize to a sippier 4-banger.

I was more careful off-road. Though its underbelly is heavily armed with steel plates, Passport’s bold jaw is more exposed. But it’s not made of glass.

The short front end managed a series of steep inclines with ease. More fun is the all-wheel-drive system. True to its mission of offering a daily driver with off-road capability, the AWD Honda doesn’t offer a low-speed transfer case like Jeep/Toyota. But it does offer torque vectoring. Ooooooh.

Off-roaders and Michigan winter warriors take note.

Twin clutch packs can sling up to 100% of traction from one rear wheel to the other depending on need. This is the kind of stuff that used to be exclusive to Audis and track hellions like the (sorely missed) Ford Focus RS.

Climb your driveway and hit an icy patch? The clutches will send traction to the grippier tire so you don’t lose momentum. I watched this in real time on Puerto Rico’s trails when a TrailSport in front of me lifted his right rear tire completely off the ground — and the suspended tire stopped spinning as all torque went to the grounded tire. Acura has used twin clutch packs; now Honda is in on the premium game.

Torque vectoring is particularly useful in Puerto Rico sand — or in The Sandbox at Holly Oaks ORV Park in Oakland County. Take the family, explore the park, climb trails ... then pull out the (optional) picnic table in back and have lunch.

The table is decorated (more attention to detail) in the same topographical relief as Honda’s Barstow, California, off-road Baja racing grounds. A nice conversation piece when Honda motorbike riders drop by. Or when you take the ute to a football tailgate.

Passport is comfortable in both worlds.

2026 Honda Passport

Vehicle type: Front-engine, all-wheel-drive, five-passenger SUV

Price: $46,200, including $1,495 destination fee ($53,900 TrailSport Elite as tested)

Powerplant: 3.5-liter V-6

Power: 285 horsepower, 262 pound-feet of torque

Transmission: 10-speed automatic

Performance: 0-60 mph, 6.0 seconds (Car and Driver est.); towing, 5,000 pounds

Weight: 4,705 pounds (as tested)

Fuel economy: EPA est. mpg 19 city/25 highway/21 combined (RTL); 18 city/23 highway/20 combined (TrailSport)

Report card

Highs: Bold looks; loaded with tech ‘n’ room

Lows: No front skid plate; pricey

Overall: 4 stars

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