2023 Honda Passport is getting several updates for the 2022 model year and has been spied on testing for the first time.
The speckled test car featured limited camouflage on both ends, indicating where the changes would ultimately be found.
While this SUV is only for a mid-life facelift, Honda will revamp the Passport philosophy and adopt a more rugged look inspired by the Ridgeline pickup truck.
Look through the camouflage and you’ll see that Honda’s designers have given the Passport a new grille with a mesh design, not unlike the rugged Honda Ridgeline HPD.
Additionally, the facelifted Passport includes a new thicker front bumper and redesigned turn signal and fog lamps.
2023 Honda Passport Review: New Honda Passport 2023
The Honda Passport 2023 is a newly updated midsize SUV that has room for five people in a spacious passenger cabin, a very smooth V6, plus very roomy cargo space.
Behind the rear seats, you’ll find over 41 cubic feet of luggage space – that’s plenty of room even for an SUV of this size.
Easy to drive and filled with an impressive list of standard safety and comfort features, the Passport 2023 will enter a new model year with relatively few changes.
We expect some new colors, minor options package changes, and perhaps a wider list of Honda Performance Development (HPD) additions.
Modifications for 2023 will be somewhat limited as the 2022 Passport brings several changes, most notably a tougher-looking exterior and a new off-road-themed Trailsport model that is primarily cosmetic.
The 2023 Passport will continue to be a family-friendly SUV that demonstrates its strong relationship with the Honda Ridgeline pickup truck. Maybe the 2023 Trailsport will get some actual off-road upgrades to back up its tough looks.
Under the hood of the Honda Passport 2023 is a 280-horsepower V6 engine paired to a 9-speed automatic transmission and mated to a choice of front-wheel or all-wheel drive.
It’s a smooth and efficient powertrain that has plenty of grunts for highway driving, not to mention a reasonable level of towing capability.
While the Passport 2023 comes at a price, the quality and interior layout prove that this is a sports utility built to last.
Direct rivals to the Honda Passport include the Hyundai Santa Fe, Chevrolet Traverse, Jeep Grand Cherokee, and Subaru Ascent.
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2023 Honda Passport Changes
Honda will continue the modifications at the rear with a new bumper and a larger circular exhaust. There are also new red taillight lenses, although they retain the same overall shape as the current model.
The emergence of this spy shot comes months after it became known that Honda had applied for a trademark for the ‘Trailsport’ name and logo, fueling speculation that Honda was planning a series of off-road variants focused on a variety of new models.
The passport could be one of them and this spy shot may depict such a Trailsport variant.
The 2023 Honda Passport Refresh is most recently updated for the 2021 model year with several new technological features, including an 8-inch infotainment system that replaces the old 5-inch screen.
All current variants are powered by a 3.5-liter V6 with 280 hp and 262 lb-ft (355 Nm) of torque and most likely, the 2022 Passport will retain the same engine.
2023 Honda Passport Redesign
The Honda Passport is expected to see its next update sometime in 2022. Unfortunately, the automaker has yet to confirm whether there will be a redesign.
Rumors suggest the next generation of the Passport could get a more rugged look similar to the latest version of the Ridgeline midsize pickup.
Around the same time, the larger Honda Pilot SUV may also see a major update.
Although the Passport nameplate dates back to the late 90s, the current model debuted for the 2019 model year as a 2-line alternative to the Pilot.
Boasting a powerful 280-horsepower V6 engine and a surprisingly good amount of cargo space, the Passport starts at $34,015 on purpose, slightly more than the $33,775 MSRP of the cheapest 2021 Pilot LX.
If the next Passport is indeed redesigned, we could see a release date sometime in 2022. We’ll update this page as information becomes available, so stay tuned.
For now, Honda is repackaging its lineup in this price segment by temporarily eliminating the base 2022 Pilot trim and discontinuing the front-wheel-drive 2022 CR-V Touring. Where this will leave the Passport remains unclear at this point.
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2023 Honda Passport Trailsport
All Passports receive a new face and more standard safety technology, while the TrailSport prepares the crossover for off-road duty.
Honda launched the Passport TrailSport Rugged Roads Project, a collaboration with overlander and YouTuber Jon Tuico.
This upgraded TrailSport Passport (pictured below) features a JSport lift kit, Firestone Destination A/T2 all-terrain tires, roof bars, and a Dirt Complex tow tire carrier.
There are also thicker fender flares and unique 18-inch alloy wheels, Honda custom-made orange recovery points on the front bumper, and stainless steel skid plate to protect the oil pan and fuel tank. The Roofnest Sparrow XL tent sits atop the Rugged Roads Project Passport.
The Honda Passport has been given a refresh for the 2022 model year, featuring a new front fascia with a bigger and more aggressive grille.
The new TrailSport model gets a unique bumper, a smattering of TrailSport badges, and orange stitching throughout the interior.
Honda’s suite of driver assistance technologies is standard on all models, and all Passports continue to be powered by the 280-hp 3.5-liter V-6. The new passports are scheduled to go on sale this winter.
Honda announced that it will be launching a new TrailSport trim line focused on off-road performance, and now the first TrailSport models have arrived with the updated 2022 Honda Passport.
Along with the new all-terrain version, all 2022 Passports get a revised front fascia, new wheels, and more standard safety technology. The full lineup will go on sale this winter.
Most of the visual changes to the Passport happen in front of the A-pillar, where the fairly anonymous exit model’s face has been replaced by a bulldog-like mug reminiscent of a Ridgeline pickup.
The rear bumper has been tweaked slightly, and the 2022 Passport will also be available with an HPD accessory pack that changes the grille and wheel designs and adds black fender flares and HPD graphics.
The new Passport TrailSport, the only version of the 2022 Passport Honda has shown to date, receives a unique grille design, bold front, and rear bumpers, and orange TrailSport badges all over.
The track has been widened by 0.4 inches at the front and rear for increased stability, and the 18-inch wheels are wrapped in TrailSport-only 245/60R-18 tires.
The TrailSport uses Honda i-VTM4 torque-vectoring all-wheel drive and the Intelligent Traction Management system to tackle unpaved roads. The interior features contrasting orange stitching, the TrailSport logo, and yellow ambient lighting.
All 2022 Passports continue to be powered by the same 3.5-liter V-6, which makes 280 horsepower and 262 pound-feet of torque. It is mated to a nine-speed automatic transmission.
The i-VTM4 torque vectoring system, which is standard on the TrailSport and Elite, is now also optionally available on the EX-L. Honda says all Passports now have 8.1 inches of ground clearance, and the EX-L and Elite models have new 20-inch wheel designs.
Honda says that the Passport TrailSport is the first in a new model series to focus on off-roading and that the future could bring bigger upgrades such as bigger tires and a revised suspension.
In the interior comfort and safety department, there’s a standard 8.0-inch infotainment screen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility, plus a Honda Sensing driver assistance feature system, also standard.
The rear seat reminder will tell the driver to check the rear seat for children, pets, and anything else when turning off the crossover, and the rear seat belt reminder notifies the driver if the rear passenger is not strapped; both warning systems are standard.
The Ridgeline pickup truck will likely be the next Honda to receive the TrailSport treatment, and the badge could potentially be extended to the Pilot and CR-V as well.
The TrailSport lineup will compete with Ford’s Timberline for the Explorer and Hyundai’s XRT package for the Santa Fe, both of which are expected to migrate across the automaker’s roster as well.
2023 Honda Passport Elite
Top-of-the-line Elite models add even more premium touch with improved sound systems, seating, wheel size, and more.
Every 2022 Passport comes with standard Honda Sensing, which features a plethora of safety technologies to keep you safe — Road Departure Mitigation System and Lane Maintenance Assistance System to name a few.
- Hands-free access power tailgate
- Heated front and outboard rear seats
- Premium Audio System
- 20-inch machine-finished wheels
- Heated and ventilated front seats
- Wireless phone charger
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2023 Honda Passport Spy Photos
Anyone who feels the current Honda Passport looks a little too lenient should take note.
The 2022 Honda Passport has been spotted undergoing testing in what appears to be a production-ready trim on public roads.
With a slightly tweaked design that gives it a more rugged look, the updated Passport, essentially a two-row version of the Pilot, will last a few more years until the next generation of people movers arrives.
Unlike the Honda Pilot 2023, the Honda Passport 2022 won’t be new, it’s just a bite and a slip along with a new wheel design.
The refresh adds a more upright and blunt front end to the Passport, which brings a look that’s more in keeping with the updated 2021 Ridgeline pickup.
The taller square grille ditches the three-row Pilot horizontal bars for a design that’s more like a cheese grater. The new front bumper gives the Passport a more square look in an attempt to make it look more like an SUV than a crossover.
At the rear, the taillights sport new lenses, and underneath are new bumpers and larger circular exhaust tips instead of the current oval-shaped outlets.
We haven’t seen the interior yet, but expect a slightly tweaked infotainment interface with improved graphics and simpler icons.
Mechanically, the Passport will likely carry a 280-hp 3.5-liter V-6 and a 9-speed automatic transmission.
Front-wheel drive will be standard while all-wheel drive will be an option. The crane rating is likely to continue at 3,500 lb.
2023 Honda Passport Release Date
Expect the Honda Passport 2023 to debut later this year or early 2023.
2023 Honda Passport Price
We expect the entry-level Honda Passport 2023 in front-wheel-drive format to have a starting price of around $38,000.
This is taller than some competing models, such as the 3-row Mazda CX-9 and Kia Telluride.
To its credit, the basic Passport 2023 comes with several features that cost many of its direct rivals extra.
The Trailsport 2023 Passport is expected to start at around $43,000, while the highest-range Elite model will be closer to $46,000.