Just like the Ridgeline pickup, Odyssey minivan, and previously mentioned Pilot SUV, the Passport is powered by a 3.5-litre V6 producing 280 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 262 lb-ft of torque at 4,700 rpm. It’s always been a smooth, strong, and quiet-running engine and it’s backed up by an equally efficient nine-speed automatic transmission. Those who require a tow vehicle should be happy with the SUV’s 5,000-pound rating.
If you push the Sport button and punch the throttle, the 1,920-kilogram TrailSport will get you to 100 km/h in less than 6.5 seconds. Conversely, in Eco mode, the Passport adopts a very chill attitude, not conducive to merging quickly onto highways from offramps or getting around rumbling 18-wheelers. Observed fuel economy during my week with the rig yielded a readout of 12.3 L/100 km, not terrible for a fairly even mix of highway and in-town commuting.
Standard is Honda’s i-VTM4 torque-vectoring all-wheel-drive system, which automatically sends up to 70 per cent of the engine torque to the rear wheels, and continuously apportioning 100 per cent of that torque between the rear wheels based on driving conditions at each wheel.
For those buyers who actually take their wheels off the beaten path, the new TrailSport is much ado about little. But Honda is sending out signals that the Passport is just the first in a series of TrailSport models. Much like Subaru has done with its Wilderness trimmed Outback and Forester, Honda says the off-road capability of the Passport will increase with future upgrades such as an off-road-tuned suspension and more aggressive tires.
Yet, in rushing out the TrailSport name, the company has undermined the credibility of what could be a more genuine line of rugged AWD crossovers that would better serve the needs of the weekend adventurer. Honda should have waited.
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