Yahoo Autos Honda Is Bringing Back the Passport Name for Its New Mid-Size SUV
The Honda Passport is back-but this time, it's a far cry from the rebadged Isuzu Rodeo SUV that wore this name in the late 1990s and early 2000s. This new model with a familiar nameplate is instead a new mid-size crossover larger than the CR-V that will essentially amount to a smaller version of the three-row Honda Pilot.
With presumably a shorter wheelbase than the Pilot, the Passport will go up against crossovers such as the Ford Edge, the Hyundai Santa Fe, and the Nissan Murano. Expect it to follow a similar formula as those competitors, with five seats, standard front-wheel drive, and optional all-wheel drive. The Passport is most likely to be powered by the same 280-hp 3.5-liter V-6 and nine-speed automatic transmission as the Pilot, although it's possible that Honda could offer the Accord's turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine with 252 horsepower.
Honda's teaser image of the car shows an overall shape similar to the Pilot's, with an upright profile and nearly identical taillights. The teaser also seems to emphasize the Passport's off-road cred, meaning it'll surely offer the Pilot's Intelligent Traction Management feature for all-wheel-drive models that offers different modes for mud and sand.
This new model doesn't come as a complete surprise, as we've known that Honda was working on an SUV to slot in between the CR-V and Pilot for a while now, and we reported on the possible revival of the Passport name last year when we found the renewed trademark for this moniker. It's not the only SUV nameplate that's returning from the 1990s, either-Chevrolet's recently revealed mid-size crossover, the Blazer, also wears a nameplate you probably remember from that decade.
Before it goes on sale in early 2019, we'll learn more about the 2019 Passport when Honda releases full information on November 27.
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