The 2023 Honda Passport Trailsport is a welcome addition to the SUV segment. This model is considered as a small compact SUV that has a bit more space than its rivals. But it isn’t big enough for three rows of seats. If you are looking for something in between, look no further than the Passport Trailsport. It looks like a smaller version of the Pilot, and it just might win the competition for the best compact SUV on the market. What sets it apart from others in the class is the ability to dominate off-road. The Passport Trailsport is specifically designed to take on the wild path and it can do it really well.
Honda gave it a specific toolset, and the Passport uses it quite well. It did receive a refresh recently, last year to be exact, but improvements should never stop. We could totally see the new Passport Trailsport having a more stylish interior. Remember, just because it is off-roading centered doesn’t mean that the style should be neglected. Exterior might go completely unchanged. After all, why change something that works perfectly? Things might get interesting under the hood. It remains to be seen whether Honda goes the electric way.
Let us read more details about it further down below.
2023 Honda Passport Trailsport Exterior Design
On the outside, the new 2023 Honda Passport Trailsport looks amazingly aggressive. They gave it more curves than before. This improves the aerodynamics and ergonomics of the Trailsport. This means better fuel economy, which everyone likes. Also, it means the Passport handles and steers better.
The SUV has rock crawling ability, which is excellent for the off-roading part of the job. We get prominent bumpers, they are colored differently and have a certain approach angle. This allows the Trailsport to climb over obstacles without getting stuck. Big mesh on the front for air intake. This keeps everything cool under the hood. Also, this means you can push the SUV to its limits and not worry about overheating issues. Headlights are more linear with LED technology. A winch can be added to the bumper. On the roof, it also has space for extra cargo. The rims are 20 inches of lightweight alloy and come in several colors.
Sporty Interior
On the inside, the 2023 Honda Passport Trailsport doesn’t look like an off-roader. It looks as stylish as possible. Designers did a great job of implementing a contemporary design with modern styling and using alternative materials. They have an extra amount of cushioning, this comes in handy because of the off-roading aspect. No one wants to feel every bump on the road. Lumbar support is something that should not be neglected. People like to be able to walk out of their SUVs at the end of the day without a stiff back. Heated and ventilated seats are a standard nowadays. Massaging seats aren’t something we expect here.
The dashboard is fully digital, which allows for further customization. Also, drivers can track everything they want this way. We get other safety measures in the Passport Trailsport. For example, we have front collision alert, lane change alert, drowsiness alert, and cameras all around to make parking easier. Automatic brakes are present as well.
Several driving modes are easily switchable depending on the type of road you are on. A sunroof is present, which allows for sunshine to get in on your long desert rides. The surround system has over 10 speakers and is brand new. Seating has contrast stitching, which is a nice addition. Also, there is some chrome along the instrument panel, which increases luxury.
2023 Honda Passport Trailsport Powertrain
The brand new 2023 Honda Passport Trailsport is doing fine with the engines it has on offer. We get a 3.5-liter V6. This rugged and sturdy engine produces 280 horsepower and 262 pound-feet of torque. These are good numbers considering that you plan to take this SUV off the paved road. We would have liked to see a turbocharged version of this engine. More torque would be greatly beneficial for the Passport Trailsport. It uses a nine-speed automatic transmission. But there is a bad reputation for this transmission model. Per reviews, it is clunky and downshifts with some problems. But Honda managed to fix its shortcomings and improve the gearbox. So, in tests, the Passport Trailsport was reported to shift without a hitch.
The torque-vectoring all-wheel-drive technology that comes standard on TrailSport and Passport Elite models channels the engine’s power to the road. While this configuration functions flawlessly on the road, it can also automatically send up to 70% of the driveline’s available torque to the rear axle, shifting up to 100% of that torque, depending on the situation, to either the right or the left wheel. This feature is useful when traveling off the beaten path. The maximum towing capacity of this Honda makes it the top of the class, at a whopping 5000 pounds, but front-drive models can only haul 3,500 pounds.
Hopefully, we will see Honda put a battery pack in the new Passport Trailsport. At least 100-150 kWh in size would be enough. It would put the Passport’s range above 300 miles on a single charge. Having peer-to-peer charging and fast charging is also a big plus.
Price and Release Date
The starting price for the 2023 Honda Passport should be around $38,000. This is, of course, for the starting trim. This is not on the cheaper side when it comes to small compact SUVs.
The Trailsport trim should be around $43,000, and the Elite model, which is the most expensive one, would be around $46,000. The main competitors for this SUV are the Mazda CX-9 and Kia Telluride.