Quick Take: 2022 Honda Passport TrailSport
These days, the ability to venture off the beaten path has become a large consideration for midsize SUV shoppers, evidenced by the growing popularity of vehicles sold with their off-road trims and option packages. Honda has entered the fray with the TrailSport version of the five-passenger Passport, based on the Pilot family SUV, which comes with an i-VTM4 all-wheel drive system, a 10mm increase in track width, and more aggressive bumpers. We wanted to find out what the updated 2022 Passport was like, so we sampled one during the Motor Press Guild Drive Day event in Malibu, in the process discovering an engaging and versatile vehicle.
Based on the well-equipped EX-L trim, the all-wheel-drive TrailSport gets numerous features as standard, such as leather-trimmed seats, a power tailgate, LED low-beam headlights, heated front seats, a moonroof, an 8-way power driver’s seat with 4-way power lumbar support, and navigation. Characteristics unique to the TrailSport are the 18-inch wheels shod with rugged-style tires, a special grille, orange contrast stitching in the interior, amber interior lighting, and the TrailSport logo embroidered onto the front seats. The powertrain is a 3.5-liter V-6 that makes 280 horsepower paired to a 9-speed automatic transmission.
On the elevated and serpentine roads of Malibu, the Passport TrailSport handled like a normal SUV, not one whose ride and driving dynamics had been compromised for off-road capability. The V-6 engine provided plenty of pep and we were not left wanting for more power. As a Honda, the controls were ergonomic and we could easily figure out what all the buttons did on the center console and touchscreen. By and large, we think the TrailSport version of the Passport will appeal to shoppers who occasionally venture onto dirt roads getting to an out of the way campsite, but would like a roomy and comfortable vehicle that performs the normal SUV duties without making sacrifices.
