Honda has unveiled its new Passport five-seat SUV at the Los Angeles motor show.
The Passport will sit between the CR-V and three-row Pilot in Honda’s American SUV line-up and is pitched as a more capable, rugged model suited to active lifestyles. It has a more purposeful look than the CR-V, with oversized arches that accentuate its 20in alloy wheels and greater ground clearance than the Pilot.
It will arrive with a 3.5-litre V6 petrol engine as standard, making it something of an outlier in a category dominated by entry-level four-cylinder engines - but one that will surely appeal to American customers. The i-VTEC powerplant produces 280bhp and 262lb ft and is mated to a nine-speed automatic gearbox.
As standard on top-end Elite models and optionally on Sport, EX-L and Touring models, the Passport features Honda’s i-VTM4 torque-vectoring four-wheel drive system, which is able to send up to 70 percent of torque to the rear wheels.
Four-wheel drive models can also switch between multiple driving modes for different weather and terrain, including snow, mud and sand, while front-wheel-drive models have a dedicated snowy conditions mode.
Honda claims the Passport delivers best-in-class passenger space and luggage capacity, with push-button folding seats and a segmented underfloor cargo compartment.
EX-L models and above receive an 8.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system as standard, complete with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay smartphone mirroring and a multi-angle rear-view camera. Touring and Elite trims add a premium 10-speaker stereo system, front and rear parking sensors and blindspot monitoring.
All models come with Honda’s suite of safety aids as standard, including lane-keeping assistance, adaptive cruise control and low-speed automatic emergency braking.
The Passport was designed by Honda North America and will be manufactured in the company’s Alabama factory. Like the Pilot, it's based on Honda’s Global Light Truck platform.
There are currently no plans to bring the Passport to the UK. It's due to go on sale in North America early next year.
Also read: Fifth generation Honda CR-V launched at Rs 28.15 lakh