The Honda Passport TrailSport now gets the off-road kit it should’ve had all along

A few years ago, Honda said it would sell a rugged version of the Passport SUV, called TrailSport. “Sweet,” we thought. But then it debuted, and instead we were like, “Wait, that’s it?”

Honda is now aiming to right its past wrongs with a revised Passport TrailSport that actually has some useful off-road upgrades. Most significantly, the TrailSport now comes with 245/60 General Grabber all-terrain tires – seriously, how did the previous version not have these? – which are an absolute must for any SUV claiming to have go-anywhere ambitions. New 18-inch wheels help with the overall aesthetic, as well.

Beyond the rubber, Honda tweaked the Passport's suspension, giving the TrailSport unique spring and damper settings. The carmaker also touts "optimized" stabilizer bars which are said to improve the Passport's off-road articulation. That said, the TrailSport has the same 8.1 inches of ground clearance as before, matching the standard Passport models.

Like all Passports, the TrailSport comes with a 280hp V6 and 9-speed automatic transmission. A torque-vectoring all-wheel-drive system is also standard, with different terrain modes that’ll adjust the throttle mapping and traction control intervention, should you venture quite far off the beaten path.

In other Passport news, there’s a new Black Edition for the 2024 model year which, like its name suggests, adds a whole mess of black trim, including new 20-inch wheels. We definitely prefer the look of the TrailSport however. Here’s hoping this new off-road equipment better allows us to get that Diffused Sky Blue paint dirty.