The Honda Passport is a line of

sport utility vehicle A sport utility vehicle (SUV) is a car classification that combines elements of road-going passenger cars with features from off-road vehicles, such as raised ground clearance and four-wheel drive. There is no commonly agreed-upon definitio ...

s (SUV) from the Japanese automaker

Honda is a Japanese public multinational conglomerate manufacturer of automobiles, motorcycles, and power equipment, headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, reaching a product ...

. Originally, it was a

badge engineered In the automotive industry, rebadging is a form of market segmentation used by automobile manufacturers around the world. To allow for product differentiation without designing or engineering a new model or brand (at high cost or risk), a manu ...

version of the

Isuzu Rodeo The Isuzu Rodeo is an automotive nameplate that was used by the Japanese automobile manufacturer Isuzu between 1988 and 2004. Isuzu has utilized the "Rodeo" name on two different vehicles—a compact pickup truck sold in Japan—and a midsize SU ...

, a

mid-size Mid-size—also known as intermediate—is a vehicle size class which originated in the United States and is used for cars larger than compact cars and smaller than full-size cars. "Large family car" is a UK term and a part of the D-segment in t ...

SUV sold between 1993 and 2002. It was introduced in 1993 for the 1994 model year as Honda's first entry into the growing SUV market of the 1990s in the United States. The first and second generation Passport was manufactured by Subaru Isuzu Automotive in

Lafayette, Indiana Lafayette ( , ) is a city in and the county seat of Tippecanoe County, Indiana, United States, located northwest of Indianapolis and southeast of Chicago. West Lafayette, on the other side of the Wabash River, is home to Purdue University, whi ...

. Like various other Honda models, it re-used a name from their motorcycle division, the Honda C75 Passport. The other two name candidates were Elsinore and

Odyssey The ''Odyssey'' (; grc, Ὀδύσσεια, Odýsseia, ) is one of two major Ancient Greek literature, ancient Greek Epic poetry, epic poems attributed to Homer. It is one of the oldest extant works of literature still widely read by moder ...

, the latter would be re-used a year later on a

minivan Minivan (sometimes called simply as van) is a North American car classification for vehicles designed to transport passengers in the rear seating row(s), with reconfigurable seats in two or three rows. The equivalent classification in Europe i ...

. The Passport was a part of a partnership between Isuzu and Honda in the 1990s, which saw an exchange of passenger vehicles from Honda to Isuzu, such as the

Isuzu Oasis For the North American market, the Honda Odyssey, is a minivan manufactured and marketed by Japanese automaker Honda since 1994, now in its fifth generation, which began in 2018. The Odyssey had originally been conceived and engineered in Japan, ...

, and trucks from Isuzu to Honda, such as the Passport and

Acura SLX The Isuzu Trooper is a full-size SUV that was produced by the Japanese automaker Isuzu between 1981 and 2007. In the domestic Japanese market it was sold as the Isuzu Bighorn, the car was exported internationally mainly as a Trooper but it also ...

. This arrangement was convenient for both companies, as Isuzu discontinued passenger car production in 1993 after a corporate restructuring, and Honda was in desperate need of an SUV, a segment that was growing in popularity in North America as well as Japan during the 1990s. The partnership ended in 2002 with the discontinuation of the Passport in favor of the Honda-engineered

Pilot An aircraft pilot or aviator is a person who controls the flight of an aircraft by operating its directional flight controls. Some other aircrew members, such as navigators or flight engineers, are also considered aviators, because they a ...

. In November 2018, Honda announced that the Passport nameplate would return as a two-row mid-size

crossover SUV A crossover, crossover SUV, or crossover utility vehicle (CUV) is a type of automobile with an increased ride height that is built on unibody chassis construction shared with passenger cars, as opposed to traditional sport utility vehicles (S ...

slotted between the

CR-V The Honda CR-V (also sold as the Honda Breeze in China since 2019) is a compact crossover SUV manufactured by the Japanese automaker Honda since 1995. The early model was built using the same platform as the Civic. Honda began producing the CR ...

and Pilot. The third-generation Passport was unveiled at the

Los Angeles Auto Show The Los Angeles Auto Show is an annual auto show held at the Los Angeles Convention Center in early December. The LA Auto Show is an OICA sanctioned international exhibition. It is open to the public for ten days each year, filling of exhibit s ...

on November 27, 2018. It is built at Honda's factory in

Lincoln, Alabama Lincoln is a city in Talladega County, Alabama, United States. It was incorporated in 1911. At the 2020 census, the population was 6,845. It was named for Major General Benjamin Lincoln, who served in the American army during the Revolutionary ...

, and available for the 2019 model year. __TOC__

First generation (C58; 1993)

The first generation Passport was offered in three trims, the base model DX, mid-range LX, and upscale EX. DX models had a 5-speed

manual transmission A manual transmission (MT), also known as manual gearbox, standard transmission (in Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States), or stick shift (in the United States), is a multi-speed motor vehicle transmission (mechanics), transmission ...

rear-wheel-drive Rear-wheel drive (RWD) is a form of engine and transmission layout used in motor vehicles, in which the engine drives the rear wheels only. Until the late 20th century, rear-wheel drive was the most common configuration for cars. Most rear-wheel ...

(RWD) layout and a 2.6 L

four-cylinder The engine configuration describes the fundamental operating principles by which internal combustion engines are categorized. Piston engines are often categorized by their cylinder layout, valves and camshafts. Wankel engines are often categorize ...

engine producing . LX models could be had with an optional 4-speed

automatic transmission An automatic transmission (sometimes abbreviated to auto or AT) is a multi-speed transmission used in internal combustion engine-based motor vehicles that does not require any input from the driver to change forward gears under normal driving c ...

, optional

four-wheel-drive Four-wheel drive, also called 4×4 ("four by four") or 4WD, refers to a two-axled vehicle drivetrain capable of providing torque to all of its wheels simultaneously. It may be full-time or on-demand, and is typically linked via a transfer case ...

(4WD) and a 3.2 L

V6 engine A V6 engine is a six-cylinder piston engine where the cylinders share a common crankshaft and are arranged in a V configuration. The first V6 engines were designed and produced independently by Marmon Motor Car Company, Deutz Gasmotoren Fabrik ...

producing as standard. The upscale EX offered the 3.2 L V6 engine and four-wheel-drive as standard. Some first generation Passports were equipped with a rear axle built by General Motors. Others had a Dana built "Spicer 44" rear axle.

Model year changes

* For 1995 MY, the Passport received driver and front passenger airbags. EX trims gained extra equipment and features. * For 1996 MY, the 3.2 L V6 was upgraded from to . A shift-on-the-fly four-wheel-drive system became available. * For 1997 MY, the DX trim was dropped. The 2.6 L engine option was also dropped. All models now had the V6 engine.

Second generation (CK58/CM58/DM58; 1997)

For the second generation model, two trim levels were offered: LX and upscale EX. EX had the spare tire below the cargo area and LX mounted in a swing carrier at rear. Minor changes for the 2000 model year included the introduction of an even more upscale EX-L trim which added leather seats, 2-tone exterior colors, and a CD changer. The LX trim received an optional set of wheels. In 2010, a recall was issued for affected 1998-2002 Rodeo and Passport for frames with severe rust issues. On September 22, 2010,

NHTSA The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA ) is an agency of the U.S. federal government, part of the Department of Transportation. It describes its mission as "Save lives, prevent injuries, reduce vehicle-related crashes" relat ...

campaign number 10V436000 was issued to recall 149,992 vehicles because of excessive corrosion near the forward bracket for the left or right rear suspension lower link. If the rust damage was severe, Honda bought back the vehicles from their owners. Under U.S. federal regulations, automakers are not required to correct problems on vehicles that are ten or more years old. File:1999 Honda Passport LX in Cream White, rear right, 11-21-2021.jpg, Rear view File:Honda Passport (facelift).jpg, Honda Passport V6 (facelift)

Third generation (YF7/8; 2019)

The third generation Passport was unveiled at the

on November 27, 2018, with retail sales starting in February 2019. Unlike previous generations, it was designed in the United States and is manufactured in

alongside the

Honda Pilot The Honda Pilot is a mid-size crossover SUV with three-row seating manufactured by Honda since 2002. Primarily aimed at the North American market, the Pilot is the largest SUV produced by Honda. Pilots are currently manufactured in Lincoln, Al ...

. It is based on the third-generation

, although the Passport is shorter and loses the third row seating. The Passport slots between the smaller CR-V and longer Pilot, filling the gap left when the

Honda Crosstour The Honda Crosstour (initially branded the Accord Crosstour) is a mid-size crossover SUV with a sloping rear roofline manufactured by Japanese automaker Honda. It is based on the North American eighth-generation Accord. Sales began in November 2 ...

was discontinued after the 2015 model yea

The Passport competes against 2-row five-seater midsize crossovers like the Chevrolet Blazer (crossover), Chevrolet Blazer,

Ford Edge The Ford Edge is a range of crossover SUVs manufactured by the Ford Motor Company. Introduced for the 2007 model year, the Edge is the first mid-size CUV marketed by Ford in North America; the model line is currently in its second generation. ...

Nissan Murano The is a mid-size crossover SUV manufactured and marketed by Nissan since May 2002 for the 2003 model year, and currently in its third generation. As Nissan's first crossover SUV for the United States and Canada, the Murano was designed at Nissan ...

, and

Subaru Outback The Subaru Outback is an automotive nameplate used by the Japanese automaker Subaru for two different vehicles: a crossover station wagon, the Outback (1994–present, also sold as in some markets), and an Impreza-derived hatchback, the Outback ...

. Trim levels include the base "Sport", mid-level "EX-L", "Touring", and top-of-the-line "Elite”. Unlike other most of Honda nameplates like the CR-V and Pilot, the Passport does not have an LX trim, consequently the starting price of a Passport (Sport trim) costs more than that of the Pilot (LX trim). All trim levels include Front Wheel Drive (FWD) as standard equipment, with All-Wheel-Drive (AWD) as an option, except for the "Elite", where it is standard equipment. All Passport models are equipped with a 3.5L J35Y6 V6 producing and ; paired with a nine-speed, pushbutton-controlled automatic transmission as found in the Pilot. Front-wheel drive is standard; Honda's all-wheel-drive system, dubbed i-VTM4 (Intelligent Variable Torque Management), is optional, and features drive settings for Normal, Sand, Snow, and Mud. A two-speed transfer case is not available. Ground clearance is ( for all-wheel-drive models) and the Passport can tow up to . Two rows of seats provide room for five passengers. There is of storage behind the rear seat, which increases to with the rear seat folded. For the 2021 model year, all trims received the 8-inch touchscreen and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as standard equipment. File:2019 Honda Passport EX-L 3.5L, rear 8.27.19.jpg, Rear view File:2021 Honda Passport interior.jpg, Interior

Marketing

On April 1, 2019, Honda released a

YouTube YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...

advertisement for the all-new 2019 Passport. The advertisement featured a 2019 Passport, called the "Past-Port", with a first-generation Passport's interior, touting features that were popular in the mid-to-late-1990s, including automatic power windows, an audio system with

cassette player A cassette deck is a type of tape machine for playing and recording audio cassettes that does not have a built-in power amplifier or speakers, and serves primarily as a transport. It can be a part of an automotive entertainment system, a part of a ...

and cassette adapter and

pager A pager (also known as a beeper or bleeper) is a wireless telecommunications device that receives and displays alphanumeric or voice messages. One-way pagers can only receive messages, while response pagers and two-way pagers can also acknow ...

holder. The advertisement features an actor wearing 1990s-era clothing, and holding a

Motorola Motorola, Inc. () was an American Multinational corporation, multinational telecommunications company based in Schaumburg, Illinois, United States. After having lost $4.3 billion from 2007 to 2009, the company split into two independent p ...

cellular phone A mobile phone, cellular phone, cell phone, cellphone, handphone, hand phone or pocket phone, sometimes shortened to simply mobile, cell, or just phone, is a portable telephone that can make and receive calls over a radio frequency link whil ...

. Viewers of the advertisement could also call a special

toll free A toll-free telephone number or freephone number is a telephone number that is billed for all arriving calls. For the calling party, a call to a toll-free number from a landline is free of charge. A toll-free number is identified by a dialing prefi ...

number, 1-833-PAST-PORT (1-833-727-8767), where they would be greeted by a voice message from

Fred Savage Frederick Aaron Savage (born July 9, 1976) is an American actor and director. He is known for his role as Kevin Arnold in the American television series ''The Wonder Years'' (1988 to 1993). He has earned several awards and nominations, such as ...

, and could then leave a

voicemail A voicemail system (also known as voice message or voice bank) is a computer-based system that allows users and subscribers to exchange personal voice messages; to select and deliver voice information; and to process transactions relating to ind ...

on Honda's

microcassette The Microcassette (often written generically as microcassette) is an audio storage medium, introduced by Olympus in 1969. It has the same width of magnetic tape as the Compact Cassette but in a cassette roughly one quarter the size. By using t ...

answering machine An answering machine, answerphone or message machine, also known as telephone messaging machine (or TAM) in the UK and some Commonwealth countries, ansaphone or ansafone (from a trade name), or telephone answering device (TAD), was used for a ...

explaining why they would like to own a 2019 Past-Port. The advertisement is no longer viewable on Honda's YouTube channel as of May 2019, and the toll free number is no longer in service.

Facelift

The Passport was facelifted for the 2022 model year which gave it a new front end as well as the addition of a new TrailSport trim level that offers a more aggressive off-road-oriented appearance package. The TrailSport model receives model specific bumpers, cosmetic skid plate inserts, all-weather Trailsport logoed floormats, as well as tires with a more aggressive shoulder tread. File:2022 Honda Passport TrailSport, front 6.1.22.jpg, 2022 Honda Passport TrailSport (facelift) File:2022 Honda Passport TrailSport, rear 6.1.22.jpg, 2022 Honda Passport TrailSport (facelift) File:2022 Honda Passport Elite (facelift), front 6.1.22.jpg, 2022 Honda Passport Elite AWD (facelift) File:2022 Honda Passport Elite (facelift), rear 6.1.22.jpg, 2022 Honda Passport Elite AWD (facelift)

Sales

References

{{Honda

Passport A passport is an official travel document issued by a government that contains a person's identity. A person with a passport can travel to and from foreign countries more easily and access consular assistance. A passport certifies the personal ...

Mid-size sport utility vehicles All-wheel-drive vehicles Rear-wheel-drive vehicles Crossover sport utility vehicles Off-road vehicles Motor vehicles manufactured in the United States Cars introduced in 1993 2000s cars 2010s cars