2022 Honda Passport Gains Ridgeline Styling Features, New TrailSport Model

TrailSport will be a new halo trim for Honda SUVs.

Honda has revealed the refreshed 2022 Passport. The mid-sized crossover rolled onto the scene in 2019, reviving a name from the brand’s past for a more rugged, two-row-only companion to the popular Pilot. Now, it’s leaning into that role, with more truck-like styling and the debut of the TrailSport trim.

Earlier this month, Honda announced TrailSport, a trim to “become the rugged halo for Honda light trucks.” The company said the first models would primarily feature visual updates only, and that’s the case with the Passport. While every ’22 model gets a facelift including a Ridgeline-like front fascia, the TrailSport includes a unique grille. There are more aggressive bumpers on both ends, featuring what Honda is careful to call a silver “skid garnish,” not a skid plate. Bright orange TrailSport badges pop up across the bodywork, while other badges are black. The new halo model also features a 0.4-inch (10-mm) increase in track width thanks to unique 18-inch wheels, wrapped in 245/60R tires. There’s no increase over the standard Passport’s 8.1 inches (205 mm) of ground clearance, however.

Inside, the TrailSport includes more of that pumpkin hue. Requisite embroidered TrailSport badges adorn the seats, with contrast stitching to match. The standard all-season floor mats feature the logo, too. Ambient lighting in orange—sorry, amber—gives the TrailSport its own unique night-time vibe.

All 2022 Passports will continue to use Honda’s 3.5-liter V6 for motivation. It punches out 280 horsepower and 262 pound-feet of torque, with a nine-speed automatic being the only available transmission. The TrailSport and Elite models come standard with Honda’s i-VTM4 all-wheel drive system. Featuring torque vectoring, the system is capable of shuffling 70 percent of the engine’s torque to the rear wheels, and 100 percent of that amount to either wheel. Front-wheel drive remains standard on the rest of the trim lineup.

Other changes across the lineup include a new rear bumper to accommodate larger twin exhaust tips, and redesigned alloy wheels. The Honda Sensing suite of driving aids, including automated emergency braking, lane-keep assist, lane departure warning, and adaptive cruise control, is standard on all 2022 Passports. Now the system also includes a rear seat reminder.

While the TrailSport is an aesthetics-only change for now, Honda says it could gain more off-road capability, specifically noting “more aggressive tires and off-road tuned suspension.”