Honda is pushing the Passport TrailSport considerably further into genuine off-road territory for 2027. An extensively reengineered suspension raises ground clearance to 9.65 inches, while improved approach, departure and breakover angles make the latest Passport TrailSport the most off-road-capable SUV Honda has ever built. Add tougher styling, standard TrailWatch cameras, a heated steering wheel and a new Smoke Blue Pearl paint option, and the 2027 model represents a surprisingly substantial update just one year after the fourth-generation Passport arrived.
The Passport TrailSport Is Getting a Serious Lift
Honda could have taken the easy route with the 2027 Passport TrailSport.
A set of taller springs, a little extra ground clearance and some new exterior trim would have been enough to give the rugged midsize SUV a more aggressive stance.
Instead, Honda substantially reengineered the suspension.
Nearly 70% of the major suspension components have been redesigned, including the springs, dampers, control arms, stabilizer bars and knuckles. Honda also redesigned the front driveshafts and front subframe to accommodate the additional ride height and wheel travel.
Altogether, 28 suspension and related chassis components are redesigned, reengineered or completely new.
The result is considerably more than a cosmetic lift.
Ground Clearance Climbs to 9.65 Inches
The headline number is ground clearance.
The 2026 Passport TrailSport offered 8.27 inches of clearance. For 2027, that figure increases by 1.38 inches to 9.65 inches.
That’s a meaningful improvement for an SUV expected to venture beyond gravel roads and maintained trails. The additional clearance also improves the Passport’s critical off-road geometry. The approach angle increases from 23 degrees to 25 degrees, while the departure angle also rises from 23 to 25 degrees.
Breakover angle sees an even larger improvement, climbing from 20 degrees to 23 degrees.
2027 Honda Passport TrailSport Off-Road Geometry
Ground clearance: 9.65 inches
Approach angle: 25 degrees
Departure angle: 25 degrees
Breakover angle: 23 degrees
Ground clearance increase: 1.38 inches
Those changes should make a noticeable difference when crossing deep ruts, climbing over uneven terrain or cresting obstacles where the previous Passport could potentially contact the ground.
Honda says the combination of greater clearance, increased suspension articulation and improved approach, departure and breakover angles makes the 2027 Passport TrailSport and TrailSport Elite the most capable off-road SUVs the company has ever produced.
Honda Didn’t Want to Ruin the Passport’s Road Manners
Increasing ride height can create compromises.
Simply installing longer springs can change suspension geometry, alter steering behavior and negatively affect the handling characteristics of a vehicle designed to spend most of its life on pavement.
That’s exactly why Honda went much further with the engineering work.
The company says the suspension was redesigned as an integrated system to preserve proper geometry while increasing capability and suspension travel.
Honda engineers have also worked on steering feel and response.
That’s particularly important because the Passport TrailSport isn’t supposed to become a dedicated rock crawler.
It remains a two-row midsize SUV designed to handle commuting, highways, road trips and family duties during the week before tackling trails on the weekend.
Maintaining that balance between everyday usability and genuine off-road capability may ultimately prove more important than the extra 1.38 inches of clearance alone.
TrailWatch Is Now Standard Across the TrailSport Lineup
Extra clearance is useful, but seeing exactly where the wheels are going can be equally important off-road.
For 2027, Honda’s TrailWatch camera system becomes standard on every Passport TrailSport model.
Previously, the technology was reserved for the more expensive TrailSport Elite.
TrailWatch provides four exterior camera perspectives: front, rear, side and a 360-degree view.
More importantly for off-road use, the system incorporates tire-placement graphics.
These can help the driver position the Passport around rocks, deep ruts, blind crests, steep terrain and trail edges that might otherwise disappear below the driver’s normal field of vision.
It’s one of those features that can sound relatively minor on a specification sheet but becomes significantly more useful once a vehicle actually leaves the pavement.
The 2027 Passport TrailSport Looks Tougher Too
Honda has made sure the visual changes communicate the increased capability.
Designers at the Honda Design Studio in Los Angeles gave the 2027 Passport TrailSport and TrailSport Elite a more aggressive appearance centered around their increased ride height.
More pronounced front and rear fender flares create a wider, tougher visual stance.
The lower front fascia has also been resculpted, further separating the TrailSport from more road-oriented Passport models.
But perhaps the most recognizable addition is located higher up.
Honda has fitted two amber LED marker lights into the hood scoop, complementing the Passport’s existing amber daytime running lights.
It’s a relatively small detail, but one that gives the TrailSport a more distinctive appearance — particularly at night.
Combined with the additional ground clearance and more muscular fenders, the changes give the 2027 model considerably more visual presence.
Blackout Package Gets Even More Aggressive
Buyers wanting an even darker appearance can still select the Passport TrailSport Blackout Package.
Honda has expanded the package for 2027 with new black front and rear lower skid garnishes.
These join the package’s black 18-inch alloy wheels and black Honda badging, creating a more cohesive darkened appearance.
The combination works particularly well with the Passport’s increasingly rugged exterior design.
Unlike some blackout packages that amount to little more than dark badges and wheels, the additional fascia treatment gives the Passport a more comprehensive visual transformation.
Smoke Blue Pearl Joins the Color Palette
There’s another noticeable visual change for 2027.
Honda is adding Smoke Blue Pearl to the Passport color palette, replacing Obsidian Blue Pearl.
The color originally debuted on the 2026 Honda Pilot and now makes its way to the Passport.
It gives buyers another alternative to the traditional neutral shades frequently found on midsize SUVs while complementing the Passport TrailSport’s outdoors-oriented character.
A Heated Steering Wheel Is Finally Standard
The improvements continue inside.
Every 2027 Passport TrailSport now receives a heated steering wheel as standard equipment.
Previously, this feature was exclusive to the TrailSport Elite.
It’s hardly as dramatic as adding nearly an inch and a half of ground clearance, but it’s exactly the kind of everyday comfort feature owners are likely to appreciate far more frequently than the Passport’s maximum off-road articulation.
And that highlights an important aspect of Honda’s strategy with the TrailSport.
The company isn’t trying to transform the Passport into an uncompromising off-road machine.
Instead, it’s making the Passport considerably more capable without sacrificing the comfort and practicality expected from a mainstream midsize SUV.
The Familiar 3.5-Liter V6 Remains
While Honda has substantially changed the suspension, the basic powertrain formula remains familiar.
The Passport continues with Honda’s naturally aspirated 3.5-liter V6, an increasingly unusual engine configuration in a market rapidly shifting toward turbocharged four-cylinder engines and electrified powertrains.
The fourth-generation Passport uses a 10-speed automatic transmission along with Honda’s second-generation i-VTM4 torque-vectoring all-wheel-drive system.
The naturally aspirated V6 produces 285 horsepower and 262 lb-ft of torque, giving the Passport enough muscle for everyday driving, highway travel, towing and off-road use.
TrailSport models also benefit from dedicated off-road tuning and drive modes designed to take advantage of the AWD system.
The Passport can tow up to 5,000 pounds when properly equipped, making it useful for owners hauling boats, campers or recreational equipment.
The Passport Has Become an Important SUV for Honda
Honda’s decision to make such substantial changes only a short time after launching the fourth-generation Passport is particularly interesting.
The latest-generation Passport debuted in early 2025 and has already established itself as an important part of Honda’s American SUV lineup.
TrailSport models have been especially successful.
As of June 2026, Honda says TrailSport variants represented more than 80% of Passport sales.
That’s an extraordinary percentage and goes a long way toward explaining why Honda is investing so heavily in making the TrailSport even more capable.
Customers have effectively told Honda what kind of Passport they want.
And apparently, they want the rugged one.
Designed and Developed in America
The Passport is also very much an American Honda product.
The fourth-generation SUV was designed in California and developed at the Honda Automotive Development Center in Ohio.
Production takes place exclusively at Honda’s Alabama Auto Plant in Lincoln, Alabama, using domestic and globally sourced components.
The Passport’s 3.5-liter V6 is produced at the engine facility located within the same Alabama manufacturing complex.
That gives the Passport unusually deep U.S. roots within Honda’s global vehicle portfolio.
Honda Trail Experience App Adds Another Layer
Honda has also been building a broader ecosystem around its increasingly important TrailSport brand.
The Honda Trail Experience, or HTX, app was introduced specifically for owners of compatible TrailSport SUVs, including the Passport TrailSport, Pilot TrailSport and CR-V TrailSport.
The app is designed to help owners discover off-road routes and make greater use of the capability built into their vehicles.
That strategy makes sense.
One of the challenges facing manufacturers selling increasingly capable adventure vehicles is that many customers may never actually discover what those vehicles can do.
Providing technology that helps owners find trails and plan adventures gives Honda another way to turn TrailSport from an appearance package into a more recognizable lifestyle-oriented sub-brand.
The 2027 Passport TrailSport Is More Than a Typical Model-Year Update
This isn’t the sort of update normally associated with the second model year of a newly redesigned SUV.
Honda could easily have changed several colors, adjusted option packages and called the 2027 Passport finished.
Instead, the company redesigned a significant portion of the suspension and chassis.
Increasing ground clearance from 8.27 to 9.65 inches dramatically changes the Passport TrailSport’s stance and gives it much more useful clearance when terrain becomes difficult.
The improved approach, departure and breakover angles further reinforce that capability.
Then there are the smaller improvements.
TrailWatch becoming standard means every TrailSport buyer receives one of the SUV’s most useful off-road technologies. The heated steering wheel improves everyday comfort. More aggressive styling makes the additional capability immediately visible, while Smoke Blue Pearl and the enhanced Blackout Package give buyers additional personalization choices.
Most importantly, Honda appears to understand why people are buying the Passport.
More than 80% choosing TrailSport variants is a remarkably clear signal.
For 2027, Honda is responding by making the Passport TrailSport substantially more of what those customers apparently wanted in the first place: a comfortable, practical midsize SUV that isn’t afraid of what happens when the pavement ends.
The 2027 Honda Passport TrailSport and TrailSport Elite are scheduled to begin arriving at U.S. Honda dealerships later this month.
