Honda revives Passport name to inflate its SUV lineup at the Los Angeles Auto Show

The Honda brand had already announced the addition of another SUV, intended for a median position between the CR-V and the Pilot. The new 2019 Honda Passport takes its inspiration from other five-passenger SUVs already on the market such as the Nissan Murano or the Ford Edge, but with a clearer orientation towards adventure.

The Japanese brand strategists put a lot of emphasis on the more "robust" aspect of the new model, especially because of a one inch higher ground clearance than the Pilot, but also because of this vector system. -VTM4 and the traction management system that allows you to select the type of driving you want.

Coming automatically with 20-inch wheels, the new Passport does not break the conventions in terms of design. The silhouette is, we are told, similar to that of the Pilot, although the pronounced inclination of the rear window combined with this strip of plastic that crosses the pillar D still manages to give this unique look to the Passport. The shield is also more aggressive with a prominent grille grille and optical blocks characterized by this light-emitting diode signature, while the wheel arches are surrounded by these contours of black plastic wings.

Inside, the Passport is rather sober with a dashboard that resembles those installed aboard the CR-V and the Pilot. Regulars of the brand will not be disoriented. And since the mission of this new model is not to contain a maximum of passengers on board, the number of seats is limited to five. Honda, however, mentioned that the interior volume, as well as the trunk volume, were the best in the category. Exactly at the back, the Passport comes with a large storage under the floor, very convenient to hide valuables or just to store other stuff.

Under the hood, the newcomer takes the 3.5-liter V6 well known to all, it developing the power of 280 horses. The 6-cylinder teamed with the nine-speed automatic gearbox and during the presentation, we were assured that adjustments had been made to this unit extirpated from the catalog of the firm ZF.

It is too early to talk about Canadian prices, but the position of the vehicle in the range gives good clues about the amounts to be expected. Fortunately, we should know more soon as the arrival of the new Passport is scheduled for early 2019.