Honda moves beyond styling to make TrailSport a serious off-road range
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Honda plans to expand its TrailSport range and make its off-road-inspired SUVs considerably more capable. While TrailSport previously often amounted to distinctive styling and chunkier tyre tread, engineers are now focusing on suspension, ground clearance and genuine off-road capability. The new CR-V could be next to receive more extensive off-road equipment, but the plans also extend to pickups.
Passport points to a new direction
According to a report by MotorTrend, Honda’s TrailSport development engineers want to make the entire range more capable off-road. The company’s management supports the direction in principle, but specific development decisions for upcoming models still need approval.
The clearest example of the change is the 2027 Passport TrailSport, for which Honda reworked approximately 70% of the suspension. New springs, dampers, anti-roll bars and chassis components increased ground clearance by 35 mm to approximately 246 mm.
That also exceeds the ground clearance of several traditional off-roaders, although greater clearance alone does not guarantee better off-road capability.
The Passport uses a 3.5-litre V6 petrol engine producing 213 kW, a ten-speed automatic transmission and i-VTM4 all-wheel drive. TrailSport equipment includes off-road tyres, underbody protection and advanced off-road electronics.
CR-V and two pickups next?
Honda’s possible next step is the new-generation CR-V planned for 2028. The current CR-V TrailSport focuses mainly on styling and tyres, but the next version could receive more extensive chassis modifications.
The plans are also linked to two pickups: a new-generation Ridgeline and a model based on the frame of the Mitsubishi L200, also known as the Triton. The latter would give Honda an opportunity to enter the market for more serious work and off-road vehicles.
However, the manufacturer has not confirmed that all these models will receive a TrailSport variant.
Honda Racing Corporation may also offer off-road accessories in the future. This would fit the company’s broader strategy of bringing racing-derived technology to everyday drivers’ cars.
Toyota and Ford are already well ahead
Honda faces stiff competition in North America. Toyota offers TRD Off-Road and TRD Pro versions, while Ford has the Bronco and Raptor model families.
A different approach could become Honda’s advantage. The unibody Passport combines on-road comfort with respectable off-road capability, but in tough conditions it is no substitute for a body-on-frame vehicle with low-range gearing and mechanical differential locks.
In Europe, a more off-road-capable CR-V could attract greater interest. The Passport and Ridgeline are primarily North American models, and Honda has not announced European sales plans for the pickup based on Mitsubishi underpinnings.
TrailSport’s future depends on whether Honda can offer more than raised suspension and more aggressive styling. The Passport shows that its engineers have the skills to do so. Now the same approach needs to extend to the rest of the range.
