Honda Lifted the Passport TrailSport 1.4 Inches — and Rebuilt 70% of the Suspension to Do It
Ground clearance rises to 9.65 inches on the trim that makes up more than 80 percent of Passport sales. Honda hasn't released 2027 pricing or fuel-economy figures yet.
Honda has raised the 2027 Passport TrailSport by 1.38 inches, and getting there took a near-complete suspension redesign rather than a set of taller springs. The lifted SUVs start reaching U.S. dealers later this month.
Ground clearance moves from 8.27 to 9.65 inches. The approach and departure angles each go from 23 to 25 degrees, and the breakover angle from 20 to 23. Honda says the changes also add wheel articulation and improve ride quality on rough ground, with sharper steering response on pavement as a side benefit.
Honda is explicit about who it measured itself against. The company says 9.65 inches beats the Toyota 4Runner TRD Off-Road, Subaru Outback Wilderness, and Ford Bronco Sport Badlands with the Sasquatch package. Those are Honda's comparisons, not ours, but the published rivals' numbers line up: Subaru quotes 9.5 inches for the Outback Wilderness, and Ford lists up to 8.8 inches for the Bronco Sport on all-terrain tires. The Toyota comparison is trim-specific, though: Toyota rates the 4Runner at up to 10.1 inches in TRD Pro and Trailhunter form, and Honda chose the lower-riding TRD Off-Road grade for its benchmark.
Why a trim level got a new subframe
Honda says nearly 70 percent of the major suspension components are new for 2027: springs, dampers, control arms, stabilizer bars, and knuckles. The front driveshafts and the front subframe were redesigned to accommodate the extra ride height and wheel travel. All told, the company counts 28 suspension and chassis parts that are new or reworked.
That is an unusual amount of engineering to spend on one trim, until you look at the mix. According to Honda, TrailSport versions accounted for more than 80 percent of Passport sales as of June 2026. In practice, the TrailSport is the Passport, and the base RTL is the exception. The release calls the result the most off-road-capable SUV Honda has ever built, which is the company's own assessment.
Two features move down the range as well. The TrailWatch camera system, with front, rear, side, and 360-degree views plus tire-placement overlays, becomes standard on every TrailSport, as does the heated steering wheel. Both were previously reserved for the TrailSport Elite. On 2026 pricing, that trim sits $4,000 above the standard TrailSport, at $52,650 versus $48,650 before the $1,495 destination charge, so the gap between the two just lost part of its justification.
What else changes
The styling updates track the lift. Fender flares are more pronounced front and rear, the lower front fascia is resculpted, and a pair of amber LED lights sits in the hood scoop to echo the amber daytime running lights. The Blackout Package now adds black front and rear fascias to match its 18-inch black wheels. Smoke Blue Pearl, first seen on the 2026 Pilot, replaces Obsidian Blue Pearl in the color list.
Honda also says the TrailSport Elite will be exported to Japan in early 2027, a rare move for a model designed in California, developed in Ohio, and built only at the Honda Alabama Auto Plant in Lincoln, which also produces the 3.5-liter V6 and turns 25 next month.
The free Honda Trail Experience app for iPhone, launched this summer and developed with input from more than 1,500 owners of the 2026 Passport TrailSport, logs elevation, pitch, roll, brake pressure, throttle position, and other data and can overlay it on video shot through the phone.
What Honda hasn't said
There is no 2027 pricing yet. The 2026 TrailSport carries an EPA rating of 18 mpg city, 23 highway, and 20 combined, and Honda hasn't published figures for the lifted car, nor updated curb weight or towing capacity. The dealer arrival date is only "later this month." And the company hasn't said whether the reworked suspension will reach the Pilot or CR-V TrailSport, both of which share the app, if not the hardware.
