The Honda Passport is a line of sport utility vehicles from Honda. Originally it was a rebadged version of the Isuzu Rodeo, a mid-size SUV sold between 1993 and 2002, introduced for the 1994 model year as Honda’s first entry into the growing SUV market of the 1990s in the United States.
Honda Passport at a glance
| Maker | Honda |
|---|---|
| First generation | 1994 model year, sold from 1993 |
| Origin | rebadged Isuzu Rodeo |
| Built by | Subaru Isuzu Automotive, Lafayette, Indiana |
| Trims | DX, LX and EX |
| DX engine | 2.6-litre four, 89.5 kW (120 hp) |
| DX gearbox | five-speed manual, rear-wheel drive |
| End of Isuzu model | 2002, replaced by the Pilot |
| Revival | 2019 model year |
| Revived type | two-row mid-size crossover |
| Revived position | between CR-V and Pilot |
| Revived build | Honda plant, Lincoln, Alabama |
Based on one source, the English Wikipedia article on the Passport.
History of the Honda Passport
A partner’s truck
The Passport was part of a 1990s partnership between Isuzu and Honda that exchanged passenger vehicles from Honda to Isuzu, such as the Isuzu Oasis, and trucks from Isuzu to Honda, such as the Passport and the Acura SLX. The arrangement suited both: Isuzu stopped passenger car production in 1993 after a corporate restructuring, while Honda badly needed an SUV as that segment grew in North America and Japan.
First generation
The first generation was offered in three trims: the base DX, the mid-range LX and the upscale EX. DX models had a five-speed manual gearbox, rear-wheel drive and a 2.6-litre four producing 89.5 kW (120 hp); LX models could be ordered with a four-speed automatic and four-wheel drive. The first and second generations were built by Subaru Isuzu Automotive in Lafayette, Indiana.
End and revival
The partnership ended in 2002 when the Passport was discontinued in favour of the Honda-engineered Pilot. The nameplate returned for the 2019 model year as a two-row mid-size crossover SUV slotted between the CR-V and Pilot; the third-generation Passport was unveiled at the Los Angeles Auto Show on 27 November 2018 and is built in Lincoln, Alabama. Like other Honda models it reused a name from the motorcycle division, the Honda C75 Passport; the other candidates were Elsinore and Odyssey, the latter reused a year later on a minivan.
Design and features
- Isuzu Rodeo base: a badge-engineered SUV from a partner.
- Three trims: DX, LX and EX.
- Body-on-frame origins: a truck-based first generation.
- Revived nameplate: a car-based two-row crossover from 2019.
Honda Passport versions
- Passport DX: 2.6-litre four with five-speed manual and rear-wheel drive.
- Passport LX: optional four-speed automatic and four-wheel drive.
- Passport EX: the upscale trim.
- Passport (2019): the revived two-row crossover.
The Passport sits between the Honda CR-V and the Pilot, and shares its SUV history with the Crosstour. More Hondas are in the Honda collection.
Sources
- Honda Passport, English Wikipedia: origins, trims, partnership, revival
