2019 Honda Passport 5-Seat SUV Loads Up On Safety

Honda has revealed its latest SUV, the 2019 Honda Passport, complete with 5-seats and a standard V6 engine. Making its debut at the LA Auto Show 2018, the 2019 Passport fits into Honda's range between the three-row Pilot and the smaller CR-V.

Its design borrows from both existing SUVs as a result. Standard 20-inch wheels and a matte-black grille give it a suitably purposeful look, as do the flared wheel arches. It rides higher, too, with 0.5-inches of extra ground clearance versus the Pilot on the front-wheel drive Passport, and 1.1-inches more on the all-wheel drive version.

There are also blackout headlamps and black wheels, along with LED headlight accents. Under the sheet metal is Honda's Global Light Truck platform – which also underpins the Pilot and Ridgeline – with a unibody construction. Four-wheel independent suspension gets MacPherson struts in front and a multilink independent rear.

Under the hood there's a standard 3.5-liter V6. That's good for 280 horsepower and 262 lb-ft of torque. Honda pairs it with a 9-speed automatic transmission. i-VTM4 all-wheel drive is optional, with active torque vectoring to push up to 70-percent of the power to the rear axle, and then 100-percent of that torque to either side.

Both FWD and AWD models get Honda's Intelligent Traction Management system, with settings for Normal and Snow. Passport AWD models add sand, snow and mud modes, too.

The V6 leaves the SUV good for up to 3,500 pounds of towing on front-wheel drive Passports, and up to 5,000 pounds on all-wheel drive. A multi-view camera is standard, with a bird's eye perspective. Honda also throws in Honda Sensing active safety as standard, together with LED lights front and rear, Smart Start and Smart Entry, and three-zone climate control.

Four trims will be offered: Sport, EX-L, Touring, and Elite. Elite will have AWD as standard. EX-L and above get an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Options include a power tailgate, tilt/slide moonroof, and heated auto-dimming, power-folding side mirrors. Blind spot warnings, rear cross traffic monitoring, and front/rear parking sensors are optional, as is navigation, LTE with WiFi hotspot, and a wireless phone charger.

The trunk offers 41.2 cu. ft. of space, expandable to 77.9 cu. ft. with the rear seats power-folded flat. There's a 2.5 cu. ft. underfloor storage bin, too. Honda will also have a wide variety of accessories for the Passport. That'll include functional items, like roof boxes and a roof basket; bike, kayak and ski or snowboard racks; and weatherproof covers for the interior.

Pricing for the 2019 Honda Passport hasn't been confirmed yet. The new 5-seater SUV will go on sale in the US early next year.