Are there any changes to the 2022 Honda Passport?

The refreshed 2022 Honda Passport will be a lot more expensive thanks mostly to the deletion of the entry-point Sport trim level, as well as the mid-spec Touring. In their place, the automaker is debuting a new TrailSport trim with rugged, off-road-inspired style.

Visual changes to the 2022 Passport include a reshaped hood, a new grille and front bumper and revised front fenders that Honda hopes will create a bolder, more upright aesthetic. Around back, the rear bumper has been massaged to match the front, wrapping around dual exhaust tips that are larger than before. Inside, the dashboard and instrument cluster have also been tweaked to match the exterior's sportier look.

Of course, the biggest changes for the 2022 model year are the deletion of the base Sport model and the Touring trim. This effectively raises the base price with the Passport EX-L now serving as the new entry point. Granted, the EX-L is the sweet spot we'd recommend for most shoppers anyway, but the demise of the Sport -- and its sub $35K starting price -- is sure to be a bummer for bargain hunters.

2022 Honda Passport pricing

TrimPrice with destinationDifference vs. 2021MYEX-L (2WD)$39,095+ $1,060EX-L (AWD)$41,195+ $1,160TrailSport (AWD)$43,695N/AElite (AWD)$46,665+ $1,250

The remaining trim levels also see a mild price hike over last year's window stickers, ranging from $1,060 for the EX-L to $1,250 for the top spec Elite AWD. The 2022 Passport now starts at $39,095 including its $1,225 destination charge and tops out at $46,665. 

Filling the gap between EX-L and Elite, the new and rugged TrailSport trim features standard all-wheel-drive and 18-inch machined wheels with 254/60R18 "rugged design" tires -- likely all-seasons with an aggressive-looking tread. The TrailSport rides on a 10mm wider track, which boosts the visual stance and physical stability, but that looks like the only performance upgrade. Visually, it boasts an even meaner-looking grille and bumper combo with molded silver skid plate designs -- not actual bashable skid plates -- as well as gloss black trim and orange TrailSport badges at either end.

Are there any changes to the 2022 Honda Passport?
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The TrailSport features orange contrasting stitching to match the embroidered headrest logos.

Honda

Inside, the orange theme continues with the hue used for contrast stitching on the steering wheel, door cards and leather-trimmed seats. The TrailSport logo is also embroidered onto the seats and molded into the rubber floor mats. Amber interior lighting brings it all together.

The Passport's 280 horsepower V6 powertrain is unchanged. Front-wheel drive is standard, though the revised lineup makes the EX-L the only model available in that spec. All-wheel drive is optional on the EX-L and standard for TrailSport and Elite. Economy is also unchanged, stated at 22 combined mpg with 2WD and 21 mpg for AWD models.

The 2022 Honda Passport with its new TrailSport spec should begin arriving in dealerships this winter.

The 2022 Honda Passport comes with the same 3.5-liter naturally aspirated V6 motor producing 280 hp and 262 lb-ft of torque, and it's mated to a 9-speed torque converter automatic transmission. Both FWD and AWD drivetrains are offered. With a 0-60 mph time of 6.1 seconds and a quarter-mile time of 14.7 seconds, the Passport turned out to be a competent performer.

passport-2 (1)Via: Honda

Put your foot down from any RPM and the car responds immediately. The automatic transmission is pretty fast, and the car offers the right gear all the time. There is a manual mode on offer as well. When driving on the highways, the performance feels more than adequate. The wide torque band means that the car never feels lethargic when on the highways, and even with five passengers and a lot of cargo, the Passport doesn't disappoint.

9/10 Comes Loaded With Safety Features

2022-honda-passport_100807509_h (1)Via: Honda

Safety has always been high on the priority list of most of the cars from Honda's stable, and the 2022 Passport is no different. Similar to the Honda Pilot, which is a three-row SUV that comes at a similar price to the Passport, this SUV is going to be high up on the list for family buyers due to the long list of safety features that comes as standard.

Honda PassportVia: Pinterest

The standard driver-assistance features include lane departure warning, lane-keeping assist, adaptive cruise control, and many more. Some of the other features can be had if you opt for the optional packages, all of which are reasonably priced. With solid build quality on offer, the car did well in both the NHTSA and IIHS crash tests.

RELATED: Honda Passport Vs Pilot: Here's Which SUV Is Right For You

8/10 Brakes Have Superb Bite

Honda Passport 2022Via Honda

Coming with the same 12.6" ventilated front rotors and 13" solid discs at the rear, the 2022 Honda Passport offered superb braking performance for the segment. Stomp on the brake pedal from 70 mph and the car comes to a halt in just 165 feet, surpassing the rivals like the Jeep Grand Cherokee and Acura RDX.

Honda Passport 2022Via Honda

We found the initial bite to be adequate and the braking progression was excellent, however, the feel and feedback could have been a bit better. All the braking features like brake assist, hill hold control, ABS with EBD, etc., come as standard across the three trim configurations.

7/10 Not Fun To Drive

The 2022 Honda Passport is far from an SUV that's fun to drive, as it is tuned for hauling your entire family in utmost comfort. Even with the independent front and rear suspension setup with coil springs and anti-roll bars, the 2022 Passport can never be considered as a replacement for your low-slung sports sedan.

Even though the suspension is tuned to be neutral, take the corners a bit too aggressively and the Passport changes direction with a bit of hesitation, the car does understeer, and that takes away the fun. Even the AWD version also exhibits a similar character. Nevertheless, the steering is precise and direct, even though the feel and feedback were quite low.

6/10 Ride Quality Is A Bit Choppy

Honda PassportVia Forbes

The strut front suspension and the multi-link rear suspension of the 2022 Honda Passport don't make the ride quality pliant. Drive the car at a sane speed through the pothole-infested roads, and it does transmit the jolts to the cabin, especially when met with bigger potholes.

Honda Passport

Even while driving at the highway speeds, the ride turned out to be not as pliant as the Acura RDX. There is a bit of vertical movement and the body roll is present too. The TrailSport trim managed a slightly superior ride quality due to the 18" wheels, compared to the 20" wheels offered with the EX-L trim.

RELATED: Here's What's Special About The New Honda Passport

5/10 Has A Spacious Cabin

2022-honda-passport_interior (1)Via: Honda

Being a 5-seater mid-size family SUV, the 2022 Honda Passport offers impressive interior space. Open the doors and get into the front seats to understand how well packaged the cabin is, with excellent headroom and legroom on offer. The shoulder room turned out to be the best of the segment, too, making it the least claustrophobic of the lot.

2022-honda-passport_Via: Honda

The seats come wrapped in leather with orange stitching, and they are well-padded and adequately soft, aiding in both city and highway traveling comfort. The under-thigh and lower back support are impressive too. The same is also the case with the rear row. There is a wide armrest on offer, which helps the rear seat passengers to be comfortable during those long-distance drives. The cargo capacity of 50.5 cu ft is the best of the lot too.

4/10 Design Looks A Bit Bland

Honda Passport 2022Via Honda

One of the areas which managed to receive major updates when compared to the outgoing 2021 model is the exterior design. The 2022 Honda Passport now sports an updated front fascia with a more striking blacked-out grille and a more squared proportion. The bumper has received subtle tweaks too. However, in comparison to the Hyundai Palisade and Kia Telluride, it still doesn't stand out when out on the road.

2019 Honda PassportVia: Wikipedia

The side and rear profiles also received minor updates in the form of an updated rear bumper, black fender flares, and a few more. The TrailSport trim is the other new addition, which is offered for a base MSRP of $42,470, and comes with a rugged exterior design with the inclusion of 18" wheels, wider front and rear sections, etc. The Honda Performance Development Appearance Package is available too. Even with all these, it still retains the family car design, which many wouldn't be a fan of.

RELATED: The Honda Passport Finally Looks Like A Fun Off-Roader, Gets All-New TrailSport Trim

3/10 Unremarkable Interior

Via: Google

The cabin of the 2022 Honda Passport is an amalgamation of black plastics and gloss-black elements along with a mundane design language, all of which are not going to impress the buyers out there. The dashboard doesn't stand out like the rivals from Korea, and the car looks like it's about 10 years old. However, the cabin quality is quite good for the price.

The touchscreen infotainment system is integrated neatly onto the dashboard, and the contrastive elements like the red start/stop button and the silver accents do manage to uplift the cabin. The chunky steering wheel that comes wrapped in leather coupled with leather upholstery with contrasting stitching looks beautiful too.

2/10 No Changes For The Infotainment

Honda Passport 2022Via Honda

The infotainment duties are handled by the 8" touchscreen infotainment system, which is the same as the ones offered with the outgoing 2021 model. The display is pretty nice with punchy colors, brightness, and excellent touch sensitivity. The interface also turned out to be excellent, with everything laid out neatly with no clutter.

Honda Passport 2022Via Honda

The infotainment also comes with all the necessary connectivity features like Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, Bluetooth, AUX, USB, and many more. The entertainment features like SiriusXM radio support, navigation, voice recognition, 7-speaker audio system, steering mounted controls, etc., are standard too.

1/10 Decent Fuel Efficiency

2019 Honda PassportVia: Wikipedia

Even though it comes with a reasonably large V6 motor with no forced induction, the 2022 Honda Passport managed to churn out pretty decent fuel efficiency figures. The FWD trims of the Passport can do 20 mpg in the city and 25 mpg on the highway. The 22 mpg of combined gas mileage means that the car could do 429 miles on a tank full as well.

via PRNewswire

When equipped with the AWD drivetrain, the Passport offers slightly lower gas mileage, with 19 mpg in the city and 24 mpg on the highway. The fuel efficiency numbers of this mid-size SUV fall right in the ballpark of the other rivals and hence the buyers would be pretty happy with the numbers.

What changed on 2022 Honda Passport?

Here is what's new for the 2022 Passport: Revised trim level lineup with added standard equipment. New styling forward of the windshield, cribbed from the Honda Ridgeline pickup truck. Revised rear bumper with larger exhaust outlets.

Is there going to be a 2022 Honda Passport?

The 2022 Honda Passport, in FWD EX-L form, starts at $37,870. An EX-L with AWD is $39,970. As a rugged-looking new TrailSport model, the 2022 Passport begins at $42,470, while the opulent Elite version starts at $45,430. Both of these models have standard AWD.

Does Honda Passport 2022 have remote start?

Passport's remote engine-start feature raises the comfort and convenience of this vehicle to a luxurious plateau. The Feature: Imagine being able to start your Passport before you get in, so it'll already be cooled off inside on a hot day—or warmed up and defrosted on a cold one.

Does the 2022 Honda Passport have idle stop?

To further enhance fuel efficiency, all Passport trims feature an idle-stop system. When the vehicle brakes to a stop for at least two seconds—such as at a traffic light—the engine automatically shuts off to save fuel.