📅 Category: Car Spotlights | By: Clyde Motors KE | ⏱ 6 min read
Honda’s SUV lineup has been covered extensively throughout this blog series — the HR-V in Blog #78, the CR-V in Blog #39 and #131, the Vezel in multiple posts, and the ZR-V in Blog #173. Each of these vehicles occupies a specific segment of the compact-to-medium crossover market. But Honda produces a larger, more capable, and more distinctively positioned SUV that sits above all of them and that Kenya’s used import market is beginning to see with increasing frequency — the Honda Passport. For buyers who have found the CR-V slightly too car-like and the Pilot too large, the Passport fills a specific gap with a character that is genuinely different from anything else Honda offers.
What Is the Honda Passport?
The Honda Passport is a two-row, five-seat mid-size SUV produced by Honda since 2019 — a nameplate revival that Honda originally used in the 1990s for a rebadged Isuzu product, now applied to a purpose-built vehicle developed specifically on the same platform as the three-row Honda Pilot. By using the Pilot’s larger platform but eliminating the third row, the Passport gains a substantially larger boot than any two-row crossover in Honda’s range and a more substantial, more capable character than the car-based crossovers that define most of Honda’s SUV lineup.
The current second-generation Passport launched in 2019 and received a significant update in 2022 that refined its exterior design, improved its interior technology, and updated its powertrain. Japanese domestic market examples of this generation are now beginning to appear in Kenya’s used import pipeline with increasing regularity.
The Design — Deliberately Bolder Than Honda’s Crossovers
The Passport’s design makes an immediate and deliberate statement of difference from Honda’s more refined crossover lineup. Where the CR-V and ZR-V prioritise flowing, aerodynamic lines, the Passport’s design is deliberately bold — a square-shouldered stance, pronounced wheel arch flares, a prominent front fascia with honeycomb mesh detailing, and available TrailSport specific exterior elements including skid plate treatments, all-terrain tyres, and trail-specific orange accent elements. It looks like a vehicle that goes places, not just a vehicle that looks like it might.
For Kenya’s buyers who have found Honda’s crossover design language slightly too conservative for their taste — who want something that communicates a more adventurous character without leaving Honda’s established quality and reliability — the Passport’s design delivers exactly this distinction.
The 3.5L V6 Engine — Honda’s Strongest Naturally Aspirated Unit
The Passport is powered by Honda’s 3.5L naturally aspirated V6 engine producing 280 horsepower and 355Nm of torque — connected to a 9-speed automatic transmission and Honda’s intelligent Variable Torque Management AWD system (i-VTM4) on higher-specification variants.
This engine choice is significant and worth understanding clearly. Where almost every other vehicle in Honda’s SUV range uses turbocharged four-cylinder engines for maximum efficiency, the Passport retains a naturally aspirated V6 — a choice that reflects the vehicle’s different character brief. Naturally aspirated V6 engines deliver power with a linear, progressive character that is inherently different from turbocharged four-cylinder power delivery. There is no turbo lag, no boost threshold, no sudden power arrival — just smooth, consistent power that builds naturally with revs in a way that makes the Passport feel effortlessly capable rather than urgently quick.
Real-world fuel consumption in Kenya’s mixed conditions: approximately 10–12km/L — honest for a vehicle of this size and power. At current KES 197.60 per litre fuel prices, this puts the Passport in a similar monthly fuel cost bracket to the Toyota Land Cruiser Prado and other mid-size premium SUVs rather than the compact hybrid crossovers that dominate our efficiency conversations. For buyers choosing the Passport, the trade-off between efficiency and character is a conscious one rather than an oversight.
The i-VTM4 AWD System — Honda’s Most Sophisticated AWD
The Passport’s i-VTM4 AWD system is the most sophisticated all-wheel drive system Honda produces — and it is genuinely impressive in ways that deserve specific attention given Kenya’s diverse road surfaces.
Where most AWD systems simply transfer torque between front and rear axles, the i-VTM4 adds independent left-to-right torque distribution at the rear axle — meaning it can send more torque specifically to the rear-right or rear-left wheel as needed. This torque vectoring capability improves cornering stability and traction in specific situations — when one rear wheel has less traction than the other, whether from loose surface, different road surface textures between tyre contact patches, or cornering load distribution.
In Kenya’s conditions — where a murram road may have significantly better traction on one side than the other, where wet tarmac at a junction corner creates unequal grip between tyres, or where one rear wheel drops into a pothole while the other maintains normal surface contact — the i-VTM4’s ability to independently manage rear axle torque distribution provides capability that conventional AWD systems cannot replicate.
Additionally, the Passport’s TrailWatch mode and Intelligent Traction Management selector — offering Normal, Snow, Mud, and Sand modes — calibrate the AWD system’s response for specific surface types in exactly the manner that Kenya’s varied driving conditions warrant.
The Interior — Honda’s Most Spacious Two-Row Cabin
The Passport’s elimination of the third row creates an interior that benefits enormously from the Pilot’s larger platform without the packaging compromises that three-row configuration requires. The result is Honda’s most spacious five-seat SUV interior currently available — generous rear passenger legroom that accommodates tall adults comfortably on longer journeys, and a boot space of approximately 1,300 litres with rear seats folded that rivals some estate cars and small vans in outright volume.
For Kenya’s buyers who carry significant equipment — photographers, professionals with large tool requirements, families who travel with serious luggage, or adventure-focused buyers who carry camping and outdoor equipment — the Passport’s cargo capacity is a genuine practical advantage over any crossover-based alternative in Honda’s range.
Higher-specification Passport variants include Honda’s Sensing active safety suite — autonomous emergency braking, lane departure alert, adaptive cruise control, and blind-spot monitoring — a 9-inch touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a Bose premium audio system, heated and ventilated front seats, and a hands-free power tailgate. This specification level at the Passport’s used import pricing positions it as one of the more comprehensively equipped vehicles available to Kenya’s mid-size SUV buyers.
The TrailSport Variant — Kenya’s Off-Road Enthusiasts Should Know About This
The Passport TrailSport is a dedicated off-road specification variant that moves the Passport’s capability in a direction entirely different from Honda’s standard crossover philosophy. Specific TrailSport additions include factory-fitted all-terrain tyres providing meaningfully better traction on loose surfaces than standard highway rubber, raised suspension providing additional ground clearance beyond the standard Passport’s already reasonable 213mm, external recovery hooks, specific skid plate protection for underbody components, and the distinctive orange interior and exterior accent elements that identify the variant.
For Kenya’s buyers who genuinely use their vehicles off-road — and there is a meaningful and growing segment of Kenya’s buyer community that does, as evidenced by our track day and adventure driving coverage in Blog #152 — the TrailSport Passport offers Honda’s most serious attempt at combining genuine off-road hardware with a premium lifestyle SUV package. It is not in the same category as the Prado or Land Cruiser 300 for extreme off-road use, but it comfortably handles the farm tracks, game reserve roads, and rough upcountry access routes that most Kenyan adventure drivers actually encounter.
Passport vs Toyota Harrier — The Comparison Kenya’s Buyers Will Make
The used import pricing of the Honda Passport and Toyota Harrier in Kenya’s market overlaps sufficiently that buyers frequently consider both simultaneously. The comparison is instructive:
The Passport wins on: Engine character — the V6’s naturally aspirated delivery versus the Harrier’s hybrid system’s smooth but electric character. Cargo space — the Passport’s larger boot is meaningfully more practical for buyers who carry significant equipment. AWD sophistication — the i-VTM4’s torque vectoring versus the Harrier’s more conventional AWD. TrailSport off-road capability for buyers who specifically need it. The visual boldness that buyers who find the Harrier too conservative will appreciate.
The Toyota Harrier wins on: Fuel efficiency — the Harrier Hybrid’s 15–19km/L in Nairobi versus the Passport’s 10–12km/L is a significant and monthly-felt difference at current fuel prices. Hybrid system running cost advantages. Toyota brand trust, parts availability, and service network breadth throughout Kenya. Resale value in Kenya’s secondary market. Interior luxury — the Harrier’s cabin materials and overall refinement are arguably more premium.
For buyers who prioritise daily fuel economy in Nairobi’s urban environment, the Harrier Hybrid’s efficiency advantage is decisive. For buyers who cover significant non-urban mileage, value the V6’s character, need maximum cargo space, or prefer the Passport’s more adventure-capable positioning, the Passport is the more appropriate choice.
What to Watch When Buying a Used Passport in Kenya
Transmission service history: The 9-speed automatic requires correct-specification Honda fluid at the appropriate change interval. Confirm documentation of transmission services before purchasing.
i-VTM4 system function: During the test drive, confirm AWD engagement and all Intelligent Traction Management modes operate correctly. A specialist diagnostic check confirming all AWD system components are functioning correctly is worthwhile given the system’s sophistication.
V6 engine condition: The 3.5L V6 is a proven and durable unit but warrants the standard pre-purchase checks — oil condition, coolant condition, and absence of any consumption or leakage symptoms.
The Bottom Line
The Honda Passport is a genuinely capable, boldly designed, and distinctively positioned mid-size SUV that brings Honda’s quality and reliability to a vehicle category — capable five-seat adventure SUV — where the brand has not previously competed directly in Kenya’s market. Buyers who discover it consistently find it exceeds their expectations for capability, interior space, and V6 driving character. As Japanese domestic market examples become more consistently available in Kenya’s used import pipeline, the Passport will earn the following its qualities deserve.
👉 Ask about Honda Passport availability at clydemotors.co.ke or WhatsApp us on 0740635621. Financing available.