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Honda is continuing its global pull back of production by announcing it will cease automotive manufacturing operations in Argentina next year. This is after announcing the closure of its Swindon UK plant and the pull back of production in the U.S., mainly of the Civic and Accord. Honda is in the midst of consolidating production to fewer facilities and using fewer platforms to produce their vehicles. Honda said it's plant in Campana, which produces the HR-V will focus solely on manufacturing motorcycles. Honda is in talks with the local union to potentially offer buyouts to those who will be affected by the cessation of automotive production. The total plant population is over 1,000 workers. Honda has been building motorcycles in Argentina since 2006 and automobiles since 2011. View full article

The minivan is not quite dead yet and the Honda Odyssey, one of the five remaining minivans still in production, is entering its 25th year on the market. Since its launch in 1995, the Odyssey has sold more than 2.7 million units. Honda is quick to point out that most of these are retail sales and not fleet. The Odyssey has been the number one retail seller in the segment for 9 years running. For 2020, all Odysseys will be upgraded to a new 10-speed automatic transmission. This is mated to the existing 280 horsepower 3.5 liter V6 driving the front wheels. Also for 2020, Honda is offering a $1500 25th Anniversary package that includes a chrome roof rack, body side moldings, chrome rear bumper protector, extra 25th Anniversary badges, illuminated sill plates, and for an additional $1,300, special 19-inch wheels. The Honda Odyssey is built in Honda's Lincoln Alabama manufacturing plant alongside the Pilot, Passport, and Ridgeline. View full article

Honda is cutting back on production at two of its U.S. plants in anticipation of a slide in sales. The Marysville, Ohio plant and Honda of Indiana are the two plants being affected. The cuts primarily come to the Accord and Civic built in Marysville. Marysville operates two lines and one shift at Marysville on Line 1 will be suspended temporarily. That line produces the Accord, CR-V, ILX, and TLX, but the cuts there will mostly impact Accord. Acura production is unchanged at this time. The CR-V is also produced in Indiana so some production can be shifted from Marysville to there. This news comes after the announcement of the closure of Honda's Swindon UK manufacturing plant which builds the CR-V for Europe and the Honda Civic Hatchback and Civic Type-R for the U.S. Honda sales are down 0.9% for the year, but the Accord has slipped 5.9% July YTD, and the Civic which is Honda's second most popular model has slipped 2.1% July YTD. CR-V, which is Honda's biggest seller is also down 0.9%, but a light refresh is in the works for the CR-V and should debut soon. Honda says these adjustments are to help maintain Honda's sales discipline and to flex to the shift in market demand away from sedans. Honda has already announced they are looking to trim fat from their model lineup and have fewer regionally specific models. They will also be reducing the number of variations available to one third of what they are today. These plans are to be completed by 2025. View full article

For 2019, the most well equipped Honda Pilot you could buy was the Elite trim. That level of Pilot brought on extra trimmings like panoramic roof, standard All-Wheel drive with variable torque management, heated and ventilated front seats, heated steering wheel, heated 2nd row, and other trappings. For 2020, Honda is building on that trim and elevating it higher with the Black Edition. Based on the Elite trim, the Black Edition comes exclusively in Crystal Black Pearl Paint, black painted 20-inch alloy wheels, and blackout treatments that remove the exterior chrome trim. Inside, there is a red accent to the perforated front and second row seating surfaces along with red accent stitching. The Black Edition trim starts at $49,620, a $1500 increase over an equivalent Elite trim. After a destination charge of $1,095, you'll be paying over $50k for a Pilot. That's pricey, but a Chevrolet Traverse High Country will run you $54k and a Ford Explorer Platinum will easily touch $60k. The most direct price competitors would be the new Kia Telluride and Hyundai Palisade, which come in a couple thousand less than the Honda Pilot Black Edition. In addition to the new trim, the price of the Pilot goes up by $100 for front-wheel drive trims and $200 for all-wheel drive trims. The 2020 Pilot begins arriving in dealerships today. View full article

Like most mainstream automakers, Honda is raking in the cash with their lineup of crossovers. But Honda is also doing quite well when it comes to cars, a bit surprising since the news is flooded with automakers deciding to cut back on their lineup - though we should note that Honda is planning on slimming down their lineup, both in trims and models in the coming years. "What's perhaps more unusual and important for us, however, is our cars. We all know the narrative: Cars are dead and dying. That's certainly true for some, but not for us. Our story is a little different," said Henio Arcangeli Jr., senior vice president of the automobile division of American Honda Motor Co. How is that story different at Honda? It comes down to certain groups of buyers. "But cars really matter for another fundamental reason: the future. Cars play a crucial role for Honda in attracting and retaining new buyers, particularly young buyers, millennials and Gen Z," said Arcangeli. Data gathered by the company revealed more than half of first-time buyers of news are choosing cars, not trucks or utility vehicles. We have to wonder if the lower prices of new cars play a key role in this. "So, we're dominating the front door with new buyers, with cars playing a critical role. Gen Z today is still a relatively small share of the market, but it's growing daily, and Honda is in the early lead." Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required) View full article

On Wednesday, Honda CEO Takahiro Hachigo announced plans for the future of the company's automobile division. Efficiency was the theme in Hachigo's speech in terms of their lineup. manufacturing, and driving. One of the initiatives put forth by Hachigo was to cut down on the number of variations on offer in their global lineup, along with the dropping of various regional nameplates. "However, as a result of accommodating regional needs somewhat excessively in each individual region, we recognize that the number of models and variations at the trim and option level have increased and our efficiency has declined. So, we will undertake initiatives to further strengthen our inter-regional coordination and collaboration and advance our art of making automobiles in order to simultaneously increase the attractiveness and efficiency of both global and regional models," he said. "With this initiative, by 2025, we will reduce the total number of variations at the trim and option level for our global models to one-third of what we have now.In addition, we will increase efficiency by eliminating and consolidating some similar regional models into even more competent models shared across multiple regions." This will allow Honda to simplify model allocation at their various assembly plants around the road. According to Hachigo, this will allow the company to achieve "100 percent capacity utilization worldwide by 2020" and cut production costs by 10 percent by 2025. Part of that initiative involves a new modular architecture that will debut in a global model next year. No details on the vehicle were provided, but Honda says the goal of the architecture "is to commonize about 70 percent of the components" used in a vehicle such as the engine bay and passenger cabin. Honda is also planning to have two-thirds of their global lineup electrified by 2030. Furthermore, it wants 100 percent of its European lineup to be electrifed by 2025. To do this, Honda is readying a new electric city car known as the e, along with deploying their two-motor i-MMD hybrid setup to all of their models in Europe. In the U.S. Honda is planning to launch more hybrid models, and increase their electric car lineup with some help from General Motors. “In North America, we will jointly develop battery components with General Motors and introduce highly-competitive battery EVs in the market,” said Hachigo. Press Release is on Page 2 Summary of Honda CEO Speech on Automobile Business Direction Remarks by Takahiro Hachigo, President & CEO, Honda Motor Co., Ltd. May 8, 2019 Honda has been working on two top-priority management challenges in the midst of abrupt changes in the global business environment surrounding the automobile industry: to strengthen the structure of our automobile business and to further increase the speed of business transformation for future generations. So, today, I would like to introduce some initiatives we are taking for our automobile business, especially how we are strengthening the structure of our automobile business, the direction we are taking with electrification, as well as some progress we have made to date. Strengthening automobile business structure Ever since I became the president of the company, I have been conveying the message that we will make Honda strong by creating strong products and also by strengthening our inter-regional coordination and collaboration. We put special emphasis on the strengthening of our global models, which have been the source of Honda's core competence, and also the enhancement of our regional models. As a result, we currently have the five global models, namely Civic, Accord, CR-V, Fit/Jazz and Vezel/HR-V, and these five strong models now account for 60% of our global automobile sales. At the same time, our regional models such as the N Series for Japan, Pilot for North America and Crider for China are playing an important role as a source of growth for each respective region. However, as a result of accommodating regional needs somewhat excessively in each individual region, we recognize that the number of models and variations at the trim and option level have increased and our efficiency has declined. So, we will undertake initiatives to further strengthen our inter-regional coordination and collaboration and advance our art of making automobiles in order to simultaneously increase the attractiveness and efficiency of both global and regional models. Strengthening inter-regional coordination and collaboration As for inter-regional coordination and collaboration, under the new operational structure we adopted for our automobile operations starting from April, we began reviewing and sharing the product lineup by grouping some of our six regions outside Japan based on a similarity of key factors, such as market needs and environmental regulations. With this initiative, by 2025, we will reduce the total number of variations at the trim and option level for our global models to one-third of what we have now. In addition, we will increase efficiency by eliminating and consolidating some similar regional models into even more competent models shared across multiple regions. Advancement of our art of making automobiles (automobile development) As for the advancement of automobile development, since I became the president, we have been increasing the efficiency and speed of our Monozukuri (the art of making things) by innovating the entire process, from planning and development all the way through production, by enabling the S-E-D-B (sales, manufacturing, R&D, purchasing*1) functions to collaborate beyond the boundaries of their divisions. Moreover, we have already introduced the Honda Architecture in our development. The Honda Architecture is a company-wide initiative which will increase the efficiency of development and expand parts-sharing for our mass-production models. The first model being developed with this new method will be the global model we are launching next year. And we will continue increasing the number of models to which we apply this new architecture. With the strengthening of global and regional models through inter-regional coordination and collaboration and with the introduction of the Honda Architecture, by 2025, we will reduce the number of manhours we use for the development of mass-production models by 30%, and we will repurpose those manhours to accelerate our research and development in advanced areas for the future. In this way, we can continue creating new technologies which will support the future of Honda. Strengthening our operational structure in the area of production In addition to the area of development, we are further strengthening our operational structure in the area of production as well, so that we can create strong products with high efficiency. We are making steady progress in optimizing our production capacity in all regions. When this is complete, we are expecting to see that our global capacity utilization rate, excluding China, will increase from 90% recorded in 2018, and we will be producing at full capacity by 2022. In China, the third plant of Dongfeng Honda became newly operational, and this put us in a position where we can definitely accommodate market demand in China. We believe that this progress we made paved the way for the optimization of our global production capacity. From here onward, we think it is important to increase our competitiveness by increasing the efficiency of our production system in North America. For our business in North America, while keeping pace with sales expansion, we enhanced our model lineup and established a flexible production system where our plants sometimes produce various models in duplication to accommodate changes in market demand. However, as a result of the pursuit of high flexibility, an increase in the investment amount and a decline in production efficiency started to become an issue. Therefore, in North America as well, we will reduce the number of variations at the trim and option level, and at the same time, we will simplify the production model allocation at each plant. Through this initiative, we will re-establish a highly-efficient production system and realize the growth of North American business through the pursuit of quality. By implementing these initiatives to increase production efficiency in each region, we are expecting to reduce global cost in the area of production by 10% by 2025, compared to the cost recorded in 2018. Through all these initiatives I have mentioned, we will steadily strengthen the structure of our automobile business and realize the solidification of our existing automobile businesses by 2025, and, at the same time, we will accelerate our preparation for the future. Direction for the electrification of our automobile products Striving to realize a carbon-free society, Honda set a goal to electrify two-thirds of our global automobile unit sales by 2030. When we talk about the introduction of electrified vehicles, there are two perspectives. One is the improvement of fuel economy, and the other is zero emissions. Regulations for the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards are becoming increasingly stringent in every country around the world and complying with CAFE standards is one of the most important challenges for the automobile industry. At Honda, in light of the required infrastructure and how people use automobiles, we believe that hybrid technology is, at this moment, the most effective way for us to comply with CAFE standards. Therefore, we will electrify our products mainly with hybrid technologies. By increasing sales of our hybrid models all around the world, Honda will contribute to the global environment through the improvement of fuel economy. To this end, we will expand the application of our 2-motor hybrid system to the entire lineup of Honda vehicles. In addition to the 2-motor hybrid system which is compatible with mid-to-large-sized vehicles, we developed a new, more compact 2-motor hybrid system suitable for small-sized vehicles. This small-sized 2-motor hybrid system will be adopted first by the all-new Fit which we are planning to exhibit as a world premiere at the Tokyo Motor Show this fall. In addition to the expansion of the lineup of products equipped with the 2-motor hybrid system, we also will expand the application of the 2-motor hybrid system on a global basis. With that, by 2022, we are expecting to reduce the cost of the 2-motor hybrid system by 25% compared to the cost of this system in 2018. As for zero emission vehicles, with our battery EVs we will comply with the Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) program being adopted by California and other states in the U.S. and China's New Energy Vehicle (NEV) mandate. We will efficiently introduce our battery EVs to the market by selecting the most appropriate partners and resources to satisfy the different needs in each region. In North America, we will jointly develop battery components with General Motors and introduce highly-competitive battery EVs in the market. In China, in order to keep up with the fast speed of electrification, we have already begun introducing battery EV models developed together with our local joint venture companies in China. While envisioning the introduction of battery EV models from the Honda brand, we will continue utilizing local resources in China and introduce more battery EV models in a timely manner to fulfill local market needs in China. In Europe and Japan, we will introduce the Honda e, a new battery EV model, which was recently introduced as a prototype at the Geneva Motor Show. To summarize, Honda will popularize and improve the business feasibility of electrified vehicles by focusing on hybrid vehicles and battery EVs. Changes in operational structure In order to ensure the solid implementation of these initiatives I just introduced for our automobile business, we renewed our operational structure as of April. The aims of this structural change are to establish an organization which brings all regional operations together to strongly facilitate inter-regional coordination and collaboration and to increase the speed of our business operations by enabling prompt decisions and prompt execution. Today, I introduced our initiatives to strengthen our automobile business structure and the direction of our electrification. Under the new organizational structure, we will realize our goals with a keen sense of speed. Closing As we stated in our 2030 Vision, Honda is striving to grow through the pursuit of quality so that we can fulfill our vision to "Serve people worldwide with the joy of expanding their life's potential." Honda will continue taking on new challenges while being driven by strong passion, so that we can continue to be a company that society wants to exist even in 2050 after Honda becomes more than 100 years old. *1 S-E-D-B: Sales, Engineering (Manufacturing), Development (R&D), Buying (Purchasing) View full article

American Honda Announces April Sales Results May 1, 2019 Civic continues to lead U.S. passenger car sales, driven by strong retail performance Honda truck sales rise 2.7% in April as Passport adds strength and CR-V and Pilot maintain momentum Acura trucks also gain, with RDX surging 17.3% on the way to an overall increase of 6.2% for the month American Honda Total 125,775 +0.1% Cars 57,452 -3.4% Trucks 68,323 +3.1% Total 114,088 +0.2% Cars 54,030 -2.4% Trucks 60.058 +2.7% Total 11,687 -1.7% Cars 3,433 -16.6% Trucks 8,265 +6.2%

Acura Sales Climb 11% as American Honda Posts Strong February Results Mar 1, 2019 Acura brand trucks set new February mark as RDX also gets record and MDX rises in double digits Honda HR-V sets February sales record, its best month since a June 2018 flood strapped supplies Honda Accord sales rise 2.5% in tight sedan market Honda CR-V gains 1.7%, surpassing 26,000 sales American Honda Total 115,139 -0.4% Cars 51,262 -6% Trucks 63,877 +4.6% Total 102,926 -1.6% Cars 47,847 -5.5% Trucks 55,079 +2.1% Total 12,213 +11.3% Cars 3,415 -11.7% Trucks 8,798 +23.9% "We're off to a good start in 2019 with notable gains for both cars and light trucks, bolstered by the arrival of our all-new Passport SUV," said Henio Arcangeli Jr., senior vice president of the American Honda Automobile Division. "Our terrific product lineup is helping grow sales in all key segments of our business and we are achieving this success by maintaining a disciplined approach to supply and incentive spending." BRAND REPORT Sales Highlights Honda maintained a strong sales pace in February, with core models Accord and CR-V posting gains and HR-V setting a record, while the brand-new Passport SUV had its first full month of sales. Despite on-going sedan market headwinds, Accord gained 2.5% on sales of 20,254 units, continuing its retail sales leadership in the midsize segment. HR-V sales rose 4.4% in February on sales of 7,093 units, a new February record and its best month since the full impact of a flood that stopped production for four months last year. CR-V gained 1.7% in February, cresting 26,000 units for the month, while Pilot posted a strong month with sales of nearly 11,000 units. Sales of electrified models (over 4,500 units) remained strong with Insight topping 1,500 units to lead industry sales for dedicated hybrid models. Model Notes Honda began 2019 as the retail #1 passenger car brand in America, with Accord the retail best-selling midsize sedan for the 4th straight month and Civic entering its 4th year as America's retail best-selling car. CR-V continues as the retail #1 CUV in America, while approaching nearly a 20% share in segment. BRAND REPORT Sales Highlights Acura continued to gain traction as sales climbed more than 11% for the month. Acura trucks, up 24%, set a new February record. Sedans remained strong as ILX and TLX continue to outperform their segments in retail sales. RDX sales jumped 31.8% in February on sales of 4,965 units, a February record and the 9th consecutive month of record sales. MDX had a robust month, gaining 14.9% on sales of 3,833 units. ILX sales were up 15.8%, despite inventory issues related to the ramp-up of the refreshed 2019 model. Model Notes Coming off its best year ever, the new RDX has continued as the #1 retail-seller in segment, the #2 retail-selling luxury SUV and the #3 model in all of luxury. Acura began 2019 with retail sales up 10% while key competitors experienced declines.

Last week we reported that Honda would be closing their UK manufacturing plant in Swindon. That plant produces Honda Civics and CR-Vs mostly for the European market. However, in addition to European production, the Swindon plant also produces the Civic Hatchback and Civic Type-R for North America. Production in Swindon is to finish out the model run into 2021. Automotive News reports that Honda CEO Takahir Hachigo said "Given out efforts to optimize production allocation and production capacity on a global scale, we have concluded that we will produce the Civic for North America in North America." The North American sourced Honda Civic is built in Alliston, Ontario and Greensburgh Indiana. The Honda Civic hatchback makes up about one third of Civic's 325,760 US sales for 2018. View full article

Confirming reports from yesterday, Honda has officially announced the closure of its manufacturing facility in Swindon UK as part of a global restructuring at the end of the current products lifecycle in 2021. The Swindon plant manufactures Honda Civic and Honda CR-V. Honda officials insisted that Brexit was not the reason for the closure, but rather global trends in the automotive industry. A factory in Turkey will also close as part of the restructuring as Honda recenters all EU market manufacturing back to Japan. No changes in production or jobs are expected until the 2021 time frame. View full article

Sky News is reporting that Honda is preparing announce as early as tomorrow the closure of its only EU manufacturing facility in Swindon UK. The plant currently produces over 100,000 Honda Civics and directly employs 3,500 workers. The plant has been in operation since 1985. If confirmed, the plant would close in 2022 and have drastic consequence for downstream suppliers. This move would be a sudden change of direction for Honda which recently insisted that the UK was a key part of their automobile manufacturing plans. The possibility of a no-deal Brexit likely hastened the decision to close the plant. The Japanese government has negotiated a trade deal with the EU that went into effect on February 1, 2019 that would allow Honda to import vehicles from Japan to the EU tariff free. The news comes just as Jaguar-Land Rover plans to cut 4,500 jobs and Nissan shelves plans to build new models in the UK. View full article

The Passport is making a return to Honda, minus the help from Isuzu. Today at an event before the LA Auto Show, Honda unveiled the 2019 Passport which will slot between CR-V and Pilot in their crossover lineup. The Pilot DNA's is clearly evident in the Passport's design as the two have the same profile and design cues such as the front grille and sculpted sides. The Passport uses the same platform and 111-inch wheelbase as the Pilot, but is 6.5-inches shorter in overall length. Step inside and you might think that you're in either the Pilot or Ridgeline. The dashboard and center stack design in the Passport is the same as in those two models. One item we're happy to see is a volume knob for the 8-inch infotainment system. Power comes from the 3.5L V6 producing 280 horsepower and 262 pound-feet of torque. This is teamed with a nine-speed automatic and the choice of front or Honda's i-VTM4 all-wheel drive system. Along with a one-inch increase in ground-clearance, Honda claims that the Passport will be very capable off-road (we shall see). As for towing, the Passport is rated at 3,500 pounds for FWD and 5,000 for AWD. Honda isn't saying on pricing, but we would expect it to be slightly less than the $31,450 for the base Pilot LX. Sales are expected to begin early next year. Gallery: 2019 Honda Passport Source: Honda 2019 Honda Passport Makes World Debut: Adventure-Ready All-New 5-passenger SUV on Display at 2018 Los Angeles Auto Show Nov 27, 2018 - LOS ANGELES Passport provides a unique blend of on- and off-road prowess with exceptional occupant and cargo hauling capability 280-horsepower V6 and available sophisticated all-wheel drive system give Passport robust towing and off-road capabilities Standard Honda Sensing® safety and driver-assistive tech on all trims Multiple accessory options to personalize Passport ownership The all-new 2019 Honda Passport 5-passenger V6-powered SUV made its world debut today. Going on sale early next year, Passport provides a unique combination of on-road driving refinement and off-road adventure capability along with best-in-class interior space. The all-new Honda Passport will slot between the compact CR-V and three-row Pilot in Honda's award-winning SUV lineup. The model's reinforced unibody frame, powerful direct-injected i-VTEC® V6 engine, fully independent suspension and nimble steering make it an ideal choice for driving long distances or around town. In addition, the robust off-road capability offered by the available Honda i-VTM4™ torque-vectoring all-wheel drive and its four-mode Intelligent Traction Management system means Passport can tackle the kind of tough terrain normally reserved for less refined body-on-frame or off-road focused SUVs. "The all-new 2019 Honda Passport provides the on-road comfort and nimble handling buyers will appreciate on their daily commute with the robust off-road and all-weather capability that make for a great weekend adventure vehicle," said Henio Arcangeli, Jr., senior vice president of American Honda Motor Co., Inc. and general manager, Honda Division. "We saw an opportunity to deliver something that Honda is uniquely capable of making and the new Passport is in a great position to capture buyers looking for a more personal, powerful and capable Honda SUV." Designed and developed exclusively by Honda's North America R&D teams in Torrance, California, and Raymond, Ohio, the Passport and its V6 engine will be manufactured at the company's Lincoln, Alabama plant. Additional key product highlights include: Standard 280-horsepower, 3.5-liter, direct-injected V6 engine with i-VTEC® valvetrain mated to latest-generation 9-speed automatic transmission Available Intelligent Variable Torque Management (i-VTM4™) torque-vectoring all-wheel drive enhances on- and off-road performance Intelligent Traction Management system with available Snow, Sand and Mud modes help optimize performance for varying surface conditions Standard Honda Sensing® safety and driver-assistive technology Standard 20-inch alloy wheels and tires on all trims Best-in-class underfloor cargo storage Wide range of Honda accessories for active lifestyles, including Adventure and Urban accessory packages The all-new 2019 Honda Passport's rugged exterior design and stance is highlighted by standard 20-inch wheels, a matte-black grille, floating roof design, aggressive wheel arches, increased ride height and a tailgate design that emphasizes width. Inside, Passport offers best-in-class passenger space (115.9 cu.-ft.) and total interior volume (157.1 cu.-ft.) for carrying family, friends and weekend adventure gear. Passport features a large (best-in-class 2.5 cu.-ft.) segmented underfloor cargo compartment for carrying dirty gear or keeping valuables out of sight. Passport will be offered in four trims: the well-appointed Sport, upgraded EX-L, high-tech Touring, and the fully equipped Elite. All models except the line-topping Elite can be configured with 2- or all-wheel drive – all Elite trims come standard with all-wheel drive. All trims will feature 20-inch alloy wheels and tires, the Honda Sensing® suite of advanced safety and driver-assistive technology, LED headlights, fog lights, taillights and DRLs, Smart Start and Smart Entry and three-zone automatic climate control. EX-L and higher trims utilize Honda's latest Display Audio interface with an 8-inch touchscreen, a physical volume knob and Apple CarPlay® and Android Auto™ integration. Additional exterior upgrades, depending on trim, include a power tailgate with available hands-free operation, a one-touch tilt/slide moonroof and heated auto-dimming and power folding side mirrors. Furthermore, the blind spot information system, rear cross traffic monitor, and front and rear parking sensors are available driver assistive technologies. Available premium features include second-row sunshades, wireless phone charging, embedded Honda Satellite-Linked Navigation System, 4G LTE in-vehicle Wi-Fi, premium audio, and HondaLink® cloud-based services, including remote unlocking, concierge services, stolen vehicle tracking and more. Powertrain All 2019 Honda Passport trims are powered by a 3.5-liter V6 engine that makes 280 peak horsepower and 262 lb.-ft. of torque (SAE net), placing Passport in the top of its class for standard horsepower in a segment where some competitors offer less powerful 4-cylinder engines as standard equipment. The Honda i-VTEC® V6 is mated to the latest-generation of Honda's 9-speed automatic transmission (9AT) that is among the most advanced in the class, offering smooth and responsive power delivery. At the heart of the robust all-weather and off-road driving capabilities is Honda's available i-VTM4™ all-wheel drive system. Unlike most competing systems, i-VTM4™ uses active torque vectoring to send up to 70 percent of engine torque to the rear axle and 100 percent of that torque to either the left or right rear wheels. This capability gives Passport excellent handling in all conditions, such as rain-slicked or snowy roads or sandy trails, while also contributing to more responsive performance by overdriving the outside rear wheel in turns. In addition, the Intelligent Traction Management (ITM) is standard on both the front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive Passport. In all-wheel drive applications, the four-mode ITM systems works in conjunction with i-VTM4™, allowing drivers to customize powertrain performance for different weather and terrain, including sand, snow and mud. In front-wheel drive models, the system has two modes for normal and snow conditions. Tested in the world's harshest environments, including the sands of Dubai, muddy country roads of Russia, and snowbound trails in Minnesota, the combination of i-VTM4™ and Intelligent Traction Management make Passport more capable off road than many unibody SUVs, giving drivers the confidence to tackle not just wet or rainy conditions, but a variety of harsh off-road terrains. Passport is well equipped for towing, with 3,500-pound capacity on front-wheel drive models and 5,000 pounds on all-wheel drive models when both are equipped with the optional towing package. Passport is the gateway to adventure being able to tow camping trailers, boats, or "toy" haulers, over more rugged terrain. The standard multi-view rear-view camera makes connecting to a trailer easier than ever with its "overhead" option giving the driver a bird's eye view of the hitch and trailer. Exterior Design and Platform Honda's most rugged light truck yet, Passport's expressive design leaves no doubt of its adventure-seeking mission and is highlighted by its higher ride height, standard 20-inch wheels, 245/50R all-weather tires and sporty styling cues, including a matte black grille and bumper, blackout headlights and black wheels. LED headlight accents, gloss black trim, a "floating" C-pillar, and chrome exhaust finishers hint at Passport's around-town sophistication. Trim-exclusive wheel designs are available across the lineup, and Touring and Elite trims offer upsized 265/45R20 tires as standard equipment. Beyond good looks, Passport's design offers superior functionality as well. Ground clearance is up 0.5 inches on front-wheel drive models and 1.1 inches on all-wheel drive models compared to Passport's three-row sibling, Pilot, while its shorter overall length and shortened rear overhang offer improved approach, departure and breakover angles, suitable for more rugged terrain. Passport's wider wheels and tires complement its athletic and sporty stance and support both responsive around-town handling and increased grip off-road. A ruggedly styled front end stands out on the road with its scratch-resistant matte finish grill suited to the off-road adventures Passport is designed for. Passport is based on Honda's Global Light Truck platform and shares much of its underlying structure with the three-row Pilot SUV and Ridgeline pickup, including its highly rigid unibody construction. This platform has a fully boxed floor that is sophisticated yet strong with a four-wheel independent suspension, with MacPherson struts in front and a multilink independent rear. The latest generation of Honda's proprietary Advanced Compatibility Engineering™ (ACE™) body structure, provides outstanding frontal collision protection and collision compatibility with larger and smaller vehicles. Interior Design and Packaging Passport's modern and sophisticated interior design offers ample space for five people and provides class-leading passenger volume of 115.9 cu.-ft. and best-in-class total interior volume of 157.1 cu.-ft. From Sport to Elite trims, Passport features high-quality interior appointments including attractive and durable cloth on Sport or perforated leather on EX-L, Touring and Elite trims, a blackout headliner, and generous use of soft-touch surfaces on the dash and doors. Passport's interior also offers class-leading utility. Behind the second row of seats is a cargo area generously sized for weekend camping trips or excursions to the home improvement store, with 41.2 cu. ft. of space, expandable to 77.9 cu. ft. with the second row folded flat, which is more than enough to accommodate mountain bikes or a week's worth of camping gear. From the cargo area, the second-row seatbacks fold with the push of a button, and Passport's main cargo floor is reversible between carpeted and easy-to-clean hard plastic surfaces. Passport features class-leading underfloor storage, with 2.5 cu. ft. of easily accessible compartmented storage, which can be accessorized with removable washable bins, including a custom bin for storing the available accessory trailer hitch receiver. There's also plenty of space for small stuff. Passport offers generous storage space for front seat passengers, including a huge center console bin between the front seats with a rolling cover that serves as a tray when closed. Additional storage is found in the doors and ahead of the push-button gear selector. Technology Packed with available modern amenities such as an audio and connectivity system with Apple CarPlay® and Android Auto™ integration and a digital driver's meter, Passport delivers all the modern technology that today's SUV buyers demand. Passport Sport trim comes standard with a 215-watt audio system with a 5-inch display monitor and 6 speakers, plus a subwoofer. Passport EX-L, Touring and Elite trims feature Honda's 8-inch Display Audio touchscreen system with Apple CarPlay® and Android Auto™ smartphone integration and manual power/volume knob. The Display Audio system uses gestures common to smartphones and tablets, such as swipe, tap and pinch, to control the vehicle's audio system, display settings and other advanced features. Intuitive and easy to use, with a simplified menu structure, it also offers customizable shortcuts for commonly used features and customizable app locations. Passport Touring and Elite trims come with a 590-watt 10-speaker premium audio system. Passport's instrument cluster uses a 7-inch Thin Film Transistor (TFT) screen with a wide range of information content. In addition to displaying typical vehicle functions such as vehicle speed and RPM, the full-color digital meter includes a Multi-Information Display (MID) with customizable features, such as audio system information, a detailed trip computer, phone information, and turn-by-turn route guidance on Passport models equipped with navigation. Drivers navigate the new TFT using steering wheel controls designed for intuitive operation, such as Bluetooth® phone buttons that are more easily distinguished by touch. Touring and Elite trims of Passport provide 4G LTE in-vehicle Wi-Fi TCU that can supporting up to seven devices and a free 90-day/3GB trial period AT&T data plan. The TCU is key to Passport's support of numerous HondaLink® cloud-based services. Using an app, owners can keep track of maintenance and even book appointments, remember their Passport's location and numerous other functions. Safety and Driver Assistance Technology The Honda Sensing® suite of advanced safety and driver-assistive technologies is standard on all 2019 Passport trims. Honda Sensing® helps provide greater awareness of driving conditions around the vehicle, in some cases helps drivers maintain lane position and, under certain conditions slowing or even stopping the vehicle if it detects a potential front collision. Honda Sensing® includes Collision Mitigation Braking System™ (CMBS™) featuring Forward Collison Warning (FCW), Road Departure Mitigation (RDM) including Lane Departure Warning (LDW), Lane Keeping Assistance System (LKAS) and Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC). The new Passport was designed to provide a high level of active and passive safety performance and targets an NCAP 5-Star Overall Vehicle Score safety rating and an IIHS TOP SAFETY PICK rating. All tested 2019 model-year Honda vehicles achieve an NCAP 5-star Overall Vehicle Score safety rating. All Passport trims come equipped with a Multi-Angle Rearview Camera with overhead "bird's eye" view, ideal for trailer hookups. Additional available driver-assistive technologies include dynamic guidelines for the rearview camera, blind spot Information system (EX-L, Touring and Elite) with Rear Cross-Traffic Detection, and front and rear parking sensors (Touring and Elite). Accessories A wide variety of Honda Genuine Accessories are designed for Passport, including roof boxes of various sizes, a roof basket, and roof-mounted bike, kayak and ski or snowboard racks. Inside, Passport owners can weatherproof their cargo area with hard plastic covers for the floor, sides, and seatbacks. The underfloor storage can be divided with separate, removable and washable bins. For those seeking a more sophisticated urban look, a variety of cosmetic exterior items are available, such as a colored graphics package, undercarriage welcome lights, and lighted door sills. From the outset, Passport will be available with two accessory packages. The Adventure Package adds running boards, a trailer hitch, fender flares and more for outdoor weekend getaways. The Urban Package adds front and rear underbody spoilers, unique 20-inch wheels, cargo storage bins and roof rails and crossbars for a sophisticated in-town look. View full article