The Aviator nameplate is returning to Lincoln and another automaker may also be looking at dusting off one of their old SUV nameplates. That company is Honda, who is rumored to be resurrecting the Passport name for a mid-size, two-row crossover. Should it return, it’ll be quite a bit different from the first two generations of Passport.
At the time, Honda lacked SUV knowledge. The Civic-based CR-V was still years away and Honda was resorting to rebadging the Land Rover Discovery for the Japanese market. The lack of SUVs to sell was a big problem in the crucial North American market. The Ford Explorer was selling 300,000 units a year and Honda had nothing to rival it until they approached Isuzu.
It was a splendid arrangement for the two companies: Isuzu was terminating passenger car production and needed a replacement Gemini and Aska for the Japanese market, while Honda needed an SUV. Later, Isuzu would borrow the Honda Odyssey to sell as the Oasis in North America and Honda borrowed the Isuzu Trooper to sell as the Acura SLX.
If Honda had had the wherewithal or resources to build an SUV from scratch, it probably wouldn’t have been like the Passport. Isuzus typically didn’t have the same level of refinement as Hondas and the Rodeo-derived Passport was no exception.
The second generation was a bit more polished, ditching the recirculating ball steering for a rack-and-pinion setup and switching from rear leaf springs to a five-link, coil spring rear suspension. The base four-cylinder engine was also dropped and the newly standard DOHC 3.2 V6 gained 15 hp and 26 ft-lbs, for a total of 205 hp and 214 ft-lbs. Finally, the second-generation Passport wore smoother, more elegant, evolutionary styling. Passports had a unique grille but otherwise looked identical to the Rodeos they shared their Indiana assembly line with.
The second-generation Passport didn’t really feel like a Honda, undoubtedly because Honda’s involvement ended at badges and trim. It was adequately pleasant on-road and sufficiently capable off-road. Gas mileage, interior quality, and handling prowess were all rather mediocre but that was par for the course for a mid-size truck in the late 1990s; the V6 Rodeo and Passport did stand out somewhat from the crowd by being rather peppy, although they could ride a little rough and sound a little harsh.
While the Passport sold only about half as well as the nearly identical Rodeo – around 20-30k units per year – it crucially provided Honda with a larger SUV offering while they developed the Pilot. Should the name return, it will undoubtedly be on a more refined, car-like crossover. Most importantly, it’ll be a real Honda.
Passports photographed in October/November 2016 in San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato, Mexico and Los Angeles International Airport, California, USA.
Related Reading:
Curbside Classic: 1992 Isuzu Trooper – Really Really Big Horn
Curbside Classic: 1991 Isuzu Rodeo – Passport To Success
Curbside Classic: 1996 Isuzu Oasis – A Full Serving of Honda, but with None of the Appeal!
I had forgotten that those were built just up the road from me. SIA used to stand for Subaru-Isuzu Automotive but is now Subaru Indiana Automotive. Good thing our State is spelled with an I so that the company could avoid the expense of changing the signage and letterhead after Isuzu packed up.
I always felt a little sorry for the non-car-person who went into a Honda dealer looking for an SUV and bought this because it was a Honda. Although these had their fans, nobody would argue that they were anywhere near the level of quality and durability of everything else in Honda showrooms in those years. I also felt sorry for them at service time when you had Honda techs having to work on what could honestly be called the bastard car for the service department.
I saw a 2nd Gen yesterday, but I have not seen a 1st Gen in a bit. Perhaps I will keep an eye out for these now. I find it amusing the adventure oriented names that SUVs and Minivans have become adorned with over the years.
There’s a Vauxhall Frontera locally I often see, but I’d not realised there were Honda badged versions too.
Yes Honda also rebadged the Isuzu MU they are rebadging experts, NZ has all their efforts on our roads.
I had forgotten that there were 2 generations of this SUV, and I thought that I was a Honda geek. I think I can be excused though, since both generations sold in such low numbers (for a Honda-badged product, and they did look somewhat alike.
BTW, Honda re-used the Passport name soon after they discontinued this SUV. The name was applied to a small moped-type cycle.
I had a Honda Passport, a 1980. Wait, what?
Before it was an Isuzu SUV, the Honda (C70) Passport was an American version of the 70cc Honda Super Cub – the world’s most produced vehicle. In the US, Piper Aircraft owned the “Super Cub” name, so Honda couldn’t use that here
x2. THAT Honda Passport is way more significant.
And then that got turned into the Trail 70, 90 and a Trail 110
I still have a ’80 Passport C70!
Two years ago I sold a MINI Countryman to this delightful woman from the Vineyard, and in talking about previous cars, I remember her raving about the Honda Passport she had owned many years back, calling the best car she ever owned. It was a stick-shift and she said she drove it across the country and back several times, accumulating 300,000 miles on it before she passed it down to her daughter.
My only Honda Passport story 🙂
The full size Isuzu Bighorn SUV also got Honda badging it was called Horizon, they have a callout badge touting Hondas high tech 3.2 DOHC engine LOL.
this smaller version was based on the LWB Isuzu Wizard, and SWB MU.
The story still continues. Look at the Volkswagen/Dodge minivan from later years.
I like the Passport/Rodeo
While the Passport was not as refined as the later Pilot, it actually was a better all around truck in my mind. It was also very durable off road. Isuzu made great trucks.
While the Passport was still somewhat understandable, I really can’t believe they put an Acura badge on the Isuzu Trooper. Not that the Isuzu Trooper was a bad vehicle, but to try to pass it off as an Acura is something else entirely. The first time I saw one, which was only a few years back as they were never common, I thought it was just someone who put Acura badges on their Trooper as a joke. Only later did I discover that it actually was an Acura.
The Honda / Isuzu relationship ran deeper as Honda is said to have developed and very well may have also built the 6VD1 75deg V6 for Isuzu. Wikipedia credits this engine to Isuzu, who otherwise had never developed anything similar, and used the GM X car based V6 previously. Am sure Honda would not have put their name to something so equipped, though does not explain why they didn’t use an existing design.
Looking deeper into the specs is a rather Honda looking design, including sharing its odd 75deg bank angle with the latest Acura NSX. 75 degrees is shorter and a bit less vibration prone than 90 degrees, while offering more room for intake plumbing than the more typical 60 degrees. Perhaps an existing design rejected for other other uses due to lack of refinement, that Honda put into production for this application.
I ran across this information doing some research on my beater ’98 Rodeo, stumbling across a fascinating build of a Mazda RX8 with the 6VD1 replacing the original rotary. Multiple fanboy sites were giving the poor guy grief over his engine choice, which he backed with some very extensive research. I found it equally fascinating as I used to race a ’96 RX7, and the shop I used had done several GM LS conversions.