Honda to export US-built Passport SUV to Japan

Honda will begin exporting the US-built Passport SUV to Japan in the second half of 2026, with the model available exclusively in TrailSport Elite trim with left-hand drive. The fourth-generation Passport is built at Honda’s Alabama Auto Plant in Lincoln, Alabama, where the 3.5-litre V6 engine is also produced.

The export marks the first time Honda will offer this engine in the Japanese market. The Passport features a 285hp V6 paired with a 10-speed automatic transmission and second-generation i-VTM4 torque-vectoring all-wheel drive, which Honda says offers 40% more torque capacity and 30% faster response than its predecessor.

“Since Honda began auto production in America more than four decades ago, we have been dedicated to delivering quality for the world, made in the USA,” Jun Jayaraman, Senior Vice President of the Manufacturing Management Centre at Honda Development and Manufacturing of America, said. “We are proud to export quality vehicles built by our associates in Alabama to Honda customers in Japan.”

Honda became the first Japanese automaker to import its own US-made vehicles to Japan in March 1988. Since beginning overseas exports of US-made automobiles in 1987, Honda has exported more than 1.75 million Honda and Acura vehicles to global markets, including nearly 300,000 to Japan.

The TrailSport trim accounts for around 80% of Passport sales in the US.

Source: Honda