最近谍照记者在南加州拍到了一款本田新SUV，该车明显比三排座的Pilot更小，但比新款CR-V更大。因此该车定位在这两款车之间，属于大型五座SUV。据内部人士透露，该车是本田重新恢复的“Passport”。新车与Pilot共享相同内部结构，这意味着该车预计将搭载3.5升V6引擎。这台引擎在现行版上的功率为209千瓦/280马力，可搭配六速或九速自动变速器。Pilot采用前轮驱动，也可提供全轮驱动，因此Passport也将具备相同能力。这辆原型车看起来轴距比Pilot更短，因此可以判断这是一辆比Pilot更小，内部采用五座布局，储物空间充裕的车型。由于它的车身进行了重度伪装，因此无法看清细节，但仔细看前脸接近Pilot。尾灯组也有一些相似之处。这表明Passport将大量借鉴与其同平台的Pilot的设计元素，不过该车更短的后悬和更小的轴距则是其独有的。谍照记者这次还拍到了其内装照片，可以看到中控台信息娱乐系统以及下面的单个旋钮和显示屏两侧的空调出风口都酷似现行版Pilot。看来，Passport不仅外观，连内装都与Pilot共享。至于Passport的发布时间，从该车重度伪装看，还需要等很长时间，但本田投产一款SUV用不了多长时间。如果Passport在今年的洛杉矶车展亮相将丝毫不奇怪，随后将在明年初或第一/第二季度上市。
First Look: New Honda Passport SUV Spied Inside And Out
It looks like rumors we’ve been hearing about a new SUV from Honda are true. Spy photographers in Southern California captured this well-covered people mover on the streets around Malibu. It’s clearly smaller than the three-row Pilot, but it seems rather bulky to be a new CR-V. Rather, this new offering should slot in between the two as a large five-passenger SUV, and our sources say it should revive the Passport moniker in the process.
Those same sources tell us the new Passport will share underpinnings with the Pilot, meaning we can expect a 3.5-liter V6 under the hood. That engine makes 280 horsepower (209 kilowatts) in the current model, with either a six-speed or nine-speed automatic transmission available. The Pilot is front-wheel drive with available all-wheel drive, so that capability will surely carry over as well. This prototype does appear to have a shorter wheelbase compared to Honda’s range-topper, lending more evidence to this being a slightly smaller Pilot with five seats and ample cargo room.
The extensive camouflage does a fantastic job of hiding exterior details, but a close look at the front clip does reveal similarities to the Pilot. We see some similarity in the taillights as well, though admittedly the coverings make it tough to suss out the full story. It’s quite likely the Passport will borrow heavily from its platform-sharing twin, but a shorter rear overhang and smaller wheelbase will call for some Passport-unique bits.
This batch of spy photos also gives us a quick glance inside the greenhouse. Glare from the window makes it hard to see, but we’re fortunate to catch this prototype with the covering off of the center stack. The infotainment system is a dead ringer for what we see in the current Pilot, right down to the single control knob and air vents flanking the screen. In other words, expect the Passport to closely resemble the Pilot inside.
When will we see Honda’s new SUV? With the heavy coverings in place we’re tempted to say a reveal is still a long way off, but automakers are fast-tracking SUVs to production like never before. We wouldn’t be surprised to see this show up in just a few months at the 2018 LA Auto Show, with sales beginning in the first or second quarter of 2019.