Honda Suspended 3 New Passport SUVs from a Crane to Demonstrate Their Durability.
Honda
Honda may not be the first or even the second or third brand that springs to mind when considering rugged, off-road SUVs. However, the Japanese automaker is working to shift that image with the introduction of the 2026 Honda Passport.
To demonstrate the toughness of its new SUV, Honda showcased three TrailSport models suspended from their recovery points by a 140-foot crane. With all fluids drained and the transmission set in neutral, the gray Passport at the top was hanging 100 feet in the air, its front tow hooks supporting over 14,000 pounds of Japanese crossover. Depending on the trim level, each Passport TrailSport weighs around 4,700 pounds.
Honda
It's important to point out that while the visual aspect of this marketing stunt is impressive, it’s possible that a sufficiently modern and durable vehicle could perform similarly. Recovery hooks are typically rated to handle multiple times the vehicle’s weight, but Honda deserves recognition for engineering such robust hooks on a unibody crossover.
According to Honda, the bright orange hooks are powder-coated to resist corrosion and are designed to collapse in the event of a crash, making them a patent-pending innovative feature. The Passport also marks Honda’s first “light truck” available with exposed, heavy-duty front recovery points straight from the factory.
Honda
Ultimately, the true evaluation of the new Passport's recovery hooks will come from their performance under sudden forces, such as when attempting to pull another vehicle out of a tough spot. We reached out to Honda to inquire about the outcome of the stunt, and they informed us that there was no damage.
“All of the Passports were inspected after the stunt, and no damage was found,” a Honda representative shared with The Drive. “They all returned to our test fleet afterward, with one even driven from California to the east coast the day following the stunt.”
In addition to its recovery points and a sturdier chassis, the Passport boasts several off-road features, including suspension and all-wheel drive optimized for loose surfaces, front steel skid plates 4mm thick and 2.8mm thick over the fuel tank, all-terrain tires, and a Class III tow hitch made of high-strength steel 12.7mm thick, capable of towing up to 5,000 pounds.
Modern vehicles often do not receive enough acknowledgment for their robust engineering, and it’s likely you would see similar outcomes if you performed the same crane stunt with three Jeep Grand Cherokee Trailhawks. A review of our first drive of the rugged new Passport will be available soon, but it’s encouraging to see Honda taking Toughness seriously.
Honda
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Honda Suspended 3 New Passport SUVs from a Crane to Demonstrate Their Durability.
If you ever get into trouble in the wilderness, possessing a robust Passport can be very beneficial.