Is the Honda Passport a unibody construction?
Yes. The Honda Passport uses unibody construction, built on the same unibody platform as the Honda Pilot, rather than a traditional body-on-frame chassis.
The Passport, introduced for the 2019 model year, is a two-row SUV that blends cargo space, on-road manners, and light off-road capability with a unibody design. This article explains what unibody means in practice and how the Passport's construction compares with other SUVs.
Understanding unibody versus body-on-frame
Before diving into Passport specifics, it's helpful to understand the difference between unibody and body-on-frame architectures. In a unibody (unitized body) arrangement, the vehicle's body and frame are a single integrated shell. In a body-on-frame design, a separate frame carries the vehicle's drivetrain and body is mounted on it, with a more rugged, truck-like construction that can offer robust towing and off-road durability but often at the expense of ride comfort and efficiency.
Now we'll apply that to the Passport.
Is the Passport a unibody vehicle?
The Honda Passport is built on a unibody platform that it shares with the Pilot. It is not a body-on-frame SUV. The Passport uses a unitized body with structural subframes and independent rear suspension, delivering carlike ride quality with increased ground clearance and SUV practicality.
Key construction traits include platform sharing with the Pilot, a unibody design, and a two-row layout that supports substantial cargo space without a separate rigid frame. The Passport thus sits in the crossover category rather than a traditional truck-based SUV, while still offering true all-wheel-drive capability and off-road-oriented styling.
In short, the Passport exemplifies Honda's unibody approach to mid-size crossovers: it aims for a comfortable ride, efficient packaging, and versatile everyday utility rather than the heavy-duty frame and towing focus of some truck-based SUVs.
Key construction facts about the Honda Passport
Below is a concise rundown of how the Passport is built and how that compares to typical SUV architectures. The points help frame the main question about its construction.
- The Passport shares its platform and many components with the Honda Pilot, a unibody SUV.
- It uses unibody (unitized) construction rather than a traditional body-on-frame chassis.
- The Passport employs subframes and a rigid, integrated body structure to carry the drivetrain and suspension.
- It features independent rear suspension, common to unibody crossovers, rather than a live rear axle typical of some body-on-frame trucks.
- It is marketed as a two-row, cargo-friendly crossover with higher ground clearance compared with typical cars, while maintaining SUV practicality and AWD options.
These points illustrate that the Passport belongs to the unibody family of crossovers, not a body-on-frame SUV, aligning with Honda's design philosophy for more comfort-focused, versatile vehicles.
Summary
The Honda Passport is a unibody construction, built on the same unibody platform as the Honda Pilot. It is not a body-on-frame SUV, and it uses a reinforced, unitized body with subframes and independent rear suspension to balance ride comfort, efficiency, and practicality with enhanced off-road capability.
