HONDA LAUNCHES OFF-ROAD-FOCUSED TRAILSPORT TRIM LINE
Honda released an image of the TrailSport logo and says that the first TrailSport-badged Hondas will arrive by the end of the year.
- Honda announced today that it will be launching the TrailSport subbrand, which give Honda’s SUVs and trucks an extra degree of off-road prowess.
- Honda says that the first TrailSport-badged vehicles, due by the end of 2021, will add tougher styling, extra cladding, and interior design changes.
- More intense TrailSport models with special suspension, tires, and extra ride height will follow in the next couple of years, and we certainly expect the Ridgeline and Passport to add the TrailSport trim.
As the number of sedans and coupes on the American car market shrinks and automakers’ SUV lineups balloon, it has become trendy to create off-road-focused subbrands to give the new influx of crossovers a tougher appearance, and in some cases, some actual trail-ready ability. Now Honda is joining the party, announcing today the introduction of the TrailSport badge, which Honda says is the “next chapter in its rugged-light-truck direction.” We expect the Ridgeline pickup truck and Passport crossover to be the first Hondas to receive the TrailSport treatment, and the badge could potentially expand to the Pilot and CR-V as well.
They will compete against Ford’s recently released Timberline trim for the Explorer and Hyundai’s XRT package added to the Santa Fe, with both trims expected to migrate across the automakers’ rosters.
Honda says that the TrailSport moniker will add “a more rugged design and off-road capability, applied step-by-step, to certain models within the brand’s light-truck lineup.” The initial TrailSport vehicles, Honda says, will gain brawnier front and rear fascias, extra body cladding, and unique interior details such as orange stitching and all-weather floor mats. They will also come with Honda’s i-VTM4 torque-vectoring all-wheel-drive system.
The next few model years will bring even more focused TrailSport vehicles, with some models adding beefier tires, full-size spare tires, and underbody protection. These more dedicated all-terrain Hondas will also include specialized suspension tuning, higher ride heights, and more capable all-wheel-drive systems. Honda says that the first TrailSport variants will arrive by the end of this year before the more specialized models roll out in the near future.
