Honda wants customers to be aware that the Passport, Pilot and CR-V can take on off-road adventures.
Honda has unveiled the updated 2021 Ridgeline pickup. In case you haven’t noticed, it looks like it went to the gym. Honda designers want to get a larger share of the U.S. truck market, where buyers are enamored with macho styling. According to a report by Motortrend, this approach appears to be available for Honda SUVs too.
This theory makes perfect sense. The Toyota RAV4’s redesign in 2019 was a huge success, with increased sales for 2019. Jay Joseph, American Honda’s Vice President of Auto Marketing, stated that lower sales could be attributed to a lack in tougher designs on vehicles such as the Passport or Pilot. He also said that Honda wants to “wear rugged on their sleeves better.”
We can expect a mid-cycle update to the Honda Passport that is more outdoorsy and rugged. Although the current Passport was introduced in 2018, it could be several years before an updated version. However, the larger three-row Pilot is scheduled for a new-generation model. It was introduced for 2016 and got a facelift for 2019. The current models have a more conservative and car-like appearance. It is also important to note that neither model is among the top-20 most-sold cars in 2019.
The Honda CR-V makes the list. In fact, it was America’s second-best-selling SUV last year, behind the RV4. The 2017 model year’s first model was released. It received a minor facelift in the last year. However, it is expected to get a more serious update for the next generation. This could be a concern for Honda executives as the current CR-V’s design is very successful. This could mean a more conservative redesign than a rugged CRV redux.