Here’s Why I Believe Honda is Discreetly Developing a Competitor to the Toyota Land Cruiser.

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      I believe we are about to witness the Honda Passport ascend the ranks within Honda’s lineup. The design of the small SUV is widely appreciated. A slide from Honda’s recent presentation detailing their strategy to recover from the financial losses incurred due to canceled EV plans has convinced me that the company intends to increase the ruggedness of its larger SUVs soon.

      For those who may have missed it, Honda unveiled two bold, wedge-shaped electric vehicle designs at the start of 2025, with intentions to bring them to production. However, the regulatory landscape shifted. In March, Honda completely abandoned the concept, scrapping its 0 Series vehicles and the Acura RSX electric SUV that was set to share its platform.

      Today, Honda released its Summary of the 2026 Honda Business Briefing (subtitle: Rebuilding Automobile Business and Ensuring Mid- to Long-term Growth). The primary takeaway aligns with what many analysts anticipated—it centers on a shift from electric vehicles to hybrids and a next-generation V6 powertrain.

      In a 30-page slide presentation shared with this corporate update, I discovered confirmation that Honda plans to “introduce 15 models globally, by the end of the fiscal year ending March 31, 2030, primarily in North America.” This essentially backs up the company’s announced intentions to hasten hybrid model introductions ahead of prior schedules.

      The most intriguing detail regarding new models pertains to an upcoming large Honda SUV. In a slide outlining the “enhancement of the product lineup in North America,” Honda indicated plans to introduce a “next-generation large-size model equipped with [a] newly developed V6 engine” and “newly developed [hybrid] drive units and battery pack.”

      Here’s the information I’m referring to:

      This model is categorized as “D-segment or above,” and that last term is particularly noteworthy. The Honda Pilot, a three-row SUV, falls into the D-segment (mid-sized) category. Thus, this indicates that Honda is at least earnestly contemplating the addition of a model larger than the Pilot. This could position it against the Toyota Land Cruiser, at least regarding size and market stance.

      While this illustration is merely a conceptual design, it's reasonable to infer that Honda plans to give its forthcoming SUVs a boxy, truck-like appearance, especially given the current generation Passport and the success of the TrailSport subbrand.

      The Passport may not match the Toyota 4Runner in extreme off-road scenarios, yet it is a superior vehicle in many practical terms and can handle some off-road conditions. If Honda enhances this model and follows through with its declared off-road objectives, it could result in a highly attractive large SUV.

      Have a tip? Work at a Honda studio and know the details? Feel free to contact me at andrew.collins@thedrive.com!