Here's my perspective on why I believe Honda is subtly developing a competitor to the Toyota Land Cruiser.

      Honda images, modified by the author

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      I believe we are about to witness the Honda Passport elevate its status within Honda's lineup. The design of this small SUV is widely adored. A slide from Honda’s recent presentation on how they plan to address their financial losses from canceled electric vehicle initiatives has convinced me that the brand is set to enhance the ruggedness of its larger SUVs soon.

      For those who missed it, Honda unveiled two revolutionary wedge-shaped electric vehicle designs at the start of 2025, clearly intending to develop them into production models. However, the regulatory landscape shifted. In March, Honda abandoned the concept altogether, scrapping both its 0 Series vehicles and the upcoming Acura RSX electric SUV that was slated to use the same platform.

      Today, Honda released its Summary of 2026 Honda Business Briefing (subtitle: Rebuilding Automobile Business and Ensuring Mid- to Long-term Growth). The key takeaway aligns with what many analysts anticipated—it’s all about the transition from electric vehicles to hybrids, alongside a new V6 powertrain.

      In a 30-page slide presentation accompanying this corporate update, I found 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 supports the brand’s previously stated intentions to hasten the launch of hybrid models ahead of their original schedule.

      The most intriguing detail concerning new models specifically mentions an upcoming large Honda SUV. In a slide outlining “enhancements to the product lineup in North America,” Honda revealed plans for a “next-generation large-size model equipped with a newly developed V6 engine” along with “newly developed hybrid drive units and battery pack.”

      Here’s what I mean:

      This model is categorized as “D-segment or above,” and the last part is quite noteworthy. The three-row Honda Pilot falls into the D-segment (mid-sized) SUV category. Thus, this indicates that Honda is at least seriously contemplating the addition of a model larger than the Pilot. This would position it to compete with the Toyota Land Cruiser, at least in terms of size and market placement.

      While this illustration is merely a conceptual representation, it seems reasonable to infer that Honda plans to give its forthcoming SUVs a boxy, truck-like appearance, in light of the success of the current-generation Passport and the TrailSport subbrand.

      Although the Passport may not match the Toyota 4Runner in extreme off-road conditions, it excels in many practical aspects and is capable off-road to some extent. If Honda enhances it further and follows through with their off-road goals, they could have a very appealing large SUV on their hands.

      Have a tip? Work in a Honda studio and know the inside scoop? Reach out to me at andrew.collins@thedrive.com!