Looking for adventure? Try redesigning a sport utility vehicle.

Friday saw the beginning of production on Honda’s new 2026 Passport SUV and Passport TrailSport, debuting a more rugged version of the models at the automaker’s plant in Lincoln.

As on previous occasions, employees at the factory, accompanied by music from the Miles College Marching Band, waved hands and cheered as the newest vehicle came rolling by for inspection.

The fourth-generation Passport features a 3.5-liter DOHC V-6 and Passport’s first 10-speed automatic transmission, plus several off-road features designed for drivers with a bit of wanderlust.

Todd Hemmert, chief engineer of the Passport, said the changes to this model were intended to make the Passport distinct from “start to finish” from Honda’s other off-road models.

The 2026 Passport comes in three primary trim levels – RTL, TrailSport and TrailSport Elite –all built on the Honda light truck architecture first applied two years ago to the new Honda Pilot, which the company says is an extremely rigid platform engineered for off-road capabilities.

The Passport RTL has a suggested retail price in the neighborhood of $45,000.

“We changed proportions of the vehicle to really improve the rugged appeal, including the approach angle and departure angle,” Hemmert said. “That makes it that more compact, off-road capable vehicle. It had the capability before, but it looks like it does now, which should give the customer a lot more confidence.”

Some of the changes came after suggestions from owners and dealers. “And also where the market is going, and how we can differentiate it within our own lineup,” he said.

Each redesign can present its own issues. Alabama associates worked closely with Honda’s Ohio-based research and development team.

But Honda’s “One Floor” approach is to have R&D, manufacturing and purchasing associates collaborating from the earliest stages of vehicle creation.

And for the first time, members of the Alabama New Model Team were based at the North American Automotive Development Center in Ohio. What followed were refinements to the vehicle design and creation of new processes and tools to make the Passport easier to build, said Mike Smith, senior staff engineer at the Alabama Auto Plant and the Engineering Project Leader for Passport.

For example, Passport is assembled in a way for associates to step into the front of the vehicle and install components inside the engine room, rather than reaching over the front end of the vehicle.

Another design addition is a trailer hitch on both Passport TrailSport models which can tow as much as 5,000 pounds. But the hitch comes with features that protect the rear fascia from off-road damage.

Another component is the matte finish on the exterior of the rear cargo area, which allows drivers to lean skis, fishing poles and other equipment against Passport without scratching the surface.

“Honda associates in Alabama worked with ingenuity and determination to bring to market the most rugged Honda SUV ever for our customers,” Lamar Whitaker, plant leader of the Alabama Auto Plant, said.

Honda employs more than 4,500 in Lincoln, building the Passport, Pilot, Odyssey and Ridgeline along with TrailSport models.

The plant has an annual capacity of more than 350,000 vehicles and V6 engines and has manufactured more than 6.5 million vehicles since production began in 2001. Honda has invested more than $3.1 billion at the 4.9 million-square-foot facility.