Honda midsize crossover SUV, possibly called Passport, spied in the wild

A rumor has circulated for a while that Honda has a midsize crossover SUV on the way. It would fit between Honda CR-V and Pilot, giving Honda an SUV that could compete against the Ford Edge, Nissan Murano, and the upcoming Chevy Blazer. Rumors have also circulated that it could be called the Honda Passport, resurrecting a name from the Isuzu-based SUV of the 1990s. While the name has yet to be confirmed, one of our spy photographers spotted the SUV itself out testing.

The size confirms our suspicions of what segment it would be competing against. It looks somewhat close to the Pilot in height and width, but it's noticeably shorter in length. There might be room for an optional third-row of seating, but the aforementioned competitors in this class all make do with just two-rows. And why would Honda bother with a third-row option if they could just up-sell a prospective buyer to a Pilot?

Also, while the crossover is very well-camouflaged, there are details we can make out, and they confirm that this SUV will bear its own unique styling. This is noteworthy because an older rumor made it seem as though Honda might simply offer a shorter version of the Pilot and call it a day. That's not to say it won't borrow mechanical components from the Pilot, but it will look distinctive. Among the unique features are sharp, wide, squinting LED headlights. It also appears to have a sportier-looking mesh grille as opposed to the chrome bar on the latest Pilot.

We also get a peek into this midsize SUV's interior. Though it's not the clearest look, we can make out most of the center stack. Comparing it with the latest Pilot, it appears to have almost the exact same dashboard. The main screen and vents are nearly identical. Something more special would be nice, but at the least the newest Pilot has the upgraded infotainment system found in the Accord and Odyssey, so it should be reasonably pleasant to use.