Honda Just Gave Its TrailSport SUVs a Taste of the Jeep Life
Honda has developed its first off-road app for owners of the Passport TrailSport, Pilot TrailSport, and CR-V TrailSport. Called the Honda Trail Experience (HTX) app, it provides owners of these vehicles with customizable real-time data to improve confidence and safety when tackling off-road trails. Honda's TrailSport SUVs have been immensely popular, and the new app gives adventure-minded customers another reason to consider one of these vehicles over the less capable base trims. It also introduces technologies more often associated with pricier, more hardcore off-roaders.
Honda Trail Experience Features
The new app can be downloaded for free via the Apple App Store and comes with a host of capabilities to make off-roading safer and more enjoyable. Honda designed the app using feedback from over 1,500 owners of the 2026 Passport TrailSport, so its features are very much in line with what customers want.
The HTX app includes information about elevation, pitch, roll, brake pressure, throttle position, speed, engine temperature, outside temperature, tire angle, latitude, and longitude. It connects seamlessly via Apple CarPlay and customers can choose the six key data points they want displayed on the touchscreen. Additionally, the app allows for easy recording and sharing of videos from off-road jaunts with friends, family, and social media followers. Video capture with audio is possible with your iPhone and it's all controlled via the center touchscreen. You can get even more dynamic footage by mounting a video-recording device anywhere on the vehicle and linking it to the app.
"With the launch of the Honda Trail Experience app, we're empowering TrailSport owners to get more from every off-road journey-delivering real-time vehicle data, intuitive navigation tools, and seamless video sharing to help them drive with confidence and celebrate every adventure," said Omar Saleh, HTX Project Lead at Honda Development and Manufacturing of America.
Related: I Took the 2026 Honda Passport TrailSport Elite Off-Road. Here's How it Went
Bringing Off-Roading Tech to The Masses
Traditionally, apps like HTX have been limited to truly capable off-road SUVs like the Jeep Wrangler, which can be linked with Jeep's Off-Road Pages. Like Honda's app, Jeep's one delivers real-time vehicle telemetry and connects to the infotainment system.
The difference is that none of Honda's TrailSport models are hardcore off-roaders. They do without equipment like low-range gearing or a significant suspension lift and are, after all, unibody crossovers with car-based platforms. Instead, Honda equips them with all-terrain tires, skid plates, and specially tuned suspensions. This middle ground between an average crossover and a hardcore off-roader is the sweet spot for many, as the vehicles remain refined and maneuverable in normal conditions.
In May 2026, over 80% of all Passport SUVs sold in the U.S. were TrailSport models, underlining the popularity of the concept. The new HTX app is bound to elevate the experience for owners of these rugged crossovers.
Related: Honda Plans Bigger, Tougher TrailSport Models With Real Off-Road Upgrades
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This story was originally published June 16, 2026 at 8:00 AM.