The topic These off-road Honda SUVs just got a free supercar feature (if you use an iPhone) is currently the subject of lively discussion — readers and analysts are keeping a close eye on developments.
This is taking place in a dynamic environment: companies’ decisions and competitors’ reactions can quickly change the picture.
Telemetry apps that log throttle position, brake pressure, and lap times have mostly lived in the sports car world. Porsche’s Track Precision app and Chevrolet’s Performance Data Recorder both built loyal followings among enthusiasts who wanted hard proof, not just a feeling, when it came to lap times, G-forces, braking points, and cornering lines.
Honda has now taken that same idea, but moved it from the track to the trail.
The Honda Trail Experience, or HTX for short, is now available as the automaker’s first off-road-focused app, a free download through the Apple App Store. Honda engineers created it for the 2026 TrailSport models of the Pilot, CR-V, and Passport, incorporating input from more than 1,500 Passport TrailSport owners during development.
Honda’s North American Automotive development Center created HTX with members of the 2026 Passport development team. The app pulls 11 data points from the vehicle while off-roading, including:
Pitch and roll angle data are increasingly important off pavement, where they can flag a vehicle approaching its limits before a driver feels it. Pitch tracks how steeply the nose tilts up or down on a climb or descent, while roll measures side-to-side tilt across uneven terrain.
Watching both in real time gives a driver early warning before a wheel loses contact with the ground, a margin that is helpful to know when rock crawling or visiting an off-camber trail.
In what year did Honda first introduce the Passport nameplate?
After the original Passport was discontinued, how many years passed before Honda revived the nameplate?
Which of the following is a key distinguishing feature of the Honda Passport TrailSport trim?
What is the maximum towing capacity of the Honda Passport when properly equipped?
How does the Honda Passport’s wheelbase compare to the three-row Honda Pilot?
Which all-wheel-drive system does Honda use in the Passport to help distribute torque to individual rear wheels?
Which Honda model does the current Passport sit between in Honda’s SUV lineup?
Drivers can display up to six of those data points on the interior touchscreen at once, swapping the layout based on what matters most on a given trail. Interactive maps and recorded data let owners revisit a route afterward, turning a single trail run into a reference for the next one. That kind of playback is useful for remembering which line worked through a rock garden, or how steep a climb actually was compared to how it felt in the moment.
HTX also captures video, using the iPhone’s camera and microphone to record footage with map and performance data overlaid. Capture is controlled from the vehicle’s touchscreen, so the phone can be mounted anywhere on or around the Honda SUV: inside, outside, or in the hands of someone filming nearby. The app also supports still photos, and no separate editing software is required.
Clips are ready to post straight to social media, with the climb, speed, and route already built into the footage. Years later, that footage holds more than just technical data: a record of how the kids reacted to a steep grade, who was riding along that day, and the exact spot where the family decided to stop for a picnic.
With new car prices at an all-time high, I’ve resolved to keep my current vehicle as long as possible.
In January, Honda’s development team brought beginner, novice, and expert off-roaders to The Overland Company in Troy, North Carolina, for a day of real-world testing. The group included Passport TrailSport owners as well as drivers of other popular off-road vehicles. Their feedback shaped the functionality of the HTX app and will be applied to future versions.
However, Honda wants to hear from everyone who downloads HTX. The “Share Feedback” feature inside the app lets Honda owners send comments directly to the development team. That direct feedback line is important because the off-pavement conditions HTX covers will vary from region to region. Continued feedback also gives Honda a way to catch issues and refine features after launch.
HTX is available now as a free download from the Apple App Store for owners of the 2026 Passport TrailSport, Pilot TrailSport, and CR-V TrailSport. While HTX is only available to Honda owners with iPhones at launch, an Android version is coming, although no release date has been set.
As for the vehicles covered by the HTX app, the three-row Pilot TrailSport has a 3.5-liter V6 with 285 horsepower and standard all-wheel drive. It starts at $50,595. The CR-V TrailSport switches things up with a two-motor hybrid system rated at 204 horsepower and is more affordable than the larger Pilot, with a starting MSRP of $38,800.
The Passport TrailSport sits between the two on price, starting at $48,650. It shares the Pilot’s V6 following an extensive redesign for the 2026 model year, one that already has the rugged SUV beating some pricier rivals in the midsize segment.
In addition to its off-road capability, the Passport TrailSport also made this year’s joint list of the safest new vehicles for teen drivers from the IIHS and Consumer Reports.
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