2023 Honda Pilot TrailSport Prototype Drive: Finally, Some True Off-Road Capability

When Honda's new TrailSport off-road treatment first debuted on the two-row 2022 Passport, we were disappointed to learn it was little more than an appearance package, a butch dress-up kit for the otherwise pedestrian Passport SUV. But we knew then that the first-year Passport TrailSport and the larger '22 Pilot TrailSport were only the beginning for the TrailSport sub-brand, which promised to expand not only to other Honda SUVs but also to grow more capable, too. The larger, all-new 2023 Honda Pilot's TrailSport variant represents the next phase.

While it's no rock crawler—this is still, after all, a car-based three-row family crossover—the newest Pilot TrailSport is able to traverse roads less traveled, based on our ride in a camouflaged pre-production model. While we can't show you the interior or details of the exterior, we can relay how the ruggedest Pilot ever handles the Swan River trail in Breckenridge, Colorado and how this SUV came to be.

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The Re-Birth of TrailSport

Honda's engineers at its Research and Development center in Raymond, Ohio knew that the initial TrailSport effort on the old Pilot had left plenty of room for improvement. That next level didn't come without some convincing of the Honda of Americas executives, however. In 2018, the Ohio engineers took a third-generation Pilot and added a one-inch lift and all-terrain tires to test out their ideas of what TrailSport could be. Later that same year, the engineers took those aforementioned executives out for a trail ride in that modified Pilot around the off-road trails of Lake Arrowhead in San Bernardino, California, during the one time in 2018 that Southern California saw rain. The modified three-row not only survived, but impressed the execs enough to make this the blueprint for this upcoming Pilot TrailSport based on the new fourth-gen Pilot.

The goal for the 2023 Pilot TrailSport was for it to conquer moderate-difficulty trails as rated by U.S. public land authorities. This means the new Pilot TrailSport is capable of traversing over 50 percent of the publicly available off-road trails in the U.S., and can reach places most average mid-size crossover SUVs could not. After all, how many mall-crawlers do you see easily tackling dirt, mud, sand, medium-sized rocks, water crossings, ditches, slopes, or high-tilting terrain?

Off-Road Worthy Changes

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Before we delve further into the TrailSport's upgrades, let's pause to look at what's new with its basis: The all-new 2023 Pilot. This new-gen Pilot receives improvements to its unibody, with additional support structures and revisions to its existing structures upping rear lateral rigidity by 30 percent, rear bending rigidity by 20 percent, rear damper torsion by 30 percent, and front lateral rigidity by a staggering 60 percent over the 2022 Pilot. The rear body also now has more load paths to maintain overall stiffness in spite of the new SUV's larger cabin space.

Every Pilot will look similar, though the TrailSport does jazz things up with beefier tires, some unique body cladding, a one-inch increase in ride height over last year's TrailSport (accomplished via longer springs, not simply spacers), and retuned shocks front and rear. Not only are the shocks and springs matched to take advantage of the additional one inch of travel afforded by the new springs, but Honda also throws in a set of off-road-optimized anti-roll bars.

There are further hardware changes, too, that go well beyond the 2022 Pilot TrailSport's "rugged-style tires" and "exclusive TrailSport styling." Those include a new Trail drive mode that utilizes Honda's i-VTM4 system (intelligent Variable Torque Management 4)with a "Trail torque logic" power split scheme. When the chassis goes off-tilt where a wheel is off the ground, power is split not only between the front and rear wheels, but also the left and right wheels. The front axle accomplishes this using the brakes to lock the airlifted wheel without traction in order to drive the tire with traction. The rear, however, can distribute torque across the axle, delivering up to 75 percent of engine torque sent rearward to the wheel with traction, leaving 25 percent flowing to the non-tractive tire. The reason? So the wheel in the air can immediately help motivate the Pilot forward when it touches back down. Additionally, the rear differential is capable of distributing 2,206 lb-ft of force, far more than the standard 2023 Pilot (1,838 lb-ft) or the previous-generation Pilot (1,568 lb-ft). Essentially, the gearing has been changed to provide more rear-axle torque while you're off-roading.

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Trail mode also activates the TrailSport's exclusive TrailWatch camera system that works up to 15 mph and gives the driver frontal and side views of the Pilot as they are driving. This not only affords a view of the trail up ahead—the front camera is mounted between the "H" badge and hood—but also allows you to check to see if you're clearing that next boulder, tree, or trail obstacle that's to either side of your Pilot's nose. Even if you break 15 mph, so long as you're still in Trail mode, these camera views automatically come back on as soon as you drop below 15 mph.

In all other modes, these camera views will turn off and not return once you dip below that speed; you can engage these camera feeds at any time by pressing the "Camera" button on the right stalk on the steering column where the wiper settings are done. TrailWatch also includes a top view function of the 360-degree view system, so you can make sure you're not about to plummet off the side of a trail or home in on a path forward using on-screen guide lines. It's similar in principle to the LaneWatch blind-spot camera system in 2019-and-older Pilots, but instead of a camera feed for your blind spot, this helps you chart your way off-road.

As you'd expect, the 2023 Pilot TrailSport includes Hill Descent Control, which helps maintain a low speed while traveling downhill without needing to touch the brakes. Honda's system holds between 2 and 12 mph and works on seven percent or greater grades.

Armor and Recovery

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Of course, tackling harder terrain than your average Pilot also means you need to protect the vital portions of the engine, transmission and fuel tank. So Honda gives the TrailSport a front skid plate made from 5/32-inch-thick steel; the fuel tank skid plate is made from the same high-strength steel, but is just shy of 1/8-inch (0.110-inch) thick. The front plate is actually so strong that it also acts as a centralized front recovery point capable of pulling twice the gross vehicle weight rating (GVRW) of the Pilot TrailSport. Out back, the trailer hitch acts as a centralized rear recovery point, as its high-strength (50,038 PSI yield), half-inch-thick steel plate for its safety chain hook ups can also be used as recovery points and rated for double the GVWR of the Pilot TrailSport. The receiver can also be used as a recovery point, if needed.

Off-Road Wheels and Tires

This marks the first time in Honda's four-wheeled, non-OHV history that one of its production vehicles is fitted with all-terrain (AT) tires as standard. A set of Continental TerrainContact A/T tires sized 265/60R18 are fitted to a set of 18-inch TrailSport-exclusive wheels with inset spokes to protect from most trail (or curb) rash. The thick flange helps to further protect the spokes from damage, and has the "TrailSport" logo cast into it, though on the prototypes we drove the wheels were rattle canned black and wore swirl camouflage rather than the proper gray color. The full-size spare tire is mounted on a matching wheel—no space-saver spare or inflator kit here.

So, How Does It All Come Together Off-Road?

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We were loosed upon the Middle Fork Swan River trail outside of Breckenridge, Colorado, in pre-production Pilot TrailSports with engineers riding shotgun and working as spotters in tighter sections. Just the day before, rain had rendered the trail a little muddier than some other groups experienced earlier in the week, so we aired down the Pilot's tires to 26 PSI for extra traction.

The Middle Fork Swan River trail is a moderate rated trail, yet from the entrance to the first section that starts at nearly 10,000 feet, a typical last-generation Pilot probably wouldn't have much trouble handling things. The second section and beyond, however, would be a different, likely more damage-filled, getting-stuck kind of story for that regular Pilot. In the TrailSports, we had no trouble getting around even the tougher sections where we experienced some rocks introducing themselves to the skid plates. TrailWatch proved useful for seeing over crests and navigating around obstacles. We didn't really get a chance to exercise the updated all-wheel-drive system's torque logic as much as we would have liked, as most of the sections didn't lift any of the Pilot's tires. When one would briefly lift off, we scooted forward without issue.

Our stop for lunch saw our highest elevation for the day at 11,464 feet above sea level and a beautiful spot next to a running creek, a serene pause before a section of trail requiring a spotter. We also had a chance to shoot some photos of the underside of the TrailSport, which showed only minor wear despite several days worth abuse over rocky terrain, including some of our own hits and bumps. We encountered a few deeper puddles and water fording opportunities that submerged the lower half of the tires, but nothing close to the rockers. Heading back down the trail allowed us to try out the hill descent control, which worked great if being a little picky on just how fast to drive down. It wasn't unusual to ask for a bit more pep by popping the throttle pedal every so often.

Wait, What About The Interior?

Yeah, much like the exterior of the Pilot TrailSport, we've yet to experience the final interior outside of features such as the TrailWatch and camera button. These 2023 Pilot TrailSports are pre-production, so their cabins are still works in progress. Mechanically the TrailSports we drove are in their production-intent state.

What Does This Mean for Honda's Future Trucks and SUVs?

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Another key aspect of the 2023 Honda Pilot TrailSport and the Pilot in general is that this will be the future design of their SUV and truck models. The new front end design, while somewhat hidden due to the swirly camouflage (we've so far been shown only snippets of the Pilot uncovered—see above), is what future Hondas will look like for those segments. It's also a look into the future of the new TrailSport line that goes from a simple appearance package to a proper off-roading package. We expect to not only see something similar for the Passport, but Honda indirectly indicated that we will see a Ridgeline TrailSport with similar capabilities, albeit with a truck bed.

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The great news is that, finally, Honda has given the "TrailSport" treatment more muscle than its current appearance package by the same name. While it's no Jeep Wrangler Rubicon, Ford F-150 Raptor, or even a Bronco Everglades, the 2023 Honda Pilot TrailSport seems capable of handling the moderate off-road trails it was designed to. It takes you further than that flat, mostly smooth dirt trails any usual crossover might handle and beyond where most campers would stop after thinking the path is too wild. Most importantly, it seems able to do all of that while continuing to deliver the roominess and general comfort that's made the Pilot such a popular three-row SUV. We'll confirm that when we finally drive both a non-TrailSport 2023 Pilot and the final TrailSport in the real world, on our turf.