2024 Honda Passport vs 2024 Kia Sorento

The 2024 Honda Passport retained much of its previous design, despite Honda's recent updates to other models. It featured a more upright grille and squared-off corners from its 2022 tweaks, but largely maintained its traditional look. The Passport offered three trims in Canada: Sport, TrailSport, and Black Edition, all equipped with a power moonroof, identical touchscreens, and all-wheel drive. The TrailSport trim, designed for rugged appeal, included all-terrain tires and standard roof rails, but lacked true off-road enhancements like metal skid plates or recovery points.

Inside, the Passport showcased a straightforward design with physical controls and an 8-inch touchscreen. The TrailSport trim featured black leather upholstery with orange stitching and a simple, utilitarian interior. Despite the use of inexpensive plastics, the materials were well-integrated, providing a practical and spacious environment with ample storage.

The 2024 Kia Sorento received a significant visual update, aligning more closely with its siblings like the Telluride. It boasted a bold new front end with vertically stacked LED headlights and wing-like daytime running lights, giving it a larger and more intimidating presence. The rear saw subtle updates, with higher trims featuring LED taillights and new bumpers. The Sorento offered trims like LX, EX, X-Line, and the new X-Pro, each with distinct styling cues and features.

Inside, the Sorento's cabin was modern and upscale, with a redesigned dashboard and combined gauge and infotainment displays under a single pane of glass. Higher trims featured twin 12.3-inch displays, and the materials used throughout the cabin were of higher quality than before. The Sorento offered a brown interior option, adding character, and overall, it felt more upscale than some competitors.

The 2024 Honda Passport was powered by a naturally aspirated 3.5-litre V6 engine, producing 280 horsepower and 262 pound-feet of torque. This engine, paired with a nine-speed automatic transmission, provided adequate acceleration and smooth gear shifts. The Passport's fuel economy was rated at 12.5 L/100 km in the city and 9.8 on the highway. The TrailSport trim featured wider tracks and off-road-tuned suspension, enhancing its off-road capabilities. All Passports came with Honda's torque-vectoring iVTM4 AWD system and a traction-management system with multiple settings.

The 2024 Kia Sorento offered a base 2.5-litre four-cylinder engine with 191 horsepower, which felt underpowered for the vehicle's size. Higher trims featured a turbocharged 2.5-litre engine with 281 horsepower and 311 pound-feet of torque, paired with a dual-clutch eight-speed automatic transmission. The Sorento's AWD system was standard in Canada, with ground clearance varying by trim. The X-Pro trim excelled in off-road conditions, offering improved engine cooling and a towing capacity of 2,040 kg. Fuel economy for the turbo models was rated at 10.3 L/100 km combined.

The Honda Passport excelled in cargo space, offering 1,430 litres behind the rear seats and expanding to 2,854 litres with the seats folded. It comfortably accommodated five adults, with ample storage and a redesigned centre console for added convenience. The Passport's interior was practical, with plenty of cupholders and storage options.

The Kia Sorento provided a comfortable cabin with generous legroom in the first two rows. The third row was tighter, with 752 mm of legroom, but suitable for occasional use. The Sorento's cargo space was limited with the third row in use, offering only 357 litres, but expanded to 1,090 to 1,274 litres with the seats down. The interior featured ergonomic controls and ample small-item storage, with higher trims offering additional conveniences like a power liftgate.

The Honda Passport featured an 8-inch touchscreen with standard Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. While the screen offered sharp resolution, its size felt small for the spacious cabin. The TrailSport trim's audio system was adequate but lacked the depth of higher-end systems found in competitors. Navigation was limited to the Black Edition trim, and the infotainment system had some usability quirks.

The Kia Sorento boasted a 12.3-inch touchscreen across all trims, with higher trims featuring a second 12.3-inch digital display. The new infotainment system, "Connected Car Navigation Cockpit," was user-friendly and supported wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The Sorento offered a Bose 12-speaker audio system on top trims and included features like Digital Key 2.0 for added convenience.

The Honda Passport came equipped with a comprehensive suite of safety features, including forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, and adaptive cruise control. However, it received mixed ratings from safety organizations, with the IIHS rating it "Acceptable" in some crash tests and the NHTSA awarding it five stars overall but four stars in frontal and rollover tests.

The Kia Sorento offered an extensive array of standard and optional safety features, including adaptive cruise control, forward automatic emergency braking, and blind-spot monitoring. Advanced options included Highway Driving Assist 2 with automated lane changes. While the 2024 Sorento had not been fully evaluated by the IIHS, it received "Good" ratings in several tests, and its LATCH system was rated "Acceptable."