The oldest Honda-branded SUV is the Passport, first sold in 1993 as a rebadged Isuzu Rodeo for the 1994 model year in North America.
To understand the full context, the question asks about Honda's earliest SUV entries that wore the Honda badge, including badge-engineered models and Japan-only designs. Honda’s SUV journey began with the Passport in the early 1990s, and then moved toward in-house development with the CR-V in the late 1990s, laying the groundwork for the modern Honda SUV lineup.
Early Honda SUV entries
These entries illustrate Honda’s initial push into the SUV market, showing the transition from badge-engineered models to in-house SUV design.
- Passport (1993–1998): Honda’s first SUV in North America, sold as a rebadged Isuzu Rodeo.
- CR-V (1995 in Japan; 1997 in the United States): Honda’s first dedicated compact SUV built on its own design and engineering.
Together, these early models mark Honda’s initial foray into sport-utility vehicles and set the stage for a broader, more diverse SUV lineup in the years that followed.
Context and implications
While the Passport provided a quick entry into the SUV market through badge engineering, the CR-V demonstrated Honda’s shift toward in-house SUV development. This progression paved the way for larger family SUVs like the Pilot and the continued expansion of crossovers in Honda’s portfolio, reflecting a strategic move from badge-engineering to autonomous engineering and design.
Summary
The Passport holds the distinction as Honda’s oldest SUV, launching in 1993 as a rebadged Isuzu Rodeo. Its introduction was followed by the CR-V’s in-house compact SUV debut in the mid-to-late 1990s, marking the transition from badge-engineered models to Honda-designed SUVs and setting the trajectory for the brand’s modern SUV lineup.