2026 Honda Passport vs. Hyundai Santa Fe

A massive shake-up is imminent in the mid-size SUV market, as the world prepares to welcome the 2026 Honda Passport and the Hyundai Santa Fe later in 2025. They both offer impressive off-road performance, stylish interiors, and remarkable in-vehicle appointments. But which one offers a better value proposition for drivers in Dover? Find out in this 2026 Honda Passport vs. Hyundai Santa Fe comparison.

Design and Exterior Styling

The new Honda Passport features a rugged exterior styling inspired by Honda’s ‘Born Wild’ design concept. A bold grille imbues the front end with a commanding appearance. Standard LED daytime running lights, fog lights, and low-beam headlamps accentuate its contemporary look while providing excellent visibility for day and night drives.

The Passport drives on 18-inch wheels for a higher ground clearance, and its standard gloss-black roof rails provide extra cargo space during your weekend getaways to Hocking Hills. Add crossbars or an accessory roof platform, and you’ve got support for up to 210 pounds of cargo on the roof.

The 2026 Hyundai Santa Fe features a striking boxy design with wider proportions compared to the outgoing model. Its black chrome front grille and signature H-shaped LED lights give its front fascia a modern look. The model also comes with wider arches, housing 18-inch wheels wrapped in all-terrain tires.

Interior Space and Comfort

One key difference between the 2026 Honda Passport and the Hyundai Santa Fe is their passenger capacity. The Passport provides seating for five across its two rows, while the three-row Santa Fe can accommodate up to seven passengers. That being said, tall passengers can expect superb comfort in either SUV, as both provide generous headroom and legroom.

The Honda Passport offers 40.5 inches of headroom in the front row and 40.7 inches in the rear row. You also get 41.1 inches of legroom in the front row and 40.9 inches in the rear. By comparison, the new Hyundai Santa Fe provides 41.1 inches of headroom in the first row and 40.6 inches in the second row. As for legroom, it offers a remarkable 44.4 inches in the first row and 42.3 inches in the second row.

The Honda Passport RTL and its variants are outfitted with leather-trimmed and cloth seats. TrailSport models offer synthetic leather or perforated genuine leather upholstery, depending on the trim. Heated front seats come standard across the lineup, while the top-of-the-line TrailSport Elite adds ventilation to the front seats for extra comfort. Other standout convenience features include a leather-wrapped steering wheel, active sound control, ambient LED lighting, and a 10-way power driver seat with memory function.

The Hyundai Santa Fe offers stain-resistant cloth seats as standard on the base SE model. Meanwhile, higher trims get H-Tex synthetic leather or Nappa leather seating surfaces. All trims, except the SE, also offer standard heated front seats, keeping you warm and cozy on cold days. Additional standard and available comfort features you can enjoy, depending on the trim, include an eight-way power driver seat, ventilated front seats, heated rear seats, and a leather-wrapped steering wheel.

Cargo Capacity

Whereas the Santa Fe offers more passenger space and marginally better headroom and legroom across its first two rows, the Passport gets an advantage in cargo space. Its trunk provides an impressive 44.0 cubic feet, enough to carry seven standard-sized carry-on suitcases. Folding down the rear seats expands the cargo capacity to 83.8 cubic feet. In contrast, the Santa Fe’s standard trunk offers 14.6 cubic feet of cargo space. Folding the second and third row seats increases cargo volume to 79.6 cubic feet.

Performance and Powertrain

All 2026 Honda Passport models come with a 3.5-liter V-6 engine producing 285 horsepower and 262 pound-feet of torque. It’s paired with a 10-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters and the second-generation i-VTM4 all-wheel drive system. Every Passport also features seven drive modes: Normal, ECON, Trail, Sport, Snow, Sand, and Tow. Accessible via the digital instrument cluster, these modes let you customize your SUV’s performance for different terrains and driving conditions.

Under the hood of every 2026 Santa Fe model sits a 2.5-liter turbocharged inline-four, churning out 277 horsepower and 311 pound-feet of torque. This engine is paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission and standard front-wheel drive on most trims, though a HTRAC all-wheel-drive system is optional.

Fuel Economy and Efficiency

While the 2026 Honda Passport and the Hyundai Santa Fe are fairly matched in performance, the latter has a slight edge in fuel economy. Santa Fe models equipped with the HTRAC AWD system achieve EPA-estimated ratings of 20 city mpg and 28 highway mpg. By comparison, Honda Passport models, with their standard i-VTM4 AWD, are rated at 19 mpg in the city and 25 mpg on the highway.

Technology and Infotainment

Every Honda Passport comes with a massive 12.3-inch color touchscreen that makes commutes on I-77 incredibly fun. Its wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto capabilities let you seamlessly integrate your smartphone with the infotainment system for hands-free access and control of navigation and communication apps. Meanwhile, the wireless charging pad ensures your devices stay juiced up during long drives. Other noteworthy standard and available tech includes Alexa built-in, Google built-in, a 10.2-inch digital instrument cluster, and a 12-speaker Bose premium sound system.

The Hyundai Santa Fe offers a similarly sized infotainment touchscreen, also with standard wireless smartphone integration. Unfortunately, wireless charging is only available on the SEL and higher models. Additional standard and available features include a 12-speaker Bose audio system, a 12.0-inch head-up display, and a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster.

Safety Ratings and Features

The 2026 Honda Passport offers the latest Honda Sensing Suite as standard on all trims. This advanced safety feature integrates various driver-assistance systems to keep you protected on U.S. Route 250. They include road departure mitigation, lane keeping assist, adaptive cruise control, collision mitigation and braking, blind-spot information, and traffic sign recognition.

The Hyundai Santa Fe offers many of the same technologies in its SmartSense suite. However, most advanced features, such as blind-spot assist and smart cruise control, are only standard on higher trims.

Test Drive the Honda Passport at Parkway Honda

Still unsure which mid-size SUV you should buy? Getting behind the wheel of these two rivals can help you make an informed choice. Contact Parkway Honda to schedule a test drive of the 2026 Honda Passport and discover why it remains a top pick for drivers in Ohio.