2021 Volvo XC90 vs 2021 Honda Passport

The 2021 Volvo XC90 marked a significant shift in Volvo's design philosophy, moving away from its traditionally conservative styling. The XC90 retained Volvo's recognizable boxy profile and blunt front end with a rectangular grille, but introduced softer lines, more chrome, and distinctive LED headlights with "Thor’s Hammer" daytime running lights. The Inscription trim, with its extra chrome trim and optional 21-inch alloy wheels, was the flashiest, while the R-Design and Momentum trims offered sportier and more basic looks, respectively. The XC90 shared its Scalable Product Architecture (SPA) platform with other Volvo models, ensuring a cohesive design language across the brand.

Inside, the XC90 embraced "Swedish minimalism" with thoughtfully arranged, high-quality materials. The matte-finish wood trim and optional wool upholstery provided a natural and unique touch. The Inscription trim featured luxurious elements like a crystal shifter, though some found it out of place in the otherwise restrained interior. The XC90's interior design focused on simplicity and elegance, avoiding the overwhelming flashiness seen in some other luxury SUVs.

The 2021 Honda Passport, essentially a shortened version of the Pilot, featured a similar design both inside and out. The Passport's dash layout mirrored that of the Pilot, including the controversial "button shifter" design. Despite this, the Passport offered a spacious interior with high-quality materials. Trim levels ranged from the entry-level Sport, which included features like 20-inch alloy wheels and tri-zone climate control, to the range-topping Elite, which added heated and ventilated front seats, a heated steering wheel, and wireless device charging. The Passport's design focused on practicality and comfort, making it a versatile choice for families and adventurers alike.

The 2021 Volvo XC90 offered three powertrains, all based on a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission. The base T5 model featured a turbocharged engine producing 250 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque, with front-wheel drive standard and all-wheel drive optional. The T6 model added a supercharger, increasing output to 316 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque, with all-wheel drive standard. The T8 Twin Engine plug-in hybrid, also known as Recharge, combined the T6 engine with electric assist, delivering a total of 400 horsepower and 472 pound-feet of torque.

While the T8's 400 horsepower provided ample power, the small engine struggled to deliver consistent performance, especially at low speeds. The XC90 offered three drive modes—Pure (all-electric), Hybrid, and Power—but the Pure mode was only practical at low speeds with gentle acceleration. Despite these limitations, the XC90 excelled in ride quality and comfort, thanks to its optional air-suspension system. The XC90's towing capacity ranged from 4,000 pounds for the base T5 to 5,000 pounds for other models, making it a capable choice for towing moderate loads.

The 2021 Honda Passport came standard with a 3.5-liter V6 engine producing 280 horsepower and 262 pound-feet of torque, paired with a nine-speed automatic transmission. The Passport offered front-wheel drive as standard, with all-wheel drive optional. The V6 engine provided strong acceleration, and the automatic transmission managed power well, though the stop-start system could be abrupt. The Passport's ride quality balanced comfort and handling, with 8.1 inches of ground clearance and Intelligent Traction Management for AWD models, including Snow, Sand, and Mud drive modes. The Passport's towing capacity was 3,500 pounds for front-wheel drive models and 5,000 pounds for all-wheel drive models, making it a versatile choice for various driving conditions.

The 2021 Volvo XC90 offered a three-row seating configuration with either six or seven seats, depending on the choice of second-row captain’s chairs or a bench seat. While headroom and legroom were average for the segment, the third-row space was tight for adults, and the seats in both the second and third rows lacked support. The optional power moonroof and upright roof profile gave the interior a spacious feel. The Inscription trim featured 10-way power-adjustable heated and ventilated front seats with backrest massage, but lacked a power-adjustable steering wheel. Storage space was limited, with a shallow center console storage bin and few storage options on the console itself. Cargo space for the T8 Recharge model was 11.2 cubic feet with all seats in place, 34.1 cubic feet with the rear seats folded, and 64.1 cubic feet with the second and third rows folded, placing it near the bottom of the segment.

The 2021 Honda Passport provided a generous 100.8 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seats folded, and 50.5 cubic feet with the second row in use. An additional 2.5 cubic feet of under-floor storage added to its practicality. The EX-L trim included a power liftgate, while the Touring and Elite trims featured a hands-free power liftgate. The upright seating position offered excellent visibility and a commanding view of the road. The center console featured a deep center bin and an open cargo tray below the shifter and cupholders, with deep in-door pockets for additional storage. The rear seats provided ample headroom and legroom, and could both recline and slide for added comfort.

The 2021 Volvo XC90 featured the Sensus infotainment system, which emphasized simplicity and functionality. Standard features included a 9-inch touchscreen, 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, Apple CarPlay/Android Auto compatibility, Bluetooth, and a built-in WiFi hotspot. The system also included two front USB-A ports and two rear USB-C ports. Optional features included a 19-speaker Bowers & Wilkins premium audio system and a head-up display (HUD). The portrait-oriented touchscreen was user-friendly, though the amount of text and typeface made reading some menus difficult while driving. The wireless charging pad added for 2021 was too small for most phones, and the lack of front USB-C ports was a drawback for drivers with newer phones.

The 2021 Honda Passport made Android Auto and Apple CarPlay standard, along with an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system. While these features were a welcome addition, the infotainment system had dated graphics, a confusing menu layout, and a volume dial that felt like an afterthought. Despite these shortcomings, the inclusion of smartphone connectivity features as standard was a significant advantage over the three-row Pilot, which required upgrading to at least the EX trim to get CarPlay and Android Auto.

The 2021 Volvo XC90 received the highest “Top Safety Pick+” rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) for non-hybrid models, with top “Good” scores in all crash tests and a “Superior” rating for front-crash prevention tech in vehicle-to-vehicle testing. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) awarded the XC90 a five-star overall safety rating. Standard safety features included lane-keep assist, a driver-attention monitor, traffic-sign recognition, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, automatic emergency braking, and Volvo’s Pilot Assist driver aid. Pilot Assist combined adaptive cruise control with automated lane centering, offering smooth and responsive performance, though it struggled with highway curves.

The 2021 Honda Passport came equipped with advanced safety features such as automatic emergency braking, forward collision warning, lane departure warning, and adaptive cruise control. Optional features included blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and front-and-rear parking sensors. The Passport received a five-star overall rating from the NHTSA and top "Good" scores in most IIHS crash tests, though it only managed "Acceptable" ratings for headlights and child-seat anchor ease of use, and a second-tier "Advanced" rating for front crash prevention tech.