Remember when a vehicle’s infotainment system was just a radio.
The 2019 Honda Passport Pastport trim is an April Fool’s joke that makes a strong argument for why nostalgia for the 1990s can’t end soon enough. The automaker’s prank wants you to know that the company also remembers all the cliched parts of the decade like slap bracelets and roller blades.
Honda’s standard-definition ad puts the emphasis on the Pastport’s simplicity in comparison to the relative complexity of modern vehicles. The closest thing to an infotainment system here is the digital clock. The HVAC controls are just a pair of knobs with a lever in between them. Automatic windows, coin holder, and air conditioning are also among the amenities. Want to listen to that giant binder of CDs? Then plug in the Discman through the cassette adaptor.
Most of Honda’s nostalgia here focuses on the early 1990s by focusing on bright colors, complex patterns, and wraparound sunglasses. Oddly, the interior of this vehicle is from a second-gen Passport available from 1998 to 2002. So while the ad’s aesthetics focus on the early half of the decade, the cabin on display dates from near its end. For better accuracy, the host should be wearing baggy t-shirts and Jnco jeans. The soundtrack should be a mix of nu-metal and boy bands.
The first and second generations of the Passport weren’t actually Honda-designed vehicles. Instead, the company licensed the Isuzu Rodeo and put the H badge on the front. For the 2019 model year, the name came back on a fully in-house-engineered product that shares a close relationship with the existing Pilot.
Source: Honda via YouTube
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New Pastport Trim in 2019 Honda Passport Lineup Throws Back to Simpler Times and Nineties Nostalgia
Apr 1, 2019 – TORRANCE, Calif.
Pastport – the nineties-inspired Honda Passport trim – offers nostalgic enthusiasts the simplicity and self-expression of the ’90s
Features “state-of-the-art” automatic windows, digital clock, cassette-to-CD converter and air conditioning
Marketing campaign debuts today with standard definition TV spots and call-in hotline featuring Fred Savage, the voice of Honda
Spurred by the resurgence of nineties pop culture, Honda is introducing the ’90s-themed Pastport as a new trim available in the all-new Passport lineup. The exclusive Pastport trim is unlike any SUV available today, showcasing the sleek exterior of the all-new 2019 Honda Passport (https://automobiles.honda.com/passport) with a masterfully simple throwback interior highlighting popular ’90s features, such as automatic windows, plush micro-fiber seats, a cassette player and a mount for a beeper. The Honda Pastport will be available in early April 2019 at Honda dealerships nationwide.
“From TV reboots to fashion, the ’90s are making a huge comeback, and we saw an opportunity at Honda for consumers who want uniqueness and simplicity, so we decided to reach back and bring the Pastport to market this spring,” said Zack Tanner, historical innovations manager for Honda. “We think the new Pastport is all that and a bag of chips.”
Honda Pastport Marketing Campaign
To introduce the Pastport, Honda is launching an integrated marketing campaign that fully embraces ’90s aesthetic with a new TV spot shot in a 4:3 format and standard definition (https://honda.us/Pastport). The :60 commercial debuts on Honda’s YouTube channel today with additional versions of the spot featured on Honda social media channels, including Twitter (@Honda), Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/Honda/), and Instagram (@Honda).
Fans of the Honda Pastport can dial 1-833-PASTPORT to listen to a very special message from Fred Savage, who also happens to be the official voice of the Honda brand. Callers are encouraged to leave a detailed message on the Company’s microcassette answering machine explaining why they’d like to own a Pastport. The Pastport hotline will be promoted throughout the marketing campaign and is featured during the commercials.
The 2019 Honda Passport
The 2019 Passport is the newest addition to Honda’s award-winning SUV lineup and delivers a unique combination of on-road driving refinement and off-road capability, along with best-in-class interior space. Designed for adventure-seekers who want the exceptional on- and off-road capability of Honda’s available i-VTM4™ torque-vectoring all-wheel drive system, the power and towing capability of its 280-horsepower 3.5-liter i-VTEC® V6, and the more personal and rugged character of a five-passenger SUV, Passport fits between the refined and compact CR-V and the larger, family-focused three-row Pilot.
The all-new 2019 Honda Passport comes standard with 20-inch wheels, a blackout grille, the Honda Sensing® suite of advanced safety and driver-assistive technologies, as well as higher ground clearance and wider track than the three-row Pilot. Along with Passport’s best-in-class interior passenger space and total interior volume, the SUV features a large “basement” cargo area ideal for storing dirty gear or keeping valuables out of sight. Key premium technologies available on Passport include in-vehicle 4G LTE Wi-Fi, Apple CarPlay® and Android Auto™ integration, a high-resolution 8-inch Display Audio system, heated and ventilated front seats, wireless phone charging and more.
About Honda
Honda offers a full line of reliable, fuel-efficient and fun-to-drive vehicles with advanced safety technologies sold through over 1,000 independent U.S. Honda dealers. The Honda lineup includes the Fit, Civic, Insight, Accord and Clarity series passenger cars, along with the HR-V, CR-V, Passport and Pilot sport utility vehicles, the Ridgeline pickup and the Odyssey minivan.
Honda has been producing automobiles in America for more than 35 years and currently operates 19 major manufacturing facilities in North America. In 2018, more than 90 percent of all Honda brand vehicles sold in the U.S. were made in North America, using domestic and globally sourced parts.
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