Honda fans are about to start overnighting parts in the opposite direction. The Japanese car company has just announced that it plans to send certain US-built models to Japan, hoping customers there will like the Passport and Acura Integra Type S as much as US shoppers do.
Base Trim Engine
3.5L V6 Gas
Base Trim Transmission
10-speed automatic
Base Trim Drivetrain
All-Wheel Drive
Base Trim Horsepower
285 hp @ 6,100 rpm
Base Trim Torque
262 lb-ft @ 5,000 rpm
Base Trim Fuel Economy (city/highway/combined)
19/25/21 mpg
Segment
Midsize SUV
It’s not the first time Honda has shipped cars west instead of east, but it is a big step-up for the models that make the trip. One small but crucial detail, though, has us wondering how many will really make the trek. It involves the location of the driver’s seat, which leaves us wondering if anyone in Japan will really want to buy one.
Honda First To Send US-Built Cars Home To Japan
2026 Acura Integra Type S front 3/4Acura
In 1988, Honda sent a load of Accord coupes and Gold Wing GL1500 motorcycles from Marysville, Ohio, to Japan. It was the first time a Japanese automaker had imported its own US-built models into its home market, and since then Honda US has sent over nearly 300,000 vehicles.
Now, the Honda Passport is dusting off its, um, passport. The first-generation Passport was exported from the US to Japan way back in 1994, but this is the first time for the modern version. Honda put it on display at the Tokyo Auto Salon earlier this year, and it said buyers were interested.
Honda will only ship the TrailSport Elite trim over, the top version of the vehicle. The luxury version of Honda’s lifted off-roader gets all-terrain tires and Honda’s latest AWD system.
2026 Honda Passport TrailSport Elite, Off Road, White/BlackHonda
The return of the Integra to Japan will be the first time the name has been sold there since 2006. You’ll know that car as the US Acura RSX, though it was built in Japan for the two markets. When Honda brought back the Integra for 2023, it was only as an Acura, and only for North America – there’s also a China-only Integra since 2021 that’s really just a Civic, but we’ll ignore it for now.
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It will be sent over only as the Type S, and the specs will match the US. That means a 2.0-turbo making 320 horsepower and a six-speed stick for changing gears. Acura as a brand was never launched in Japan, so we’re not sure how buyers will see the new car.
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2024 Acura Integra Type S Black/Red Interior DashboardCarBuzz/Acura
But one detail on both vehicles makes us wonder how serious Honda is, and that’s the steering wheel. Both will be sold as left-drive cars… in a right-hand-drive market. Sure, there are some RHD cars imported by customers into the US, but it’s not exactly a popular trend. And if you’ve ever driven a car where the driver’s perspective is near the shoulder of the road, it’s not exactly ideal. Passing cars when you can’t really see around them isn’t fun.
Other automakers send US-built cars to Japan, including Jeep and Chevrolet. But the Wrangler rolling out to that market leaves Toledo with the steering wheel on the right. Even Chevrolet, which only sells about 340 Corvettes in Japan per year, builds a right-drive model. Yes, some of those sell in the UK and Australia, too, but that’s still fewer than 500 Corvettes a year.
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Plus a big change to a new model coming soon.
Exporting only left-drive Hondas feels like leaving the parking brake on while you’re turning laps at Suzuka Speedway. Sure you might be at the track, but it’s not going to be easy to make much headway. Honda did not say how many it planned to send, but sales will start in the second half of 2026.
