Yahoo Finance Honda trademarks logo to go along with Trailsport name
It looks like Honda is getting serious about the Trailsport name. Last July the company filed a trademark for the name itself. Last month, it filed a trademark for the logo that will accompany that name.
The logo, discovered by Carbuzz, shows a mountain range with the word "Trailsport" in stylized letters below it. It actually bears a resemblance to the recently unveiled Subaru Wilderness logo, which depicts an even taller mountain. Read into that what you will.
The filing describes usage on "Land vehicles, namely, sport utility vehicles, automobiles, trucks, and structural parts for the foregoing."
When we took the 2021 Ridgeline Sport to Honda's Mojave Desert proving grounds recently, a Honda spokesperson told us that the HPD package it was equipped with was a toe dipped into the popular (and profitable) realm of off-road accessories.
It was too late in the Ridgeline's product cycle to add a new suspension, as the rest of the car would have to be re-engineered around them to meet Honda's standards. However, that didn't mean future vehicles couldn't be designed with more off-road capability in mind.
When we test drove the Honda Talon side-by-side, a powersports spokesperson said the company has seen excellent sales in that division due to the pandemic. Customers are buying vehicles that can take them further and further away from civilization. The automotive division could be taking some notes.
Whether Trailsport will replace or complement HPD accessories remains to be seen. Nor do we know whether the name will apply to add-on equipment, à la Toyota or Jeep's TRD and Mopar catalogs; upmarket factory trim levels for Passports and Ridgelines, like Subaru's Wilderness label; or completely new models. All we can say for sure is that Honda appears to be exploring a label geared towards a more rugged lifestyle.
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