Honda’s all-new Ridgeline needs to cement its reputation in the midsize sport utility truck segment, retaining its unibody construction but bringing fresh styling to the table
Honda’s all-new Ridgeline needs to cement its reputation in the midsize sport utility truck segment. It’s still a unique offering in the segment, with its car-like unibody construction, but it needs to add more tech and efficiency to that already successful package.
The styling is quite different, though, and analyzing its shape you immediately notice there’s a lot of Pilot in it. The entire front section seems identical, and so does the interior, and one could argue it’s lost some of its predecessor’s unique angular look; sure, it’s more modern but it feels devoid of personality…
Its dimensions are also different, as it’s wider (by 5.4 inches) and longer (by 4 inches) than before, with a more pronounced wheel-at-each-corner stance.
Powering the new Ridgeline is, as before, one single engine option, a 3.5-liter V6 that can drive either the front or (optionally) all four wheels. If you opt for the latter, it will have selectable modes that make the most of the available grip: Normal, Mud, Sand and Snow.
The sole transmission option is a six-speed automatic.
Fuel efficiency or performance numbers have not yet been released, but they should show incremental improvements over the outgoing model, as the formula is basically the same but with some updates; Honda promises it will have best-in-class performance and “leading” economy.
The new Ridgeline’s trick feature is still its bed, though. Now longer and wider, it still has the unique twin-opening tailgate that can either be dropped down in the usual fashion, or swung open to one side like a door; this grants access to the under bed trunk (a unique feature in the class) that is now flatter and larger than on the outgoing model.
Staying in the bed area of the vehicle, our attention is drawn to the peculiar integrated audio solution. We say peculiar as it doesn’t use regular speakers, engineers opting for to use “six exciters located inside the bed walls, in place of conventional speakers.”
The model is set to hit showrooms in the first half of 2016, with pricing and trim details to be announced at a later date.