Wikipedia

Honda Ridgeline

The Honda Ridgeline is a mid-size pickup truck manufactured by Honda. Currently the company's only pickup, it is built using a unibody frame and a transverse-mounted engine. It is offered only in a crew–cab short-box configuration with one powertrain.[3][4][5]

Honda Ridgeline
2022 Honda Ridgeline RTL
Overview
ManufacturerHonda
Production2005[1] – early 2015
Mid 2016 – present
Model years2006–2014
2017–present
AssemblyCanada: Alliston, Ontario (HCM) (2004–2009)
United States: Lincoln, Alabama (HMA) (2008–2015, 2016–present)
Body and chassis
ClassMid-size pickup truck
Body style4-door pickup truck
LayoutFront-engine, four-wheel drive (2006–present)[2] as well as Front-engine, front-wheel drive (2017–2020)

First generation (YK1; 2006)

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Main article: Honda Ridgeline (first generation)
 
First-generation Honda Ridgeline

The first-generation Ridgeline went on sale in March 2005 as a 2006 model year vehicle.[6] The Car Design Yearbook called it "Honda's first foray into the true heartland of the American automotive way of life—the pickup truck."[7] An engineering team from Honda R&D Americas, led by Gary Flint, designed the vehicle.[8][9] According to the author of Driving Honda, the automaker wanted to target buyers who were looking to move to a pickup from sedans, minivans, and sport utility vehicles (SUV).[8]

 
2014 Ridgeline RTL with tailgate swung open 80° and In-Bed Trunk open exposing spare tire service tray

The development started in 2001 with a development mule using an extended version of a first-generation Acura MDX with a competitor's pickup bed integrated into the rear structure.[10] After four years of development, a Sport Utility Truck Concept was shown at the 2004 North American International Auto Show.[3] Later that same year, Honda unveiled a revised version at the Specialty Equipment Market Association show and announced the official name of the vehicle, the Ridgeline.[11] The production version of the Ridgeline was unveiled the following year at the 2005 North American International Auto Show.[6]

Honda's publications claim that the first generation Ridgeline shared only 7% of its components with other Honda vehicles. Its powertrain resembled the one used in the first-generation Acura MDX but was "extensively calibrated and strengthened" for heavier hauling and towing duties.[3]

Production of the first generation Ridgeline ended in early 2015.[12]

Second generation (YK2/3; 2017)

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2017 Ridgeline RTL (front-wheel drive model)
 
2018 Honda Ridgeline RTL-T
Main article: Honda Ridgeline (second generation)

After a one-year hiatus in Ridgeline production, the second-generation went on sale in June 2016 as a 2017 model year vehicle.[13] The second-generation Ridgeline took a different approach in design from the first generation Ridgeline by sharing Honda's new "global light truck platform,"[14] used for the third-generation Honda Pilot as well as other large Honda vehicles.[15][16] Honda modified the Pilot platform, including extending the wheelbase and various parts to support hauling, towing, and off-road use.[17][18] Honda reported that 73% of the second-generation Ridgeline's components remain common with the third-generation Pilot.[17] Major changes included a 17% stronger front structure, a 31% sturdier rear,[19] and 50% of the chassis' components changed or were strengthened for the second generation Ridgeline.[18][20] The second generation Ridgeline's new structure gives it an average 78 lb (35 kg) reduction in weight from the first generation pickup.[14][17] The C-pillar and rear subframe were strengthened giving the second generation 28% more torsional rigidity over the first generation Ridgeline.[17][21]

Marketing

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The design of the unibody pickup with a transverse-mounted engine and a crew-cab short-box configuration makes the Ridgeline unique.[3][4][22][23][24] Some in the automotive press that have studied the first generation Ridgeline, such as PickupTrucks.com, consider it "one of those odd vehicles." They wrote, "The Ridgeline can't really do what most people who like trucks need it to do."[25] Others in the automotive press, such as The Driver's Seat TV, had differing views and call the Ridgeline, "the Swiss Army knife of trucks." They also described the Ridgeline "the anti-truck" and summarized their view by stating "the Ridgeline scores high on practicality but very low on image."[26]

Compared to the first-generation Ridgeline, Honda's second-generation Ridgeline has the automotive press changing its tune, yet it still has an image problem. Gearheads.org wrote the "2017 Honda Ridgeline still won’t get respect but should" stating, its "downside is going to be looks."[27] Car and Driver wrote, "The company [Honda] readily admits that the problem with the first generation pickup was that the styling was off-putting, but then it went ahead and made the next iteration of the truck just as unconventional as before."[28] "The Ridgeline’s roomy cabin, ample storage, smooth ride, and innovative touches make its rivals seem outdated. ...it not only has cargo space, but also the makings of a great tailgate party..."[29]

Karl Forster, an SAE trailer towing group member who was vehicle dynamics project leader on Honda's unibody Ridgeline pickup and Pilot SUV described studies of pickup usage and "found out that 84 percent of truck buyers tow 5000 pounds or less."[30]

Production and sales

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According to Honda, the Ridgeline was not designed to take sales from the traditional trucks marketed in North America, but was developed to "give the 18% of Honda owners who also own pickups a chance to make their garages a Honda-only parking area."[31] Despite the first generation Ridgeline's poor sales,[32] according to the author of Driving Honda, this mid-size pickup was one of the more profitable vehicles for Honda[8] with reported sales in over 20 countries.[33]

The second generation Ridgeline sales appeared to start strong[34] but comparing sales in the US between 2017 and 2018 shows a 12% decline overall.[35] A 2018 Autoline Daily report stated the Ridgeline is the only mid-size truck in North America whose sales are down in a market that "suggests there’s room for more players."[36]

Ridgeline sales and production[12][37]
Calendar
year 		Sales Production
USA CAN
2004 199
2005 42,593 3,512 60,679
2006 50,193 4,988 56,866
2007 42,795 4,519 55,150
2008 33,875 3,987 25,264
2009 16,464 3,546 16,180
2010 16,142 3,200 20,180
2011 9,759 1,713 13,356
2012 14,068 2,226 21,361
2013 17,723 2,122 19,557
2014 13,389 1,803 10,015
2015 520 229 154
2016 23,668 2,622 34,599
2017 34,749 4,632 39,282
2018 30,592 4,094 46,123
2019 33,334 3,405 29,246
2020 32,168 3,369 34,055
2021 41,355 3,491 41,822
2022 42,762 3,135 50,434
2023 52,001

Awards

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References

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  1. ^ Williams, Evan (3 November 2016). "Honda Celebrates 30 Years of Canadian Production". Autotrader.ca. Retrieved 11 March 2023.
  2. ^ Beresford, Colin (14 January 2021). "2021 Honda Ridgeline Gets $350 Price Hike, Drops Front-Wheel Drive". Car and Driver. Retrieved 20 May 2023.
  3. ^ a b c d "2006 Honda Ridgeline Press Kit, Canadian version". Honda Canada Finance (Press release). 22 March 2005. Archived from the original on 2015-12-08. Retrieved 18 January 2018.
  4. ^ a b "2017 Honda Ridgeline Press Kit". American Honda (Press release). 9 May 2016. Archived from the original on 28 July 2016. Retrieved 18 January 2018.
  5. ^ "Honda Ridgeline Prices, Reviews, and Pictures". Edmunds.com. 2020-01-17. Archived from the original on 2018-11-21. Retrieved 2018-11-15.
  6. ^ a b "Honda Ridgeline Truck Unveiled at 2005 North American International Auto Show, All-new 4WD Honda truck will debut as 2006 model". hondanews.com (Press release). January 10, 2005. Archived from the original on 2017-09-02. Retrieved September 11, 2016.
  7. ^ Newbury, Stephen (2007). The Car Design Yearbook. Merrell Publishers. ISBN 9781858942865. Retrieved 27 February 2024.
  8. ^ a b c Rothfeder, Jeffrey (2015) [1st published 2014]. Driving Honda: Inside the World's Most Innovative Car Company. ISBN 9780141970769. Archived from the original on 2016-05-03. Retrieved August 18, 2018.
  9. ^ Truett, Richard (13 June 2005). "Crafting a pickup: Ex-GM engineer designed Ridgeline the Honda way". Autoweek. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 27 February 2024.
  10. ^ 50 Years of American Dreams, The Challenging Spirit (page 151) Archived 2019-10-20 at the Wayback Machine, Honda North America, dated June 2009, last accessed October 20, 2019
  11. ^ "Honda Names All-New 4-Door 4WD Truck 'Ridgeline'". Honda Media Newsroom (Press release). November 2, 2004. Archived from the original on 20 February 2018. Retrieved 27 February 2024.
  12. ^ a b "Honda 2023 Digital FactBook". Honda Corporate News (Press release). 14 July 2023. Retrieved 24 May 2024.
  13. ^ Honda 2019 Digital FactBook Archived 2019-07-17 at the Wayback Machine, Honda News & Views, dated 17 July 2019, last accessed 17 July 2019
  14. ^ a b "2017 Honda Ridgeline Press Kit (complete document)" (Press release). American Honda. 9 May 2016. Archived from the original on 2016-07-28. Retrieved 18 January 2018.
  15. ^ 2017-2018 Honda Ridgeline, Honda's pickup for the non-pickup types Archived 2022-03-19 at the Wayback Machine, TopSpeed.com, by Mark McNabb, dated 24 July 2017, last accessed 2 March 2019
  16. ^ 2019 Honda Passport already rolling off the assembly line in Alabama Archived 2019-03-06 at the Wayback Machine, c/net, by Andrew Krok, dated 7 December 2018, last accessed 2 March 2019
  17. ^ a b c d e Steve Behm, Principal Underbody Design Engineer, 2017 Honda Ridgeline Body Development Leader, Honda R&D Americas (17 May 2017). "Great Designs in Steel, The 2017 Honda Ridgeline". autosteel.org. Archived from the original on 2018-05-28. Retrieved 28 May 2018.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
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  26. ^ In The Driver's Seat of the 2008 Honda Ridgeline Archived 2016-04-19 at the Wayback Machine, YouTube, by The Driver’s Seat TV, dated 12 June 2008, last accessed 3 June 2019
  27. ^ 2017 Honda Ridgeline Still Won’t Get Respect But Should Archived 2016-10-09 at the Wayback Machine, Gearheads.org, last accessed 7 October 2016
  28. ^ 2019 Ford Ranger vs. 2020 Jeep Gladiator vs. 2019 Chevrolet Colorado vs. 2019 Honda Ridgeline Archived 2019-08-11 at the Wayback Machine, Car and Driver, by Jared Gall, dated 1 May 2019, last accessed 24 August 2019
  29. ^ a b Medium Done Well: Mid-Size Pickups Ranked-#1 Honda Ridgeline Archived 2016-09-01 at the Wayback Machine, Car and Driver, last accessed 15 August 2016
  30. ^ "The Numbers Game: How Truck Makers Determine Towing Capacity - Consumer Feature". Truck Trend. 2009-08-29. Archived from the original on 2017-05-02. Retrieved 2020-12-28.
  31. ^ "Honda re-thinks the pickup: the Ridgeline comes closer to merging the virtues of both cars and pickup trucks than any other vehicle. Honda calls it the first next-generation pickup, but will others follow its lead?". 1 April 2005. Archived from the original on 29 March 2015. Retrieved 27 February 2024.
  32. ^ Honda 2018 Digital FactBook Archived 2019-04-16 at the Wayback Machine, Honda News & Views, dated 31 July 2018, last accessed 1 August 2018
  33. ^ Honda Appeals After Chile Disqualifies Pickup for Tax Credit Archived 2017-02-13 at the Wayback Machine, Bloomberg BNA, by Tom Azzopardi, dated 19 January 2017, last accessed 12 February 2017
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  35. ^ Trucks Drive New Records and Acura Turns a Corner as American Honda Posts December Sales Increase Archived 2019-01-04 at the Wayback Machine, Hondanews.com, dated 3 January 2019, last accessed 3 January 2019
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