NAIAS 2016: 2017 Honda Ridgeline is Your Party Truck Right Cha
Few segments are as hot as mid-sized trucks right now, and the 2017 Honda Ridgeline couldn’t come at a better time for Honda. After a two-year hiatus, Honda is propping up its new truck on a massive stage to sway mid-size buyers unfazed by the new General Motors twin mid– sized pickups, or Toyota’s new Tacoma, or Ford’s coming Ranger, or … you get the idea.
The truck, which is likely powered by a 3.5-liter VTEC V-6 mill borrowed from the Pilot, capitalizes on the same truck-like looks plunked on a unibody chassis that the made the last generation profitable — albeit a bit of a slow seller compared to others in the segment. For the first time, the Ridgeline will be available with front-wheel drive, and all-wheel drive models will get Honda’s i-VTM4 torque vectoring tech — contrary to what we heard last year.
Like the Pilot, the Ridgeline will have six forward cogs — the last generation only had a five-speed automatic transmission — likely in a bid to improve upon the last truck’s 16/21 mpg rating. (The Pilot manages 18/26 mpg, if you’re wondering.)
The Ridgeline’s distinctive body lines are gone this time around, eschewing cladding between the cab and bed of the prior truck for a boxier look. The 2017 Ridgeline’s bed is more than 5 inches wider and 4 inches longer than the outgoing truck, big enough to lay flat 4-foot wide plywood or drywall, according to Honda.
Honda didn’t divulge many details about the new Ridgeline including horsepower and payload capacity, other than to say the latter would be close to 1,600 pounds — similar to others within the class, including the Tacoma. The Pilot’s V-6 makes 280 horsepower and 262 pound-feet of torque, so it’s reasonable to expect something similar in the Ridgeline. It would be reasonable to assume that the 3,500 pound tow rating will carry over to the Ridgeline as well.
Apparently, Honda anticipates that many Ridgeline buyers will party in parking lots with their trucks. The Ridgeline sports a 400-watt power inverter in the bed, an in-bed lockable trunk and in-bed audio pumped through six speaker-like “exciters.” Honda said the Ridgeline’s tailgate opens from the bottom or its left hinge for easier loading.
The Ridgeline will go on sale later this year.
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The Honda Ridgeline has been, and will forever be a cult-following type truck. You will either love it, or hate it. It's the Mazda5 of the truck world. For me, on paper, it is damn near perfect. Honda clearly did their homework researching how 75% of light-duty truck owners use their vehicles. In execution, it has always looked a bit geeky. But, I am the design target. Suburban home owner with a 40 minute commute. I need utility without 12 MPG. A SUV/CUV doesn't cut it for me. Need to haul bulky items that don't fit in a cargo compartment (drywall, plywood, pavers, scoops of dirt etc). The Ridgeline is built exactly for those things on the weekend, and a capable commuter on weekdays. A CUV with a trailer hitch would probably work, but isn't the setup for me. Everyone loves to hate what isn't considered the social norms. I don't need 10K pounds of towing. I don't want to spend $40K on a truck that will do everyday tasks poorly. I will use 90% of the capabilities of the Ridgeline. Why spend more to only use 50% of the capabilities of a full-size?
"It would be reasonable to assume that the 3,500 pound tow rating will carry over to the Ridgeline as well." This is incorrect, the old Ridgeline had a 5,000 pound tow rating, not 3,500.