Honda announced a second-generation Ridgeline at the 2015 Detroit Auto Show, and revealed the finalized design a year later. This week we finally get to test, drive, and apparently even “off-road” it for ourselves. Get your questions in now!
The Ridgeline is basically a little-longer Pilot SUV with the cargo area lopped off in lieu of a pickup box.
Powered by a 3.5-liter i-VTEC V6, it will be available with front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive. The latter features a terrain-management system with active torque vectoring to maximize traction and “snow,” “mud” and “sand” modes.
Honda’s also loading it with fun farkle. like external speakers and a “storage trunk” under the bed.
So far, folks of been critical of the bed size, lack of hardcore off-road ability and unexceptional fuel economy claims. As a truck enthusiast and confessed Honda fanboy, I will say that you can’t fit a dirt bike in most full-size truck beds without going diagonal either, you’d be surprised where you can get with AWD and decent tires, and I don’t care what the EPA says–I’ve got a feeling that the Ridgeline will end up being cheaper to operate than the full-sized trucks it’s not really competing against.
But I don’t work for Honda, so I have to reserve judgement for after I’ve actually driven the thing.
For those of you watching at home, let me know what you want to see up close, ask engineers about, poke and prod! I’ll keep your input in mind while I comb through the car and write up my impressions.
