Engineering:Honda Ridgeline

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Honda Ridgeline
Honda Ridgeline RTL 2022.jpg
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, front-wheel drive or four-wheel drive (2017–2020);
Front-engine, four-wheel drive only (2021–present)[2]

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

First generation (YK1; 2006)

2012 Honda Ridgeline Sport
2014 Ridgeline RTL with tailgate swung open 80° and In-Bed Trunk open exposing spare tire service tray
Main page: Engineering:Honda Ridgeline (first generation)

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

The development started in 2001 when the engineering team began experimenting with their first development mule, 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, the final design was revealed to the public as Honda's Sport Utility Truck Concept at the 2004 North American International Auto Show.[3] Later that same year, Honda unveiled a revised version of their pickup concept 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 state 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)

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

After a one-year hiatus in Ridgeline production, the second generation of their mid-size truck 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] found in the third generation Honda Pilot as well as other large Honda vehicles.[15][16] However, Honda did have to modify the Pilot platform in order to support their second generation pickup, including extending the wheelbase and modifying various parts to support hauling, towing, and off-road use.[17][18] Despite these modifications, Honda has stated that 73% of the second generation Ridgeline's components remain common in some way with the third generation Pilot.[17]

Honda has stated that nearly every major component has been beefed up with 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

In addition to being a unibody pickup with a transverse-mounted engine, and a crew-cab short-box configuration, Honda and some automotive journalists have described other noteworthy aspects of the Ridgeline.[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 called the Ridgeline "the anti-truck" and summarized their view by saying "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, a member of the SAE trailer towing group who was vehicle dynamics project leader on Honda's unibody Ridgeline pickup and Pilot SUV, says Honda's ratings come from actual customer usage. "We spent a fair amount of time observing and talking to light-truck customers to understand how they use and load their vehicles and how they tow trailers," he says. "For the Ridgeline, our survey found out that 84 percent of truck buyers tow 5000 pounds or less."[30]

Production and sales

According to Honda, the Ridgeline was not designed to steal sales from the more traditional trucks sold 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 1,206

Mid-size truck sales in USA and CAN.svg

Awards

  • North American Car of the Year for 2006 and 2017.[38]
  • Canadian Car of the Year and Best New Pickup for 2006[39][40]
  • MotorTrend's 2006 Truck of the Year[38]
  • Car and Driver's #1 mid-size truck for 2006,[41] and 2017–2019[29][42][43]
  • Autobytel's 2006 Truck of the Year[44]
  • Sobre Ruedas (On Wheels, a Latin American automotive magazine) 2005 Best Pick-up Truck[44]
  • Auto123.com's 2017 Pickup of the Year[45]
  • J.D. Power and Associates' Automotive Performance, Execution, and Layout (APEAL) Award for 2006–2008,[17][44] 2017,[46] and 2018[47]
  • Green Car Journal's 2017 Green Truck of the Year[48]
  • Consumer Guide Automotive's Best Buy Award for 2017–2019[38][49][50]
  • Kelley Blue Book's Top Ten Best Resale Value Award for 2017–2019[51][52][53]
  • The Car Connection's Best Pickup to Buy for 2018[54]
  • Women's Choice Awards in the Eco-Friendly and Safety categories for 2018[55]
  • Popular Mechanics' 2006 Automotive Excellence Award for functionality[44]
  • Society of Plastics Engineers 2006 Grand Award for the composite in–bed trunk[56]
  • National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's first four-door pickup to earn five-star safety rating[38]
  • IIHS's first pickup to earn the Top Safety Pick-Plus award (2017)[38] and has also earned the Top Safety Pick award for 2009, 2012, 2013, and is the only pickup to earn the award for 2018 and 2019[57]
  • SCORE Baja off-road race winner in the Stock Mini Class in 2008[58] and 2010[59] as well as Class 7 in 2015,[60] 2016,[61] 2018,[62] and 2019[63]
  • iSeeCars.com's longest-lasting truck, most likely to reach 200,000 miles[64]

References

  1. ↑ Williams, Evan. "Honda Celebrates 30 Years of Canadian Production (3 Nov 2016)". https://www.autotrader.ca/editorial/20161103/honda-celebrates-30-years-of-canadian-production/. 
  2. ↑ Beresford, Colin (14 January 2021). "2021 Honda Ridgeline Gets $350 Price Hike, Drops Front-Wheel Drive (14 January 2021)". https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a35213871/2021-honda-ridgeline-pricing/. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 "2006 Honda Ridgeline Press Kit (complete document), Canadian version". Honda Canada Finance Inc.. 22 March 2005. http://hondanews.ca/Content/hondanews.ca/d6f7e22e-e62f-43de-8221-bf62f2da4aa3/Brochure/2006HondaRidgeline.doc. 
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 2017 Honda Ridgeline Press Kit (complete document) , American Honda Motor Company Inc., dated 9 May 2016, last accessed 18 January 2018
  5. ↑ "Honda Ridgeline Prices, Reviews, and Pictures | Edmunds". 2020-01-17. https://www.edmunds.com/honda/ridgeline/. 
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 "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. ↑ The Car Design Yearbook, Issue 4 , Merrell Publishers, by Stephen Newbury, dated 2005, ISBN:9781858942865, last accessed August 18, 2018
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 Jeffrey Rothfeder (2015). Driving Honda: Inside the World's Most Innovative Car Company (paperback with "afterword" ed.). ISBN 9780141970769. https://books.google.com/books?id=lhSMAgAAQBAJ. Retrieved August 18, 2018. 
  9. ↑ Crafting a pickup: Ex-GM engineer designed Ridgeline the Honda way , Autoweek, by Richard Truett, dated June 13, 2005, last accessed November 12, 2016
  10. ↑ 50 Years of American Dreams, The Challenging Spirit (page 151) , Honda North America, dated June 2009, last accessed October 20, 2019
  11. ↑ Honda Names All-New 4-Door 4WD Truck 'Ridgeline' , Honda Media Newsroom, dated November 2, 2004, last accessed February 19, 2018
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 "Honda 2022 Digital FactBook". Honda Corporate News. 9 September 2022. https://hondanews.com/en-US/honda-corporate/releases/release-1503019bd8a757ea08267d794419a609-honda-2022-digital-factbook. 
  13. ↑ Honda 2019 Digital FactBook , Honda News & Views, dated 17 July 2019, last accessed 17 July 2019
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 "2017 Honda Ridgeline Press Kit (complete document)" (Press release). American Honda Motor Company Inc. 9 May 2016. Archived from the original on 2016-07-28. Retrieved 18 January 2018. (Note: This early press release has been found to have errors when compared to the production version for the vehicle and the options made available to buyers, such as: the turning radius, RT and RTS interior colors, and exterior color names.)
  15. ↑ 2017-2018 Honda Ridgeline, Honda's pickup for the non-pickup types , 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 , c/net, by Andrew Krok, dated 7 December 2018, last accessed 2 March 2019
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 17.2 17.3 17.4 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". https://www.autosteel.org/-/media/files/autosteel/great-designs-in-steel/gdis-2017/track-2---2017-honda-ridgeline.ashx. 
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 2017 Honda Ridgeline Review, the cool stuff with Tips & Tricks. HondaPro Jason (YouTube channel). 10 May 2016. Archived from the original on 2017-02-15. Retrieved 9 September 2018.
  19. ↑ 2017 Honda Ridgeline First Drive Review Car and Driver, by Jared Gall, dated 9 May 2016, last accessed 21 July 2019
  20. ↑ Honda Ridgeline Carries Over for 2019 With 2 Minor Upgrades , TorqueNews, by Parks McCants, dated 5 March 2018, last accessed 9 November 2018
  21. ↑ Mid-Size Trucks Don't Need Frames , Jalopnik, by David Tracy, dated 25 August 2016, last accessed 5 September 2016
  22. ↑ Honda Ridgeline Pickup Truck Makes Canadian Debut in Montreal , Auto123.com, dated 13 January 2005, last accessed 8 March 2019
  23. ↑ 2017 Honda Ridgeline Named North American Truck of the Year in Detroit , The News Wheel, dated 10 January 2017, last accessed 8 March 2019
  24. ↑ 2017 Honda Ridgeline Only Pickup Truck to Achieve Top Safety Pick+ Rating , The News Wheel, dated 8 December 2016, last accessed 14 March 2019
  25. ↑ What's Going on With the Honda Ridgeline? , PickupTrucks.com, by Mark Williams, dated 8 October 2011, last accessed 12 November 2016
  26. ↑ In The Driver's Seat of the 2008 Honda Ridgeline , 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 , Gearheads.org, last accessed 7 October 2016
  28. ↑ 2019 Ford Ranger vs. 2020 Jeep Gladiator vs. 2019 Chevrolet Colorado vs. 2019 Honda Ridgeline , Car and Driver, by Jared Gall, dated 1 May 2019, last accessed 24 August 2019
  29. ↑ 29.0 29.1 Medium Done Well: Mid-Size Pickups Ranked-#1 Honda Ridgeline , Car and Driver, last accessed 15 August 2016
  30. ↑ "The Numbers Game: How Truck Makers Determine Towing Capacity - Consumer Feature - Truck Trend" (in en-US). Truck Trend. 2009-08-29. http://www.trucktrend.com/news/163-0910-truck-towing-capacity/. 
  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? , Automotive Design & Production, dated 1 April 2005, last accessed 1 December 2014
  32. ↑ Honda 2018 Digital FactBook , Honda News & Views, dated 31 July 2018, last accessed 1 August 2018
  33. ↑ Honda Appeals After Chile Disqualifies Pickup for Tax Credit , Bloomberg BNA, by Tom Azzopardi, dated 19 January 2017, last accessed 12 February 2017
  34. ↑ 2017 Honda Ridgeline sales show good momentum for August , TorqueNews.com, by Parks McCants, dated 1 September 2016, last accessed 3 September 2016
  35. ↑ Trucks Drive New Records and Acura Turns a Corner as American Honda Posts December Sales Increase , Hondanews.com, dated 3 January 2019, last accessed 3 January 2019
  36. ↑ AD #2493 – FCA Retools Engine Plant for Jeeps, Mid-Size Pickup Segment Soars, How the Jeep Gladiator Got Its Name , Autoline TV, dated 7 December 2018, last accessed 28 December 2018
  37. ↑ Honda Ridgeline Sales Figures , GoodCarBadCar, last accessed February 3, 2019 (Note: 2016 sales numbers include a few Gen1 Ridgeline sales—three in the US and eight in Canada—that were taken into account when posting the sales figures for this article. Additionally, February 2012 sales figures on GoodCarBadCar's website are in error, according to Honda's press release , and have been adjusted accordingly.)
  38. ↑ 38.0 38.1 38.2 38.3 38.4 Honda 2017 Digital FactBook , Hondanews.com, dated 22 May 2017, last accessed 5 January 2019
  39. ↑ Automobile Journalists Association of Canada, 2006 Best New Pick-up , Previous Winners (Vehicle Comparisons)/Canadian Car of the Year, last accessed 11 October 2015
  40. ↑ Automobile Journalists Association of Canada, 2006 Canadian Truck of the Year , Previous Winners (Vehicle Comparisons)/Canadian Car of the Year, last accessed 11 October 2015
  41. ↑ 2006 Honda Ridgeline RTS, First Place: Do-It-All Compact Pickups , Car & Driver, by Larry Webster, dated June 2005, last accessed 26 November 2016
  42. ↑ Unique and Highly Capable Honda Ridgeline Named to Car and Driver Magazine List of the 2018 10Best Trucks and SUVs , Hondanews.com, dated 10 January 2018, last accessed 5 March 2018
  43. ↑ Honda Ridgeline Named to Car and Driver Magazine List of the 2019 10Best Trucks and SUVs , Hondanews.com, dated 16 January 2019, last accessed 19 January 2019
  44. ↑ 44.0 44.1 44.2 44.3 2006–2007 Honda Award List , hondanews.com, dated 29 August 2006, last accessed 6 August 2017
  45. ↑ 2017 AUTO123.COM AWARDS: MEET THE WINNERS! , Auto123.com, dated 23 November 2016, last accessed 7 January 2018
  46. ↑ Honda CR-V and Ridgeline J.D. Power & Associates “2017 APEAL Award” Winners; Honda Brand Places Highly in APEAL Study Rankings , Honda Media Newsroom, dated 23 August 2017, last accessed 26 August 2017
  47. ↑ Honda Accord and Ridgeline Named as J.D. Power & Associates "2018 APEAL Award" Winners with CR-V and Odyssey Also Highly Ranked , hondanews.com, dated 27 July 2018, last accessed 1 August 2018
  48. ↑ San Antonio Auto Show Green Car Awards , Green Car Journal, dated 15 November 2016, last accessed 28 July 2018
  49. ↑ 2018 Honda Ridgeline Best Buy Review , Consumer Guide Automotive, last accessed 18 January 2018
  50. ↑ 2019 Honda Ridgeline Best Buy Review , Consumer Guide Automotive, last accessed 8 December 2018
  51. ↑ 2017 Best Resale Value Awards: Top Ten Cars , Kelley Blue Book, last accessed 7 January 2018
  52. ↑ 2018 Best Resale Value Awards: Top Ten Cars , Kelley Blue Book, last accessed 3 February 2018
  53. ↑ 2019 Best Resale Value Awards: Top Ten Cars , Kelley Blue Book, last accessed 23 January 2019
  54. ↑ 2018 Honda Ridgeline Named as The Car Connection Best Pickup to Buy , Hondanews.com, dated 20 November 2017, last accessed 5 March 2018
  55. ↑ Seven Honda Vehicles Earn Multiple Women’s Choice Awards , hondanews.com, dated 29 November 2017, last accessed 15 July 2018
  56. ↑ 35th-Anniversary Innovation Awards Gala, "License To Thrill" , Automotive Plastics News, dated January 2006 (Volume 35, Issue 2), last accessed 26 November 2016
  57. ↑ Top Safety Picks, Large pickup (go to "Other years" and select the one you want to view) , IIHS.org, last accessed 29 June 2019
  58. ↑ Honda Ridgeline Grabs First-Ever Baja 1000 Win , PickupTrucks.com, by Mike Levine, dated 22 November 2008, last accessed 20 September 2015
  59. ↑ Honda Ridgeline Wins Again at Baja , Honda News & Views, dated 23 November 2010, last accessed 20 September 2015
  60. ↑ Honda Ridgeline Baja Race Truck Conquers Baja 1000 , Hondanews.com, dated 22 November 2015, last accessed 27 November 2015
  61. ↑ Honda Ridgeline Baja Race Truck Takes Class Victory at Baja 500 , hondanews.com, dated 7 June 2016, last accessed 5 November 2017
  62. ↑ Honda Picks Up a 2018 Baja 500 Class Win With Ridgeline , PickupTrucks.com, by Mark Williams, dated 15 June 2018, last accessed 23 June 2018
  63. ↑ New Ridgeline Baja Race Truck Debuts With Baja 500 Victory , hondanews.com, dated 2 June 2019
  64. ↑ The Longest-Lasting Cars to Reach 200,000 Miles and Beyond , iSeeCars.com, by Julie Blackley, last accessed 8 March 2019

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