Current generation Ridgeline production to conclude mid-2014
After a few years of speculation regarding Honda’s intentions with their light truck offering, the Japanese automaker has officially announced there will be a new Ridgeline arriving on dealer lots in about two years time. Also, current generation Ridgeline production in Lincoln, Alabama will conclude next year.
Honda provided a line silhouette sketch of the next Ridgeline pickup, showing a softer front end shape than the current generation truck.
While the Ridgeline plays in the 1/2 ton truck class, it was never seen as a viable contender versus the Big 3 and other Japanese offerings from Nissan and Toyota. Honda’s truck uses unibody construction while all its competitors use full truck frames.
Full press release below.
All-new Honda Ridgeline Pickup to Debut Within Two Years
- Design sketch reveals styling direction for Next-Gen Honda truck
- Current Ridgeline production will end mid-2014
- Sales of Ridgeline up 29 percent in 2013
An all-new Honda Ridgeline pickup truck will come to market in less than two years and, today, Honda shared a sketch expressing the new truck’s styling direction. Honda also confirmed that production of the current Ridgeline, built exclusively by Honda Manufacturing of Alabama, LLC, in Lincoln, Alabama, will conclude in mid-2014.
Like the innovative first-generation model that earned 2006 North American Truck of the Year and Motor Trend Truck of the Year honors after its fall 2005 debut, the next-gen Ridgeline is being designed and developed by Honda R&D Americas, Inc. at its Los Angeles and Ohio R&D centers.
The Honda Ridgeline broke new ground in the American pickup market with its unique design featuring a spacious five-passenger cabin, smooth ride and handling, and half-ton truck capability. The first truck of its kind to be built on a closed-box unibody platform, the Ridgeline introduced innovative new features to the pickup segment, such as its large In-Bed Trunk® and dual-action tailgate.
“The next generation Ridgeline will build on Honda’s role in creating new value with a new take on advancing form and function in the truck segment,” said Michael Accavitti, senior vice president of automobile operations for American Honda Motor Co., Inc. “With a clear path forward, Ridgeline will play an even more important role in our future product portfolio and strengthen an already class-leading lineup of light trucks.”
Sales of Ridgeline have enjoyed strong momentum in 2013, strengthened recently by the introduction of a new top-of-the-line Special Edition model for 2014, with sales totaling 16,160 units through the first 11 months of the year, an increase of 29 percent.
