{"id":26134,"date":"2020-10-12T17:25:03","date_gmt":"2020-10-12T21:25:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/henrypayne.com\/?p=26134"},"modified":"2020-10-12T17:25:03","modified_gmt":"2020-10-12T21:25:03","slug":"debut-honda-ridgeline-pickup-gets-macho-makeover-for-2021","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/2020\/10\/debut-honda-ridgeline-pickup-gets-macho-makeover-for-2021","title":{"rendered":"Debut: Honda Ridgeline pickup gets macho makeover for 2021"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Honda\u2019s midsize truck is getting truckier.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">The only pickup on the market that is built on a unibody\u00a0SUV platform, the latest generation of the Ridgeline has boasted superior ride dynamics and interior room since Honda left behind the traditional ladder-style truck frame for\u00a02017. But it has suffered under the perception that it\u2019s soft against trucks built on traditional frames. Meanwhile, the midsize pickup segment has gotten\u00a0more crowded with new entries from Ford Ranger and Jeep Gladiator in the last two years.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"gnt_em gnt_em_img\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"gnt_em_img_i\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2020\/10\/06\/PDTN\/552174b1-7c59-48f6-b119-d8a38356e4b8-rodgeline_grille.jpg?width=660&amp;height=440&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2020\/10\/06\/PDTN\/552174b1-7c59-48f6-b119-d8a38356e4b8-rodgeline_grille.jpg?width=1320&amp;height=880&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp 2x\" alt=\"The 2021 Honda Ridgeline gets a more aggressive face.\" data-g-r=\"lazy\" \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"gnt_em_img_ccw gnt_em_img_ccw__cap gnt_em_img_ccw__crd\" data-c-caption=\"The 2021 Honda Ridgeline gets a more aggressive face.\" data-c-credit=\"Honda\"><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">So Ridgeline has hit the gym for a new\u00a0more-toned look. The 2021 pickup sports a more aggressive, upright truck grille. The larger opening is crisscrossed with rugged latticework while a more muscular \u201cpower bulge\u201d hood looms above it. Bodywork has been totally remade from the A-pillar forward.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">A prominent skid plate, heavily clad fender wells and a dual exhaust emphasize\u00a0Ridgeline&#8217;s tough new look.\u00a0Want more bling? A new Honda Performance Development\u00a0option\u00a0adds a unique grille treatment, black fender flares\u00a0and bronze-colored wheels.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"gnt_em gnt_em_cp\" aria-label=\"Subscribe to The Detroit News\" data-c-cta=\"SUPPORT MICHIGAN JOURNALISM\">\n<div class=\"gnt_em_cp_cw\">As the U.S. market has gone hog-wild for SUVs, midsize pickups have become important brand halos to message off-road toughness. The ladder-frame Toyota Tacoma, for example, is not just the best-selling pickup in the mid-size segment, its design cues have been adopted by the Japanese brand\u2019s RAV4 SUV\u00a0 in order to give it more personality.<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<figure class=\"gnt_em gnt_em_img\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"gnt_em_img_i\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2020\/10\/06\/PDTN\/1aecaa44-ec7a-4eaf-bab9-631117ce19b1-ridgeline_handle.jpg?width=660&amp;height=441&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2020\/10\/06\/PDTN\/1aecaa44-ec7a-4eaf-bab9-631117ce19b1-ridgeline_handle.jpg?width=1320&amp;height=882&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp 2x\" alt=\"The midsize Honda Ridgeline gets some attitude for 2021. It's is the only pickup in class built on a unibody SUV platform.\" data-g-r=\"lazy\" \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"gnt_em_img_ccw gnt_em_img_ccw__cap gnt_em_img_ccw__crd\" data-c-caption=\"The midsize Honda Ridgeline gets some attitude for 2021. It's is the only pickup in class built on a unibody SUV platform.\" data-c-credit=\"Honda\"><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">&#8220;Truck enthusiasts have long recognized Ridgeline as an incredibly versatile and capable pickup, and now it&#8217;s got the rugged looks to match,&#8221; said Art St. Cyr, Honda North American vice president of auto operations.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Truck guys like what they see.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">\u201cThe 2021 truck adds a much-needed dose of macho style with the new front and dual exhaust,\u201d said Andrew Smirnov\u00a0of The Fast LaneTruck, the online truck review site. TFL Truck baselines all trucks with extensive testing.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">The styling backs up the Ridgeline\u2019s sophisticated, torque-vectoring all-wheel-drive system and versatile bed which includes a 7.3-cubic foot trunk underneath and a versatile\u00a0dual-action tailgate that can both drop and swing\u00a0like a door. Ram only this year added a similar option to its full-size truck.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">But truckers question whether the beefier styling will be enough to expand beyond Ridgeline\u2019s niche as a smooth-riding city truck.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"gnt_em gnt_em_img\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"gnt_em_img_i\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2020\/10\/06\/PDTN\/da55f7b4-0dbe-4e15-8abd-a827052362ee-ridgeline_int.jpg?width=660&amp;height=440&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2020\/10\/06\/PDTN\/da55f7b4-0dbe-4e15-8abd-a827052362ee-ridgeline_int.jpg?width=1320&amp;height=880&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp 2x\" alt=\"The 2021 Honda Ridgeline interior is the roomiest in class. For the new model year it gains a volume knob to help improve complaints about its infotainment system.\" data-g-r=\"lazy\" \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"gnt_em_img_ccw gnt_em_img_ccw__cap gnt_em_img_ccw__crd\" data-c-caption=\"The 2021 Honda Ridgeline interior is the roomiest in class. For the new model year it gains a volume knob to help improve complaints about its infotainment system.\" data-c-credit=\"Honda\"><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">TFL Truck publisher Roman Mica said that he was surprised Honda didn\u2019t take the opportunity to release a rugged, jacked-up, more high-speed version of its pickup similar to what Chevy does with the Colorado ZR2 or\u00a0that Jeep offers with the Gladiator Mojave. Honda \u2014\u00a0which competes in multiple forms of motorsports \u2014has certainly earned that right by competing in the brutal Baja 1000. The Ridgeline won its class this year for the fourth\u00a0time.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Mica said that the Ridgeline\u00a0is the rare pickup that doesn\u2019t offer a two-speed transfer case or significant departure\/approach angles that can get a truck through Mother Nature\u2019s most difficult terrain, even if most customers never push that envelope.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">\u201cMost buyers\u00a0are looking for the truck they want, not the truck they need,\u201d he said. \u201cMost truck owners want to be prepared for the zombie apocalypse.\u201d<\/p>\n<aside id=\"gnt_atomsnc\" class=\"gnt_em gnt_em_anc\" data-g-r=\"lazy\" data-gl-method=\"loadAnc\" aria-label=\"Newsletter signup form\"><\/aside>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Built in Alabama on the same bones as its mid-size Pilot SUV, Honda seems content with Ridgeline&#8217;s versatility as a daily\u00a0driver. The more rugged looks should please the Honda faithful who have complained the Ridgeline\u00a0looked more crossover\u00a0than pickup. Honda sold 8,607 in the third quarter, up from 8,378 a year ago.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">The Tacoma led the segment with over 58,000 in sales last quarter while the Gladiator made big gains with 22,163 (a 37%\u00a0gain) and the Ranger sold 28,350 (up 8%).<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Though its tow rating of 5,000 pounds trails segment competitors, the Ridgeline is no slouch in payload with best-in-class 1,580 pounds. The interior is what really separates it, thanks to the more flexible unibody frame and clever Honda console.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">The console shares the Pilot SUV\u2019s sliding door which opens cavernous\u00a0storage room. The rear seats flip up allowing for rear storage for, for example, a bicycle.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">A Car and Driver comparison\u00a0test of the segment\u2019s front-runners found the Ridgeline scored best-in-class cornering performance, rear-seat space and volume, lowest sound levels, and best in class safety features.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Those safety features\u00a0include standard forward-collision warning, lane-keep assist and adaptive cruise-control.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">The Ridgeline&#8217;s drivetrain\u00a0remains the same for 2021 with a standard, 280-horsepower\u00a03.5-liter V-6 mated to a 9-speed automatic transmission.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Honda\u2019s midsize truck is getting truckier. The only pickup on the market that is built on a unibody\u00a0SUV platform, the latest generation of the Ridgeline has boasted superior ride dynamics and interior room since Honda left behind the traditional ladder-style truck frame for\u00a02017. But it has suffered under the perception that it\u2019s soft against trucks [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26134"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=26134"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26134\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":26135,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26134\/revisions\/26135"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=26134"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=26134"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=26134"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}