Honda Malaysia said as much on that score last month.
But Stateside, it's having a decent go at the American pick-up truck market. With a mid-cycle facelift, the Ridegeline starts looking more macho.
Equally at home on dirt and mud-strewn trails as it is on the highway or twisting mountain roads, the 2021 Ridgeline features standard V6 power, class-leading ride and handling, the segment’s largest interior for passengers and gear, a versatile bed, and the best standard AWD model payload capacity.
“Truck enthusiasts have long recognised Ridgeline as an incredibly versatile and capable pickup, and now it’s got the rugged looks to match,” said Art St. Cyr, vice president of Auto Operations for American Honda Motor Co., Inc.
“The Ridgeline signals a new direction for our light-truck designs, one that more effectively communicates all the hard work that goes into making Honda pickups and SUVs such proficient on- and off-road performers.”
The 2021 Ridgeline features all-new sheet metal from the front roof pillars forward. Design changes include a new hood sporting a pronounced power bulge, and new front fenders that emphasize the squared-off nose and more upright grille, flanked by LED headlights updated for better illumination.
Atop the grille is a crossbar that bisects the headlight lenses – gloss black on Sport trims and Black edition, chrome on RTL and RTL-E.
Below, a new front bumper highlights the toughness of the new Ridgeline’s design and adds broad side vents that route air through the bumper and around the front tires and wheels, creating air curtains to improve aerodynamic performance.
The body colour is also extended farther down the front bumper, and a prominent skid plate emphasizes Ridgeline’s tough new look. At the back, a reshaped bumper exposes aggressive new twin exhaust outlets.
All trims feature tougher looking 18-inch wheels with backspacing reduced 10mm, increasing track width a total of 20 mm and lending the Ridgeline a broader, more planted stance, bolstered by all-season tires with a new, more aggressive sidewall and shoulder design.
For those looking to take Ridgeline’s dynamic new styling to the next level, a new package created in collaboration with Honda Performance Development (HPD) answers the call.
The new HPD Package adds a unique grille treatment, black fender flares, aggressive bronze-coloured wheels, and special HPD graphics on the bed walls.
The 2021 Ridgeline’s spacious cabin, which offers top-class passenger comfort and rear-seat legroom, receives an updated Display Audio system with crisp new graphics, easier-to-use touchscreen icons, and a physical volume knob.
In addition, Ridgelines in Sport trim add new cloth seat inserts, all trims get new contrast stitching on the seats, and Sport, RTL and RTL-E trims have new dash, steering wheel and center console accents.
Ridgeline’s flat floor and foldaway 60/40-split rear seat bottoms continue to offer enhanced flexibility for carrying long and tall items in the cabin.
Ridgeline’s versatility as a cargo-hauling platform is enhanced by its Dual-Action Tailgate, which opens downward or to the side, making access to cargo and the In-Bed Trunk a snap.
The tailgate can handle dynamic loads of up to 300 pounds, supporting long payloads such as motorcycles and ATVs.
Ridgeline comes standard with the Honda Sensing, featuring Collision Mitigation Braking System (CMBS) with Forward Collision Warning (FCW), Lane Keeping Assist System (LKAS), Road Departure Mitigation (RDM) with Lane Departure Warning (LDW), and Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC).
More information about the 2021 Ridgeline, including prices and detailed specifications, will be available closer to its on-sale date early next year.
