It may be the slowest seller in the US pickup truck segment but Honda nonetheless said a redesigned Ridgeline will go on sale “in less than two years” though production of the current model in Lincoln, Alabama, will end in mid-2014.
The new model, like its 2005-launch predecessor, is being designed and developed by Honda R&D Americas in Los Angeles and Ohio.
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Honda claimed the Ridgeline broke new ground in the American pickup market with its 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, it introduced innovative new features to the pickup segment, such as its large ‘in-bed trunk’ (stowage box) 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.
Ridgeline sales rose 29% to 16,160 units in the first 11 months of the year. In contrast, Ford’s segment leader F-series was up 19.8% to 623,309.
