The Honda Ridgeline has been named the 2006 truck of the year by Motor Trend magazine, an award that reportedly could help boost the pickup’s lacklustre sales.
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The Associated Press (AP) said it’s the second time this year a Honda vehicle has won the magazine’s top award after Motor Trend last month named the newly redesigned 2006 Civic its car of the year. The 2006 Nissan Xterra was the publication’s sport utility vehicle of the year. The designation is important to automakers, who often use Motor Trend’s endorsement in their advertising.
AP noted that it is also the second straight year a Japanese maker has won Motor Trend’s truck of the year. Last year’s winner was the 2005 Toyota Tacoma.
The Ridgeline, which went on sale in the spring, is Honda’s first entry in the pickup market. Motor Trend reportedly said innovative features set it apart from other trucks in its class, including an 8.5-cubic-foot trunk under the pickup’s bed, four cargo lamps that illuminate the bed and a rear gate that opens like a door or swings down.
Finalists for the truck of the year were four large trucks – the Dodge Ram 1500, Dodge Ram Mega Cab, Lincoln Mark LT and the Ridgeline – and two compact trucks, the Isuzu i350 (a rebadged Chevrolet) and the Mitsubishi Raider (a rebadged Dodge model). Only new or substantially redesigned trucks were considered, and all had to be on sale to the public by 1 January, 2006.
