Honda Ridgeline Coming Back as a Hybrid.
We are finally hearing from the Honda Ridgeline’s future. The good old truck/not a truck from Honda will stop production soon. In order to return in a year and half. A better Ridgeline for 2028 is on its way, and especially, a less thirsty one. The current powertrain will also not meet next year’s revised emission rules. That’s how old it is…
Honda is not saying the 2028 Ridgeline will ride on a new platform. Of course since its “save money” time at Honda these days. However, it seems we can still expect something that at least will “look” pretty new.
The newest thing will be the new V6 Hybrid powertrain. Which will also end up in most of Honda’s large models. Like the Pilot or the Acura MDX. And probably the Honda Odyssey as well. A cleaner set up that is supposed to get a 30% better fuel economy. Which will still not be great. Since these large Hondas struggle to get 14 MPG around town as it is. 30% better will still be under 19MPG. Hardly amazing for 2028 models.
The current generation Ridgeline came out in 2016. It is quite old and still shares its interior with the previous generation Passport and Pilot. That’s a 10 year old interior. The Honda Ridgeline still has a very smooth ride and still is a very comfortable pickup. It almost rides like a luxury car. But the second generation design is much more conservative than the first one was. And that more “truck-like” design never translated into a huge bump in sales. Although numbers have actually been holding pretty steady with over 48,000 of them sold last year.
There is no doubt the Ridgeline is due for a redesign if Honda wants to keep it around. It shares so much with the Passport I do not expect a possible next generation to ever be as cool or original as the first one. Which of course, wasn’t for everyone, but the current one doesn’t seem to be either.
And yet, this could be exactly where Honda surprises everyone. The brand has been quietly refining its latest interiors and hybrid systems, and a redesigned Ridgeline could benefit from both in a big way. Imagine a more premium cabin inspired by the latest Passport, combined with the new V6 hybrid powertrain delivering better fuel economy than rivals like the Toyota Tacoma. That alone could give Honda a unique edge in a crowded segment.
At the same time, Honda could finally lean back into what made the Ridgeline different in the first place. Features like the in-bed trunk and dual-action tailgate are still unmatched, and doubling down on that kind of smart functionality would make the truck stand out again. Instead of chasing traditional pickups, Honda has an opportunity to redefine what a modern, everyday pickup should be.
Maybe turn the Ridgeline into the more refined, actiivity pickup it was alwasy supposed to be. Instead of trying too hard to be a truck.
The illustration above could be pretty close to what a new Honda Ridgeline might look like. If Honda went chose a more conservative route. However, something a bit more original and intersting woul be pretty nice.