2012 Honda Ridgeline Sport Package Revealed

The 2012 model year brings a new trim level and some visual revisions for Honda's Ridgeline truck. The new trim is optimistically called Sport -- it doesn't entail any sporty performance upgrades, but does bring aesthetic modifications to make the Ridgeline look a little cooler.

The key word for the Ridgeline Sport is black, as the color is applied to the head-, fog-, and taillight bezels; the mirrors; door handles; unique honeycomb grille; and 18-inch wheels. It's a cool look, but we wonder whether the Sport label is truly justified by what's essentially just a collection of blacked-out body parts. From what we can tell, the Sport will sport much of the same equipment as a typical Ridgeline RT model.

New duds aren't limited to this black-on-black model, as Honda will graft a new grille design onto every 2012 Ridgeline. There are no pictures of the non-Sport model, but our money says the Ridgeline will score the same chrome-slat grille design as the 2012 Pilot.

The 2012 Ridgeline is said to boast improved fuel economy; the 250-hp 3.5-liter V-6 engine will probably remain unchanged while the five-speed automatic transmission could be swapped for a six-speed unit, like that used on the Acura MDX, which rides upon a similar platform. The truck is currently EPA-rated at 15/20 mpg (city/highway). The new Ridgeline (and the Sport variant) goes on sale this November.

Source;

http://www.trucktrend.com/features/news/2011/163_news110725_2012_honda_ridgeline/index.html

Honda says it will keep Ridgeline pickup

This coincides with what I've been told;
http://thehondaportal.blogspot.com/2010/11/rumours.html
If you had any thoughts that Honda might be having misgivings about the truck business, banish them. The youth-oriented Element crossover may be dying, but the Ridgeline pickup will go on.

That's the word from Executive Vice President John Mendel of Honda's U.S. unit, who was quick to squash rumors that Ridgeline, the brand's quirky little truck, could be next on the chopping block. Honda sold 16,142 Ridgelines last year, almost the same as in 2009, but paltry in comparison to truck models from other makers. Toyota, for instance, sold 106,198 of its small Tacoma pickups. General Motors sold 24,642 of its Chevrolet Colorado small pickup truck.

Mendel says Ridgeline has developed a strong following and it increases Honda's "share of garage." It's small truck, yet has a four-door cab, a short bed and a hidden compartment in back.

"We think we have a ways to go on the Ridgeline," he said. It increases Honda's "share of garage." But he wouldn't say when, or commit, to a next generation build for Ridgeline. Honda announced late last year that it will kill the Element, a practical, boxy crossover originally aimed at surfers, bikers and other youthful fun seekers.

Source;
http://content.usatoday.com/communities/driveon/post/2011/01/honda-ridgeline-element-retained/1

2012, 2013 Honda Ridgeline and 2012 Honda Civic Update

2012 Honda Ridgeline
-Expect another Minor Model Change for this year but indeed there will be one.

2013 Honda Ridgeline
-This will be the Full Model Change over. I was told via reliable source that this vehicle is not disappearing, most of this depends on what is going on in the US, and that is favourable.

2012 Honda Civic
-The spyshots floating around (http://thehondaportal.blogspot.com/2010/10/2012-honda-civic-exposed.html) are apparently of the previous Civic that President Ito kiboshed, not the revised one.

Source;
Reliable Honda

Next Gen Honda Ridgeline

Well, although there has been alot of speculation as to whether Honda will continue with a Next Generation Ridgeline Truck, I for one think that the current market conditions are ripe for it! Light truck sales have been strong and there have been quite a few inquiries into what Honda has planned for the next Ridgeline.

Try as I may, I haven't seen any concept drawing or anything! Whatever Honda has planned, they are keeping their cards close to their chest!

So, here begins the "What Should Honda do to the Next Ridgeline".... Post your ideas in the comments section, and let's see what comes up, who knows, maybe Honda's listening....

Honda Ridgeline Teeters On The Edge, What Would You Do With It?

It seemed like a good idea at the time. Pickups were all the rage and becoming softer and more car-like as more and more people turned to them as daily drivers. Honda tried to get ahead of the game, but it hasn't exactly worked out. As Honda sources continue to seesaw on the unibody truck's future, it's time to ask what should become of the Ridgeline.

In February, we ran a report fresh off of the Chicago show floor declaring that a new Ridgeline would be coming "in 2011, for the 2011 model year" as Honda VP of Product Planning Vicki Poponi told PickupTrucks.com. Official word came quickly from Honda, refuting Poponi and declaring that there would be no new Ridgeline for 2011 and leaving the truck's future open-ended.

Honda's rebuttal left some serious questions unanswered. Is a redesign simply planned for a later model year, or is the truck going to be cancelled? Or has Honda even decided? Honda isn't talking, but we've picked up another report today from PickupTrucks.com indicating the Ridgeline isn't long for this world. Sources say that the truck won't be renewed after its lifecycle ends in 2012, which may make 2011 the last model year.

Honda PR Manager Christina Ra would only confirm that there would be no redesigned Ridgeline in 2011, again leaving the truck's future unknown

What we do know, though, is what we can see in Honda's own sales reports. When the Ridgeline debuted in 2005, we were so impressed by its left-field approach and impressive execution that we awarded it our coveted Truck of the Year award. In a world of sub-par Chevy Colorados, ancient Ford Rangers, and a small-truck segment that was mostly an afterthought for most automakers, Honda appeared to have a revolutionary new idea that would offer the casual truck buyer a nice compromise. Its V-6 engine and fully independent suspension offered car-like refinement while its four full doors, AWD, dual-action tailgate, and decent-sized bed with lockable in-floor box gave it a reasonable degree of capability that would appeal to the weekend warrior on home improvement runs and trips to the lake.

At first, it appeared Honda's unibody gamble paid off. The Japanese automaker had hoped to sell 50,000 trucks per year and it nearly did it out of the gate. Sales in 2005 hit 42,593 units and it would only take another year to hit the magical 50,000 mark with 50,193 units sold in 2006. That would be the Ridgeline's best year, though, as sales slipped back to 2005 levels the very next year. Still, 42,795 sales in 2006 could hardly be called a bad year, given the 50,000-sale target, but it would only get worse from here. Its compact size and relative fuel efficiency didn't help as much as you'd think when gas prices shot up in 2008. Sales continued to drop, with only 33,875 sold in 2008 and the freefall continued in 2009, when Honda only managed to move 16,464 Ridgelines.

That brings us to today, less than two weeks after Honda posted its March 2010 sales. March has traditionally been a good month for the Ridgeline, and sales were up 12.3 percent this year. That being said, 1,416 sales aren't a lot to get excited about when the truck posted its all-time high sales just four years earlier in March 2006 with 5,344 trucks leaving the lots. Through March, Ridgeline sales are about 10 percent below last year, foreshadowing a record low in sales in 2010. The Ford Ranger, meanwhile, faced a down year in 2009 with sales off 15 percent but still sold 55,600 copies. For perspective, Honda has sold 189,056 Ridgelines in the five years it's been on the market. Ford sold more than twice as many F-Series trucks in 2009 alone, and sales were down 20 percent that year.

Is there hope on the horizon? Rumor has it the next Dodge/Ram Dakota could be a unibody truck like the Ridgeline. Ford is rumored to be finally considering a next-generation Ranger that, while not unibody, could offer four doors like the Ridgeline. Was the Ridgeline simply too far ahead of its time? This may be the very question kicking around the halls of Honda's headquarters.


In the end, it will likely come down to cost, as most of these decisions do. It is unknown whether Honda has fully paid off its investment in the Ridgeline, though declining sales numbers make it seem unlikely. Either way, a significant redesign on this aging model would be costly, and Honda's experience so far doesn't encourage much hope for the Ridgeline's niche. Can Honda afford to keep building current-generation Ridgelines until Dodge/Ram and Ford make their moves, or will the wait-and-see approach prove too costly?

What do you think Honda should do?
Cut its losses and let the Ridgeline die, or roll the dice on a major redesign in hopes of rekindling the fire? Or, should the company wait out the competition and risk falling behind if the competitors' trucks do catch on? Give us your product plan in the comments below.

Source;
http://wot.motortrend.com/6631468/auto-news/honda-ridgeline-teeters-on-the-edge-what-would-you-do-with-it/index.html

Is the Honda Ridgeline Going Away?

While the automaker won’t comment, sources tell us that Honda won't replace the current Ridgeline unibody pickup after its current lifecycle ends around 2012.

Honda had hopes of selling approximately 50,000 trucks per year when the truck came to market in 2005 for the 2006 model year, but in 2009 only 16,464 units were sold.

The midsize, unibody Ridgeline broke new ground in pickups with controversial slab-sided lunar-lander looks and all-wheel drive. It did away with conventional leaf springs in favor of an independent rear suspension that gave it great ride comfort and enough room for an in-bed lockable trunk – the first in a pickup. The Ridgeline also featured a dual-action tailgate that folded down or off to the side, like a door, to allow unimpeded access to the cargo box.

Asked to confirm or deny the end of the Ridgeline, Honda public relations manager Christina Ra told PickupTrucks.com on Friday that the company had no comment beyond what we were told after the 2010 Chicago Auto Show: "There would be no significant change to the Ridgeline through the 2011 model year."

Of course, Ra didn't deny the Ridgeline would be killed after the 2011 model year either.

Source (via autoblog);
http://news.pickuptrucks.com/2010/04/is-the-honda-ridgeline-going-away.html

No Significant Changes for 2011 Honda Ridgeline

No all-new Honda Ridgeline is expected in the next 18 months, Honda said late Friday. We've been in touch with Honda's PR team since our post earlier this week on the next-generation Honda Ridgeline.

Last March, Dave Marek, chief designer and senior manager of the automotive styling group at Honda Research and Development, Americas, told PickupTrucks.com that design work on the next Ridgeline was under way.

“The (current) Ridgeline was the right thing to do at the time,” Marek said. “But now that the truck market is a moving target, our opportunity is to make it more fuel-efficient -- aerodynamic and lighter -- but still retain the core value it has, which is the inside space and usage in the back.”

We met Vicki Poponi, Honda’s assistant vice president of product planning, on Wednesday at the 2010 Chicago Auto Show and asked her for an update on when the next-gen Ridgeline would arrive.

A new Ridgeline “is coming in ’11, for the 2011 model year,” Poponi said.

But it looks like our question was misunderstood, because today we received a new statement from Honda about the Ridgeline from Christina Ra, manager, Honda public relations.

"American Honda apologizes if there was inaccurate information shared at the Chicago Auto Show about the Honda Ridgeline pickup," Ra told PickupTrucks.com. " I can confirm that there will be no significant change to the Ridgeline through the 2011 model year."

So, what does all of this mean for the Ridgeline? Is an all new truck still planned or will the current one solider on as one of the oldest vehicles in Honda's lineup?

"[Honda's PR staff in the U.S.] usually receives word about 18 months before the launch of a new vehicle," Ra said. "As of now, we don't know when a new Ridgeline is coming. It's not going to be before the summer of 2011."

Given the Ridgeline's slowing sales, we're starting to wonder if Honda is still willing to offer a pickup truck over the long term. Let's hope so. The Ridgeline may not have been embraced by traditional truck owners but its unique features deserve a second shot in a more fuel efficient package.

Source;
http://news.pickuptrucks.com/2010/02/honda-now-says-nextgeneration-ridgeline-not-coming-in-2011.html

Next Generation Honda Ridgeline Coming for 2011 Model Year

At five years old, the Honda Ridgeline is one of the oldest vehicles in Honda’s lineup. That’s expected to be fixed by next year, according to Vicki Poponi, Honda’s assistant vice president of product planning, at the 2010 Chicago Auto Show.

A new Ridgeline “is coming in ’11, for the 2011 model year,” Poponi said.

The midsize, unibody Ridgeline arrived in 2005. It did away with conventional leaf springs in favor of an independent rear suspension that gave it great ride comfort and enough room for an in-bed lockable trunk – the first in a pickup. The Ridgeline also featured all-wheel drive and a dual-action tailgate that folded down or off to the side, like a door, to allow unimpeded access to the cargo box.

But sales over the last year have fallen as the market for new trucks dramatically softened and the Ridgeline has aged.

Last year, Honda sold 16,464 Ridgeline pickups, down from 33,875 a year earlier, a drop of 51.4%.

“The customers love the Ridgeline,” Poponi said. “It’s really a unique truck. It’s its own segment. But because it’s a niche vehicle, they’re really aren’t many people out looking for it. It’s also a bit older than we like” Honda vehicles to be.

The 2011 Honda Ridgeline is expected to keep the same size and crew cab configuration of today’s truck but with improved aerodynamics and powertrain refinements to get better gas mileage.

Source (via autoblog);
http://news.pickuptrucks.com/2010/02/new-honda-ridgeline-coming-for-2011-model-year.html