2021 Honda Ridgeline Actually Looks Like a Truck

Many truck fans have never really considered the Honda Ridgeline to be a truck. It looked more like Honda took one of its rather boring SUVs and simply slapped a bed on the back. That’s all changing with the redesigned 2021 Ridgeline. One of the most important changes is that the truck now actually looks like a truck with a more upright grille, squared-off nose, and wider track.

Honda says that the 2021 Ridgeline has all-new sheet metal from the roof pillars forward. It’s still got a unibody construction rather than body-on-frame like traditional pickups though. The interior is also upgraded with a new Display Audio system. Sport trim versions get new cloth seat inserts, and all trims now have contrast stitching on the seats. Sport, RTL, and RTL-E versions get a new dash.

Every version of the 2021 Ridgeline gets a standard 280 horsepower, 3.5-liter V-6 engine backed with a nine-speed automatic transmission. Honda offers its all-wheel-drive system on the Sport and RTL versions, while the feature is standard on the RTL-E. The 2021 model also has what Honda claims is a best-in-class all-wheel-drive standard payload capacity at 1580 pounds. That version of the truck can also total up to 5,000 pounds. Honda Sensing safety systems come standard, and the truck is targeting a five-star overall vehicle safety score. 2021 Ridgeline models will launch early next year.