2006 Honda Ridgeline Pick-Up
Thursday, January 25th, 2007
Traditionally, automakers have spun SUVs off pickup truck platforms. Honda is changing that procedure: For 2006, it is introducing the first H-badged alternative, the Ridgeline, which is a pickup truck, built on a modified Pilot SUV unibody framework.
It’s not what you’d call a classic work truck but is targeted at a narrow, personal use, portion of the small-pickup market. There is no two-wheel drive, two-door model; and neither a manual transmission nor a low-range transfer case is available.
Although the Ridgeline’s chassis stems from the Pilot’s, the structure is significantly changed, with 93 percent being unique to the new truck. A respectable 5000-pound tow rating results from the fiddling. The front-strut, rear-multilink suspension design is carried over from the Pilot, but it, too, has been strengthened to handle additional loads.
The biggest difference, of course, between the SUV and the pickup is the latter’s cargo box, which is made by using a sheet-molding-compound coating that is dent and corrosion resistant, no bed liner needed. A clever bit of design is a hatch in the floor of the bed that opens to expose a nine-cubic-foot trunk, large enough for three sets of golf clubs. There’s also a useful tailgate which swings open from right to left like a door, in addition to its traditional tailgate movement, making it easy to get at the trunk.
The 3.5-liter SOHC engine is familiar Honda goods and makes 255 horsepower and 252 pound-feet of torque in this truck. It’s backed by the well-known five-speed automatic from the Pilot and MDX and Honda’s on-demand VTM-4 four-wheel-drive system, albeit with higher-capacity clutches, a new torque converter, and a transmission-oil cooler. It’s an Ultra Low-Emission Vehicle, and Honda estimates 16 mpg in city driving and 21 on the highway.
Ridgeline’s standard equipment includes 17-inch wheels, A/C, cruise control, power windows, anti-lock brakes, stability control, and a heated windshield area where the wiper blades rest. And with this new-for-Honda segment come new trim levels. Gone are DX, LX, and EX; a base Ridgeline is designated RT and costs roughly $27,000. The mid-level RTS should come in at about 30K and adds alloy wheels, a six-CD changer, and automatic climate control. The top-of-the-line RTL starts at about $32,000 and adds heated leather seats and XM satellite radio.
Tags: 2006 honda, 2006 ridgeline, honda ridgeline, ridgeline
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