Driven: 2012 Honda Ridgeline Sport

After years of ignoring the exploding market for pickup trucks, Honda finally in 2006 brought out its first pickup, the Ridgeline. Rather than develop a V-8 engine and a body-on-frame chassis from scratch, Honda adapted the unibody underpinnings of its Pilot SUV to create an unconventional pickup, but one that nonetheless would meet the needs of a large number of pickup buyers.

Four-wheel drive is standard. The lone cab configuration has four real doors. Passenger space both up front and in back in generous. The cargo bed is only five feet long but it's more than four feet wide, so building materials can lie flat. The towing capacity of 5000 pounds can't approach the max capacities of full-size pickups (which are constantly one-upping each other) but is sufficient for most recreational towing.

Honda also added a few clever touches. The most significant is a standard, lockable, under-floor trunk below the cargo bed, providing a secure, outside-the-cab place to stow luggage. And there's a two-way tailgate that drops down like a conventional tailgate or can swing open like a door, providing closer reach-in access to whatever's in the bed and making it easier to hose out debris.

The reaction among pickup buyers has been a collective yawn. Sales, which were never great to begin with, lately have been in a freefall. Volume dropped by half from 2008 to 2010 and then fell another 40 percent last year. In fact, a few months ago, Honda felt compelled to post on its media web site an open letter from the company's head to truck product planning, denying rumors that the Ridgeline would be dropped and insisting that a pickup truck will remain part of the company's portfolio.

For 2012, Honda gave the Ridgeline a bit of attention, coaxing another 1 mpg out of the powertrain and adding the Sport trim level.

At $30,805, the latter is a $745 step up over the base model. It adds a bit of much-needed flash outside, mostly with black-finish 18-inch wheels. There's also a black grille with a unique texture, fog lights, and black surrounds for the head- and taillights. Inside, the Sport gets a leather-wrapped steering wheel with audio controls, an aux input jack, heavy-duty rubber floor mats, and rear privacy glass.

The fuel economy boost brings the Ridgeline up to 15/21 mpg (city/highway), but that's no more economical than a Ford F-150 4x4 with the Ecoboost V-6.

Clearly, none of the 2012 changes is likely to reverse the Ridgeline's fortunes. That's too bad, because the Ridgeline is in many ways far more pleasant to drive and easier to live with than a full-size four-door pickup. Being two feet shorter, and with a four-foot smaller turning circle, it's far less hassle to park and maneuver. The Ridgeline also doesn't require the huge climb up that regular 4x4 pickups do.

Having the cab and the cargo bed integrated as a single unit makes for a more rigid body structure and thus the Honda is free of the shudder over bumps that plagues typical pickups. With an independent rear suspension, there's no axle hop. The 3.5-liter V-6 is no powerhouse, at 250 hp, but it has enough muscle to get the Ridgeline moving, and four-wheel drive eliminates any torque steer. The transmission is only a five-speed, but the ratios are well spaced and the gearbox doesn't do a lot of hunting.

The Sport interior is pretty basic, with lots of hard plastic, and cheap-feeling cloth upholstery (why not vinyl?). There really are no factory options, so buyers looking for more niceties, like leather or navigation, have to move up a more deluxe trim level. In typical Honda fashion, the switchgear is very clear; cabin stowage is plentiful. The flip up rear-seat cushion makes it easier to carry bulky items inside the cabin. The worst aspect of the Ridgeline interior is the somewhat awkward driving position, with an intrusive and strangely positioned dead pedal.

Apparently, though, none of that matters much. Pickup buyers like their trucks big, and unless Honda can make the Ridgeline a more compelling alternative -- perhaps by giving it a clear advantage in fuel economy -- it appears likely to remain an outlier.

Source;

http://www.automobilemag.com/reviews/driven/1201_2012_honda_ridgeline_sport/index.html

2012 Honda Ridgeline Adds New Sport Model, More Style and Fuel Efficiency

Updates include a new Ridgeline Sport model, new front styling and improved fuel efficiency on all models
11/02/2011 - TORRANCE, Calif.
Honda's four-door, five-passenger pickup receives styling upgrades and improved highway fuel economy for 2012, along with a new Ridgeline Sport model that provides high-value features targeted at the entry four-wheel-drive truck segment.

The 2012 Ridgeline is now available in four models, including the Ridgeline RT, new Ridgeline Sport, Ridgeline RTS and Ridgeline RTL. Upgrades on all models for 2012 include a refreshed grille design, aerodynamic improvements, friction reduction measures in the engine and a new EPA fuel rating of 15/21/17 city/highway/combined mpg, up 1 mpg in the highway rating.

The new Ridgeline Sport model adds the following features to the Ridgeline RT: exclusive black 18-inch aluminum alloy wheels (+1 inch from RT steel wheels); exclusive black honeycomb grille with black surround; leather wrapped steering wheel with audio controls; auxiliary audio input jack; fog lights; rear privacy glass; all weather floor mats and black headlight and brake light housings.

The Ridgeline represents an exclusive and innovative approach in the half-ton pickup truck segment by prioritizing its construction and features based on the capabilities that many recreational truck buyers typically need and use. The Ridgeline is built with a closed-box, unitized body structure for a unique combination of capability, interior spaciousness and comfortable ride performance from its independent front and rear suspension. It also delivers a wide range of conventional pickup capabilities with a maximum tow rating of 5,000 pounds and a half-ton payload rating, all while offering unique features like a large In-Bed Trunk®.

Functionally Innovative Exterior
The unit-body architecture is designed for vastly superior rigidity compared to traditional body-on-frame designs and provides the foundation for the Ridgeline's spacious interior cabin and bed, safety performance and class-leading ride and handling performance. The Ridgeline's modern and athletic design incorporates a solid, one-piece appearance with no separation between the bed and the cab. Large side mirrors compliment rear vision while towing. The windshield wipers have a heated wiper zone to enhance wiper performance in cold, winter driving conditions and minimize ice scraping.

A 5-foot-long composite cargo bed with eight tie-down locations provides a payload rating of 1,100 pounds. Four cargo area lights illuminate both the bed and the in-bed trunk. A dual-action tailgate opens down for traditional access to the cargo area or to the side for ease-of-access to the 8.5 cubic-foot In-Bed Trunk®. The Ridgeline is available with a wide variety of accessories and can conveniently accommodate motorcycles and ATVs. The cargo area measures 49.5 inches wide between the wheel wells, 20.7 inches deep and 60.0 inches long (79.0 inches with the load-supporting tailgate in the down position).

Roomy and Comfortable Interior
The interior takes advantage of Honda's unit-body packaging efficiency to deliver full-size interior space dimensions while maintaining a garage-friendly, mid-size exterior footprint. The driving position provides ergonomically comfortable access to large and easy-to-use controls.
Ridgeline's large multi-function console features a sliding armrest and sliding lower tray – each with a hidden storage area. Other console storage areas accommodate items both large and small like mobile phones, beverages, compact discs and portable digital music players.

The 60/40 lift-up rear seats feature a storage area underneath large enough to accommodate a golf bag. Plus, the rear seating area can quickly convert for cargo duty by lifting the seats up to create enough room for a full-size mountain bike with the front tire removed. The rear seat incorporates three LATCH positions for compatible child safety seats.

Strong, Versatile Performance
Ridgeline's all-aluminum, 60-degree, SOHC 3.5-liter VTEC engine produces 250 horsepower at 5,700 rpm and 247 lb-ft. of torque at 4,300 rpm. Variable valve timing enhances low rpm torque while extending high rpm horsepower for a broad power band. The 5-speed electronically controlled automatic transmission features Grade Logic Control to help maintain the most appropriate gear when going uphill or downhill to avoid gear "hunting." The fully automatic Variable Torque Management® 4-wheel drive system (VTM-4®) provides confident operation in rain, snow, ice, sand and mud, while also improving on-road and towing performance by distributing torque to all four wheels as needed. The system operates predominately in front-wheel-drive during dry-pavement cruising conditions and continuously proportions torque to the rear wheels during acceleration and low traction situations. VTM-4 lock button located on the instrument panel allows the driver to temporarily hold engagement of both rear wheels to aid traction while in gears "1" and "2" at speeds of up to 18 mph.

Standard equipment for towing includes an integrated tow hitch, transmission and oil coolers, heavy duty brakes, dual radiator fans and a wiring harness for a seven-pin trailer hook up (pre-wiring only on RT and Sport).

Chassis Specifications
Fully independent, a MacPherson strut front suspension and a multi-link with trailing arm rear suspension provide a smooth ride and responsive handling. A heavy-duty braking system includes 12.6-inch front and 13.1-inch rear 4-wheel anti-lock disc brakes with Electronic Brake Distribution (EBD) and Brake Assist. The Ridgeline RT has 17x7.5-inch steel wheels and P245/65 R17 all-season tires, while the Ridgeline RTS upgrades to 17x7.5-inch aluminum alloy wheels. Ridgeline Sport and Ridgeline RTL models are uniquely equipped with 18x7.5-inch aluminum alloy wheels and all-season P245/60 R18 tires.

Committed to Safety
All Ridgelines are equipped with these standard safety features: advanced dual-state, multiple-threshold driver's and front passenger's SRS airbags; front side airbags with passenger-side Occupant Position Detection System (OPDS); two-row side-curtain airbags with a rollover sensor; front-seat active head restraints; a tire pressure monitoring system; and daytime running lights. Vehicle Stability Assist™ (VSA®), commonly referred to as electronic stability control, can apply braking force to a wheel with low traction and direct driving force to the wheel with more traction.

Standard and Available Features
Standard features on the Ridgeline RT include: integrated trailer hitch; pre-wiring for seven-pin trailer wiring; trip computer with instantaneous and average fuel economy; air conditioning; tilt steering wheel; power windows and door locks; power sliding rear window; cruise control; keyless entry; automatic heated wiper zone; six-speaker, 100-watt audio system with CD player and MP3/WMA playback capability; and 60/40 split lift-up rear seat with under-seat storage.

The new Ridgeline Sport model adds the following features to the Ridgeline RT: exclusive black 18-inch aluminum alloy wheels (+1 inch from RT steel wheels); exclusive black honeycomb grille with black surround; leather wrapped steering wheel with audio controls; auxiliary audio input jack; fog lights; rear privacy glass; all weather floor mats and black headlight and brake light housings.

The Ridgeline RTS adds the following to the RT: exclusive 17-inch aluminum alloy wheels, a seven-pin trailer wiring connector, body-color painted door handles, painted inner grille surfaces, a seven-speaker 160-watt audio system with subwoofer, six-disc in-dash CD system, steering wheel-mounted controls, an auxiliary audio input jack; dual-zone automatic climate control, an eight-way power driver's seat with lumbar support, privacy glass and all-weather floor mats.

Exclusive Ridgeline RTL features include leather-trimmed interior with heated front seats, exclusive 18-inch aluminum alloy wheels, fog lights, moonroof, 115-volt power outlet, XM Radio1, HomeLink® remote system, carpeted floor mats and a compass in the rearview mirror.

The Honda Satellite-Linked Navigation System™2 with Voice Recognition and Zagat Survey® restaurant information is available on RTL models. It includes XM Radio3, Bluetooth® HandsFreeLink®, a multi-information display and a back-up camera display. The navigation system includes a compass, thus eliminating the compass in the rearview mirror.

Source;
http://www.hondanews.com/channels/corporate-headlines/releases/2012-honda-ridgeline-adds-new-sport-model-more-style-and-fuel-efficiency

Honda Spyshot: 2012 Honda Ridgeline

We recently covered the 2012 Honda Ridgeline's new Sport trim package (pic below), which adds several exterior changes to our favorite unibody pickup. But if you're wondering about changes to other models, our spies have come through with the photos Honda doesn't want you to see.



Other Ridgeline models, including the high-end RTL version caught here during hot weather testing, are set to receive a new three-bar grille that's similar to the 2012 Honda Pilot crossover's grille, plus restyled taillights. We hear there will be several minor interior changes as well.

Officially, Honda says there will also be a slight boost in EPA mileage ratings for the 2012 Ridgeline in addition to the cosmetic updates. The 2011 Ridgeline is rated at 15/20 mpg city/highway and 17 mpg combined.



On sale November 2011.



Source;

http://news.pickuptrucks.com/2011/08/spied-2012-honda-ridgeline-rtl.html

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