Saturday, April 10, 2010

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 comments: