2017 Honda Ridgeline Release Date

When it comes to pickup trucks Honda is far away from being a high-flier. However, this Japanese company manufacturer one pickup that can stand side by side with Hilux, Ram, GMC and other well-known names in this field. Ridgeline has a strong position in the North American market and that’s why Honda chose North American International Auto Show in Detroit to present brand-new 2017 Honda Ridgeline. As any other truck, it comes with pros and cons and we tried to summarize the most important ones.

Platform

New Ridgeline is part of the second generation which uses new crossover platform. It is called Honda’s Global Light Truck Platform and takes many features after Honda Pilot. In addition, Honda implemented ACE body structure as well. This structure is supposed to be implemented in future models, too. 2017 Honda Ridgeline has a unibody design.

John Mendel, executive vice president of American Honda Motor, hopes with such design they can better meet demands of their customers. He added that this truck is for all those who need a crossover and wants to use it on a daily basis. Once you think of it new Ridgeline is an extraordinary truck in many ways.

Interior and Exterior

Even though this is the second generation, the 2017 Honda Ridgeline got numerous features of the first one. Many fans compare it with Honda Pilot, but the similarity is subtle. It’s equipped with fog lamps, LED daytime running lights and air inlets. Front fascia faces large horizontal grille with a Honda’s logo placed in the center. Both headlights and grille are slightly chromed. Of course, there is that recognizable dual-action tailgate that can be opened either pivoting down or swinging out.

It’s really hard to tell the difference between Ridgeline’s interior and Pilot’s. However, if you take a closer look you’ll easily see that the dashboard is slightly modified and the shifter is the biggest difference. As all cars this year, it comes with Android Auto system and Apple CarPlay. There are also plenty of helpful features such as digital speedometer, cup holders, and cubbyholes. When it comes space you should worry since even rear seats have a lot of room.

Drivetrain

New 2017 Honda Ridgeline takes many things after Pilot and engine are just one of them. This means we are going to see a 3.5l i-VTEC six-cylinder under the hood. The previous model of Pilot got an improved version of this engine. In other words, direct fuel injection added additional power and torque. This means new Ridgeline is coming with an output of 280 HP and 262 lb-ft of torque.

Many people debate whether this is enough or not for a pickup, but have in mind that previous model didn’t have any problems on the road. Thanks to VCM (Variable Cylinder Management) the 3.5l goes on only three cylinders in low-stress situations. Therefore less fuel is used and the truck is more efficient.

Fuel Economy

Apart from power and towing capacity, fuel consumption is the biggest issue of pickups. 2017 Honda Ridgeline’s EPA rating depends on the driving system. There are two available driving forms, front-wheel and four-wheel drive.

EPA rating of the first one stands at 19/26/22 mpg while the second ones is estimated at 18/25/21 mpg. Generally, fuel consumption is better than last year and we hope there is a room for more improvements. Perhaps it would score better with manual transmission system thus Honda may consider implementing manual gearbox in the future models.

2017 Honda Ridgeline Price and Release Date

According to the numerous sources estimated price of the 2017 Honda Ridgeline is around $30,000. However, there are seven trim levels and the top trim costs nearly $43,000. Unfortunately, there is no reliable info about the release but it should be launched sometime this year. Stay tuned with us in order to get the latest info about the release.