This is a sponsored post from Honda. It does not reflect the views of Autoblog’s editorial team.
Distinctive packaging and innovative features differentiate the Honda Ridgeline in the midsize pickup truck class. Rugged, modern and sophisticated, the award-winning Ridgeline offers versatility and comfort with classic truck utility.
Built in Lincoln, Ala., using domestic and globally sourced parts, the popular Ridgeline is now in its second generation. The pickup delivers the cargo hauling and towing capabilities buyers demand, while its spacious interior, long list of exclusive bed features and Honda’s cutting-edge technology elevate its refinement and functionality beyond anything in its class.
The Ridgeline’s cabin is roomy and quiet. Awarded a Five Star Overall Vehicle Score crash safety rating by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and designated a Top Safety Pick by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety when equipped with optional front crash prevention and specific headlights1, the Ridgeline is known for its safety features.
Honda’s designers packed the pickup’s interior with high-quality, soft-touch materials and thoughtful details, such as LED map lighting and smart storage solutions. The Ridgeline's roomy rear seat accommodates three passengers comfortably, but it’s also split 60/40 and folds away easily. With the seat bottoms flipped up, the second row has the capacity to carry bulky items, like a 55-inch flat-screen television or a mountain bike with its front wheel intact. Also novel is the Ridgeline's large under-seat storage area, which can stow long items, such as golf clubs, with the seats in use.
With a smartphone tray and a pair of cupholders, the Ridgeline’s center console is specially engineered to offer tremendous utility. First of all, it’s huge — large enough to swallow lockboxes, tool bags or a laptop. The console also contains a sliding smartphone tray, a 12-volt power outlet and USB and auxiliary jacks. A sliding door that disappears when opened to save space tops the main storage compartment. When closed, the lid creates a large, rigid and flat surface that can handle heavy items like a purse, briefcase or backpack. The rear of the center console includes automatic climate vents and a pair of USB charging ports for the back-seat passengers.
The advantages of the Ridgeline’s packaging extend to the clever design of its bed. It can haul things like drywall or plywood panels flat on the floor between the wheel wells, and it’s extremely durable. Unlike conventional steel truck beds, the Ridgeline’s does not require a bedliner, and its 1,584-pound maximum payload capacity is higher than comparable Nissan and Toyota models. To secure your load, eight 350-pound tie-down cleats are standard.
The Ridgeline has a lockable and weather-tight In-Bed Trunk, which features a flat floor. It not only provides clean storage for the spare tire, jack and tools, it keeps gear out of sight. The trunk’s 7.3 cubic feet of capacity can hold large items, like suitcases, golf bags or a cooler up to 82 quarts in size, and it has a handy drain plug, so it’s the perfect place to store wet items. Three bag hooks allow you to securely place groceries inside the trunk, and the Ridgeline's Smart Entry senses the proximity of the remote key fob, unlocking the trunk upon the driver's approach.
The Ridgeline's innovative bed design goes well beyond its impressive hauling abilities. It also features a Dual-Action Tailgate. It opens down, like a typical truck tailgate, but can also swing to the side like a door, giving you more convenient access to the In-Bed Trunk and nearly flat bed floor. With the tailgate down, the Ridgeline’s five-foot, four-inch bed extends to more than seven feet. The tailgate’s inner surface includes two molded-in seats, so you have a comfortable place to sit at the trailhead or campground.
Honda offers a 115-volt AC in-bed power outlet with up to 400-watt charging. The Ridgeline is also available with the world's first Truck Bed Audio System, which includes six weatherproof audio exciters, two in each bed side wall and two inside the bed rear wall. The exciters transmit vibrations to the bed walls, turning them into resonant speakers.
The 540-watt audio system is controlled with the in-dash touchscreen, and Apple CarPlay®2 and Android Auto™3 integration are available. Depending on conditions, the Ridgeline can play your favorite jams for more than 11 hours before requiring the engine to be started to recharge the battery, which makes it the ultimate tailgating vehicle. Did we mention that the In-Bed Trunk also serves as a great drink cooler? Other clever bed features are tonneau-ready horizontal surfaces, a side lining pocket with a hinged removable lid and an alternate in-bed spare-tire tie-down point.
Overall, the 2020 Honda Ridgeline proves a pickup can be versatile, comfortable, and technically advanced. The Ridgeline offers the hauling capability truck buyers want, with a unique combination of space, refinement, safety, technology and innovation. The Honda Ridgeline isn’t just another truck, it redefines the midsize pickup truck class.
Disclaimers
— 1Government 5-Star Safety Ratings are part of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA's) New Car Assessment Program (www.safercar.gov)
— 2Apple CarPlay is a registered trademark of Apple Inc.
— 3Android and Android Auto are registered trademarks of Google LLC.