The Honda Ridgeline (YK2/YK3) is the second generation of mid-size pickup truck manufactured by Honda under the Ridgeline nameplate. The second generation Ridgeline took a different approach in design from the first generation Ridgeline by using Honda's new "global light truck platform,"2017 Honda Ridgeline Press Kit (complete document) , American Honda Motor Company Inc., dated 9 May 2016, last accessed 18 January 2018 (Note: This early press release has been found to have errors when compared to the production version for the vehicle and the options made available to buyers, such as: the turning radius, RT and RTS interior colors, and exterior color names.) found in the third generation Honda Pilot as well as other large Honda vehicles,2017-2018 Honda Ridgeline, Honda's pickup for the non-pickup types, TopSpeed.com, by Mark McNabb, dated 24 July 2017, last accessed 2 March 20192019 Honda Passport already rolling off the assembly line in Alabama, c/net, by Andrew Krok, dated 7 December 2018, last accessed 2 March 2019Great Designs in Steel, The 2017 Honda Ridgeline ; autosteel.org; by Steve Behm, Principal Underbody Design Engineer, 2017 Honda Ridgeline Body Development Leader, Honda R&D Americas; dated 17 May 2017; last accessed 28 May 2018 and made modifications such as:
Modifying various parts to support hauling, towing, on road and off-road use2017 Honda Ridgeline Review, the cool stuff with Tips & Tricks, HondaPro Jason YouTube channel, dated 10 May 2016, last accessed 9 September 2018 Incorporating notable features from the first generation, such as the dual–action tailgate and in–bed trunk2006 Honda Ridgeline Press Kit (complete document), Canadian version , Honda Canada Finance Inc., dated 22 March 2005, last accessed 18 January 2018 Adding new features, such as Honda's truck bed audio system (No longer available since 2023 for the 2024 model year.) Despite these modifications, Honda said the second generation Ridgeline shares 73% of its components with the third generation Pilot.
With the mixed success of the first generation Ridgeline,Driving Honda: Inside the World's Most Innovative Car Company, by Jeffrey Rothfeder, 1st published 2014, paperback with "afterword" published 2015, , last accessed 16 June 2019 Honda posted "an open letter from the company's head of 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."Driven: 2012 Honda Ridgeline Sport, Automobile Magazine, by Joe Lorio, dated 25 January 2012, last accessed 1 December 2014 With that proclamation, Honda committed to the development of a new Ridgeline. After a one-year hiatus in Ridgeline production, the second generation of the mid-size truck went on sale in June 2016 as a 2017 model-year vehicle.Honda 2022 Digital FactBook, Honda Corporate News, dated 9 September 2022, last accessed 23 January 2023 According to Honda, the Ridgeline was not designed to steal sales from the more traditional trucks sold in North America, but was developed to "give the 18% of Honda owners who also own pickups a chance to make their garages a Honda-only parking area."
Design According to Autoline and Automotive News, Honda's research clinics found that buyers made assumptions about toughness and payload based on the gaps between the tires and the truck's wheel arches, the vehicle's stance, and whether or not it had a tow hitch.Honda's Ridgeline lesson: Looks matter – Research on visual cues led to some 'aha' moments for Ridgeline team, Automotive News, by David Undercoffler, dated 15 May 2016, last accessed 30 April 2022Autoline After Hours #331 – Honda Ridgeline: The Un-Truck, Truck, Autoline, dated 12 May 2016, last accessed 30 April 2022 Jim Loftus, the second generation Ridgeline's Performance Lead Engineer, said, "Those things were honestly kind of 'aha' moments or big surprises to us as a project team..." So the team, led by Large Project Leader and Chief Engineer Kerry McClure, went back and incorporated all of those messages into their next-generation pickup. In November 2015, Honda presented its new Ridgeline Baja Race Truck at the 2015 SEMA Show, giving the public some insight into the design language that would be used in the next-generation Ridgeline. Two months later, at the North American International Auto Show, Honda unveiled the production version of the second generation frame without buttressing.Mid-Size Trucks Don't Need Frames; Jalopnik, Truck Yeah; by David Tracy, dated 25 August 2016
Honda's new global light truck platform, specifically the third generation Pilot and the 2019–present Honda Passport, includes many features and capabilities that are shared with the second generation Ridgeline which are uncommon for mid-size pickups, such as:2016 Honda Pilot - Overview , hondanews.com, dated 20 May 2015, last accessed 2 March 20192019 Honda Passport Press Kit, hondanews.com, dated 29 January 2019, last accessed 2 March 2019 Intelligent traction management—which offers different drive modes normal and snow for front-wheel drive (FWD) and adds mud and sand for all-wheel drive (AWD) that adjusts throttle mapping, shift points, power distribution, and Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA) responses—(all models):, Snow mode: Throttle input is made less aggressive to minimize pedal travel and make launching easierHere's How The 2017 Honda Ridgeline's Trick Off-Roading Modes Work, Jalopnik, by Andrew P. Collins, dated 11 May 2016, last accessed 10 March 2018 Mud mode: Throttle input is made more aggressive, torque vectoring is disabled, more power is sent to the rear wheels, the transmission delays upshifts, and traction control allows for more wheel-slip Sand mode: Similar to mud mode but with more aggressive setting, maximum rear-wheel bias Economy assist—which adjusts engine performance, throttle response, cruise control, and climate control reactionsHow the Econ button works on a new Honda. How it really works!!, YouTube, Honda Guru of Williamsburg, dated 12 October 2015, last accessed 18 November 2018—(all models) Hill start assist—which prevents the vehicle from rolling backward when the driver switches from the brake to the accelerator while stopped on a hill—(all models) Honda Sensing—which consists of a suite of systems (collision mitigation braking system, forward collision warning, lane keeping assist system, road departure mitigation, lane departure warning, and adaptive cruise control)—(select models) Blind spot information system with rear cross-traffic monitor—which helps the driver with blind spots around the vehicle—(select models) Motion-adaptive electric power steering—which gives the driver steering inputs to correct vehicle direction in turns and in slippery road conditions—(all models) MacPherson strut front suspension—but with heavier-duty knuckles, hubs, and bearings—(all models) Multi-link rear suspension with tubular stabilizer bar—but with heavier-duty knuckles and control arms—(all models) Amplitude reactive dampers—although modified for truck duty, these dampers have two hydraulic circuits, one tuned for ride quality and one for large/harsh undulations—(all models) Tire fill assist—which provides audio and visual alerts to users when correct air pressure is reached during inflation—(all models) Tri-zone climate control—which provides different climate settings for the driver, front-passenger, and rear-passengers—(select models)
Differences from the First generation Ridgeline
Standard features included a bed-mounted 115 volt (V)/150–400 watt (W) alternating current (AC) inverter and carryover features included an in-bed trunk and flat cabin floor.2017 Honda Ridgeline First Drive Review Car and Driver, by Jared Gall, dated 9 May 2016, last accessed 21 July 2019 The bed featured an integrated audio system, controllable via a Bluetooth-enabled smartphone. Weight dropped by . The C-pillar and rear sub-frame were strengthened giving the second generation 28% more torsional rigidity over the first generation Ridgeline.Mid-Size Trucks Don't Need Frames , Jalopnik, by David Tracy, dated 25 August 2016, last accessed 5 September 2016 Noise, vibration, and harshness improvements included active noise cancellation, active control engine mounts, and an available acoustic windshield.
AWD models offered the same or improved hauling and towing performance compared to the first generation, for example:2006 Honda Ridgeline Specifications, hondanews.com, dated 2 February 2005, last accessed 17 January 20182017 Honda Ridgeline, WardsAuto Interiors brief, Honda North America, by Steve Behm (Body and Truck Bed Project Leader), dated 11 May 2016, WebArchive retrieval date 14 June 2016, last accessed 24 February 2018 Same published weight limits of in the bed, dynamically on the tailgate, on the roof, and towing, but this time it was reportedly built to meet the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) J2807 standardSAE J2807 Tow Tests - The Standard, SAE J2807 Tow Tests Will Change The Game, Motor Trend's Truck Trend Network, by Trevor Reed, dated 16 January 2015, last accessed 8 October 2019Second time a charm for Honda's unibody Ridgeline pickup?, SAE International, dated 15 May 2016, 20 August 2018 An increase in rear seat storage with in under-seat storage and in overall second row storage, a and increase respectively A bigger bed at: long with tailgate up, an increase of long with tailgate down, an increase of wide, an increase of wide between the wheel wells and D-pillars, an increase of A non-painted and textured steel-reinforced sheet molding composite bed—developed by Continental Structural Plastics—SMC + D-LFT: A hybrid box for the Gen 2 Ridgeline, Composites World, by Peggy Malnati, 18 September 2017, last accessed 29 November 2017 that is reportedly stronger than its competitor'sTruck Bed Battle: Ford F-150 vs Chevy Silverado vs… Honda Ridgeline?, YouTube Channel: 4 Wheel Online, dated 17 June 2016, last accessed 20 August 2016
A similar J-series 3.5 L (212 cu in) 60° aluminum alloy V6 engine design with belt-driven single overhead camshafts, 24-valves, and an aluminum variable-length intake manifold but this version has: 11.5 : 1 compression Direct injection Intelligent variable valve timing & lift electronic control (i-VTEC) Variable displacement (from six to three cylinders when not under load) Producing and , in increase of and depending on model year 87 AKI gasoline for all driving conditions2017 Honda Ridgeline Owner's Manual, owners.honda.com, last accessed 17 January 2018 A 150 Amperes (A) alternator (up 20 A from the first generation) with a battery management system that optimizes alternator use, extends battery life, and prevents unintended battery drains A new transmission with: Six versus five forward gears with a 24.5% lower first gear, a 20.2% lower reverse gear, and a 3.3% higher top (overdrive) gear with an overall 20% wider gear spread Reduced friction new lock-up clutch A new AWD system (I-VTM4) that is: Hydraulically actuated 22% lighter Able to handle 20% more torque Able to dynamically distribute torque between the left and right rear-wheels Capable of overdriving the outside rear wheel by 2.7% (a.k.a. torque vectoring) Amplitude reactive dampers—that reportedly hold up better under severe stress2017 Honda Ridgeline Long-Term Road Test, Edmonds, by Dan Edmunds, dated 17 July 2017, last accessed 15 November 2018—as well as stronger and/or larger knuckles, hubs, bearings, and control arms Improved brake ventilation with a 23% reduction in drag A steering ratio reduction of 15% at 15.95 : 1 A rear-view camera with wide, normal, and top-down viewing angles with guidelines (guidelines morph based on steering angle on touchscreen models)
A LaneWatch camera that enhances the driver's view along the right side of the vehicle An auto-tilting side-view mirror, for close-in visibility when backing up