The unibody platform of the original 2006 Honda Ridgeline was in stark contrast to the standard truck’s recipe when it was revealed at the 2005 North American International Auto Show in Detroit. Although models like the Ford Maverick and Hyundai Santa Cruz have since come with their own unibody designs, the Ridgeline remains perhaps the most notable outlier in the truck segment for two decades and counting.
Honda and its choice of platform for the Ridgeline at the time may have put the truck under a closer microscope, as trucks like the Colorado, Frontier, Ranger, and Tacoma took advantage of a traditional body-on-frame construction. While it arguably gave the Ridgeline a smoother ride, better handling, and better fuel economy, the unibody design (and exterior styling) also cost Honda credibility among buyers who wanted something that looked and performed like a “real truck.”
The unibody platform followed the Ridgeline through a difficult first generation that never reached consumers except the Honda faithful. It survived a two-year absence starting in 2015, followed by a more conventional-looking redesign in 2017 that addressed styling without sacrificing the benefits of the unibody approach. The current 2026 Ridgeline is a carryover from the mid-cycle refresh of the 2021 truck, whose architecture it shares with the Pilot and Passport.
Honda confirmed that a The third generation Ridgeline is coming within two years and released a teaser image on July 23, 2026. For the first time in the truck’s history, Honda is leaving open a question it has never left open before: whether the unibody platform survives the redesign.
“I’m not going to get into that.”
The Standard PR Answer Might Have Some Truth
Lance Woelfer, vice president of automotive sales at American Honda, spoke to CNBC about the redesign and confirmed that the goal for the next Ridgeline is more robust capability. When asked by CNBC auto reporter Michael Wayland if that might include a switch to body-on-frame construction, Woelfer declined to comment either way.
“That’s been an important part of its history,” Woelfer told CNBC, referring to the unibody platform. “Whether it’s part of its future or not, I won’t go into that,” Woelfer continued, adding that he believes the third generation will represent a “step forward for the Ridgeline” that buyers will appreciate.
Honda has spent two decades defending its choice of a monocoque (or Unit-Body in Honda parlance), citing it as the reason the Ridgeline rides and handles better than its body-on-frame rivals. Likewise, Honda has touted the benefits of its i-VTM all-wheel-drive system over a standard 4×4, noting how it reduces fishtailing during off-road maneuvers compared to traditional body-on-frame trucks (i-VTM is short for intelligent variable torque vectoring).
Woelfer’s lack of response may suggest that the decision on the platform for the third-generation Ridgeline is not yet firm with Honda. Perhaps Honda’s engineering and design teams are testing what a body-on-frame Ridgeline would look like. Or maybe it’s just a standard PR response of “we’re sticking with the unibody but we still can’t say why.”
Whether the new Ridgeline remains unibody or body-on-frame, it will be a while before potential buyers can test drive it.
- Basic tuning motor
-
3.5L V6 ICE
- Base Fit Transmission
-
9 speed automatic
- Base trim powertrain
-
All-wheel drive
The path to the third generation.
Family break, but for a different reason
Current 2026 Ridgeline production will end at the end of this year, after which The model line will be put on pause.. The new truck will arrive in two years; Design work will be done at Honda’s studio in Southern California and engineering will be done at its Automotive Development Center in Ohio. Honda’s Alabama auto plant, the same factory that makes the Passport, Pilot and Odyssey, will continue to be the manufacturing headquarters for the Ridgeline in its next generation.
Honda has been down this road with the Ridgeline before, ceasing production of the first-generation truck in 2014 to focus on a comprehensive redesign. Honda omitted the Ridgeline from its 2015 and 2016 model lineup, and the completely redesigned version appeared in high-traffic places like the 2016 North American International Auto Show as a 2017 model year vehicle. The 2017 redesign (and subsequent 2021 refresh) was intended to address the styling of the first generation, a contributing factor to why the Ridgeline failed to land with a broader swath of truck buyers.
According to a automotive news reportThe Ridgeline’s hiatus this time around could be more powertrain-related than styling-related. The current Ridgeline uses an older, single-overhead-cam V6, while the Passport and Pilot have already moved on to a newer, dual-overhead-cam version of the same engine family.
Installing an updated engine into the Ridgeline’s overall product plan is expected to take about 18 months, driven perhaps by Fuel economy commitments Honda made with California which extend through the 2026 model year. Honda released the “teaser” image above for now, which provides an idea of what the third-generation Ridgeline will look like, or at least its silhouette anyway.
If more rugged capability is the goal, Honda can surely expand the current Ridgeline TrailSport for the upcoming third generation. TrailSport models have all-terrain tires, skid plates and an off-road suspension. Previous Ridgeline options include the HPD package (gallery below), a tribute to Honda’s racing heritage, which adds a unique grille, black fenders, an oil pan guard, and more aggressive 18-inch HPD alloy wheels.
Honda could expand on all of these mechanical and styling elements with the third-generation Ridgeline, while also integrating things like its Trail Experience app, which displays driver-centered data points from the vehicle on the interior touch screen while driving off-road.
Body-on-frame design possible, but not likely
Honda hasn’t given a firm date for when more details about the third-generation Ridgeline will be released. At this point, it might be reasonable to imagine that a hybrid powertrain will accompany the new Ridgeline. If so, it would most likely increase the Ridgeline’s power output and towing capacity, two things many truck buyers prioritize, whether I really need that ability. day by day or not.
While not yet confirmed, a switch to body-on-frame seems unlikely. The current Ridgeline shares its platform with the Pilot and Passport, and building it alongside those two SUVs at the Alabama auto plant keeps manufacturing costs down for Honda. A body-on-frame Ridgeline would break that shared architecture, so Honda would have to weigh the costs and complexities of doing so. The automotive industry in general is sensitive to factors like cost and complexity, and Honda is no exception, especially now.
The automaker posted a net loss of $2.7 billion in the fiscal year that ended in March, its first annual loss since going public in 1957. According to Reuters reports earningsHonda linked the loss to more than 1 trillion yen in restructuring charges related to its electric vehicle strategy, including canceled electric vehicle programs Originally planned for North America. Perhaps a revised Ridgeline that will appeal to a broader audience of truck buyers, combined with other popular Honda models. like the cr-vcan give back some of those lost profits.
Meanwhile, Honda will continue to sell current 2026 inventory as the Alabama plant prepares for the new generation of Ridgeline. The 2026 model starts at $42,290 for the Sport version and tops out at $49,390 for the Black Edition Two-Tone. Both figures include the $1,495 destination charge.
Every 2026 Ridgeline has a three-year/36,000-mile comprehensive warranty, a five-year/60,000-mile powertrain warranty, and five years of unlimited-mileage corrosion protection.
