Honda sold 48,448 Ridgelines in the U.S. in 2025. That number might sound modest against the 274,638 Tacomas and 107,074 Colorados that moved off lots the same year — but Honda just confirmed the Ridgeline isn’t going anywhere. In fact, it’s getting the rugged redesign fans have been asking for since the truck launched in 2005. A third-generation Ridgeline is coming, and Honda says it’ll arrive within two years.
Key Takeaways
- Third-generation Ridgeline confirmed – arriving within two years (~2028)
- More rugged design – boxier proportions, off-road-capable direction inspired by the new Passport
- Current 2026 Ridgeline production pauses this year – gap while Alabama plant prepares
- Expected: hybrid V-6 with up to 3 electric motors, +10% acceleration, +30% fuel economy
- Still made in Alabama – same plant as Passport, Pilot, and Odyssey
Photo Credit: American Honda / Car and Driver
After 20 Years, the Ridgeline Finally Goes Rugged
The Ridgeline has always been the truck that polarized the pickup world. Unibody construction. A frunk. A dual-action tailgate. It was practical in ways most truck buyers didn’t ask for, and not boxy enough for the crowd that did. That changes with the third generation.
Honda released a teaser image showing a four-door silhouette with noticeably more upright, squared-off proportions — a clear departure from the rounded sheet metal of the current model. The styling direction draws from the redesigned Passport, which itself made a significant leap toward traditional truck aesthetics. The new Ridgeline is being designed at Honda’s Southern California styling studio and engineered at the Honda Auto Development Center in Ohio, the same pipeline that produced the Passport’s refreshed look.
“The next Ridgeline, which will continue to be built by our associates in Alabama, will advance this legacy while gaining even more rugged design and capabilities,” said Lance Woelfer, Vice President of Auto Sales at American Honda Motor Co., Inc.
For buyers who have always wanted a Honda-level ownership experience wrapped in something that actually looks like a truck, this is the confirmation they’ve been waiting for.
A New Powertrain: Hybrid V-6 with Three Electric Motors
Honda hasn’t officially confirmed powertrain specifics, but the expected setup is a new hybrid V-6 system with up to three electric motors — a configuration that would deliver a projected 10% improvement in acceleration and a 30% gain in fuel economy compared to a gas-only drivetrain. If those numbers hold up, the new Ridgeline could offer genuine hybrid efficiency without sacrificing the towing and hauling capability that defines the segment.
This would put Honda on the offensive against the Ford Maverick Hybrid and Chevy Colorado, neither of which offers a comparable electrified V-6 setup. A properly spec’d hybrid system could be the differentiator the Ridgeline needs to carve out more than a niche position in a segment where volume players are starting to take efficiency seriously.
The truck’s unibody architecture — which gives it its car-like ride quality and enables the in-bed trunk — is expected to carry over to the third generation. That’s not a compromise; it’s what lets Honda engineer a hybrid system that’s smoother and more efficient than what a traditional body-on-frame platform would allow.
Production Pause: What It Means for Current Buyers
Here’s the part that matters if you’re shopping now: production of the current 2026 Honda Ridgeline will pause later this year as the Alabama Auto Plant prepares for the new model. That means inventory will tighten. Dealers will have fewer units on hand, and the ones they do have will start carrying more leverage.
If you’re in the market for a current-gen Ridgeline — the award-winning, practically-excellent truck it is — buy sooner rather than later. Prices on remaining units are unlikely to soften once production stops. And if you’re holding out for the third gen, you’re likely looking at a wait until 2027 at the earliest, with a possible 2028 model year introduction.
Either way, now is a good time to protect your investment. The current-gen Ridgeline still has a few years of life left in showrooms — and proper maintenance now means better resale value later.
Protect Your Ridgeline While You Wait
The Market Context: Why Honda Needs to Get This Right
The midsize truck segment is no longer the sleepy backwater it once was. The Tacoma moved 274,638 units in 2025. The Colorado moved 107,074. Meanwhile, the Ridgeline’s 48,448 deliveries put it near the bottom of the class by volume. That’s the reality Honda is working against.
But raw volume isn’t the only metric that matters. The Ridgeline consistently scores at the top of owner satisfaction surveys precisely because it doesn’t try to be everything to everyone. It’s the truck for someone who needs a truck, but also does the school pickup and weekend grocery run. The challenge for generation three is to keep that buyer while also attracting the person who has always wanted a more rugged, traditional-looking truck — and who passed on the current Ridgeline because of how it looked on paper.
A boxier design, a compelling hybrid powertrain, and Alabama production that keeps Honda’s commitment to American manufacturing front and center? That’s a stronger hand than Honda has played in the truck segment in years. The competition should pay attention.
Are you holding on to your current Ridgeline or waiting for the third-gen? Drop your take in the comments below — we want to know where you stand.
