A single preview sketch shown at the 2015 Chicago Auto Show today reveals Honda’s plans for an all-new version of its pickup truck, the Ridgeline.
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Honda says the next Ridgeline offers “completely new styling that communicates unmistakably that it’s a pickup, yet with a uniquely Honda flair.”
Based on the preview sketch, that “unmistakably a pickup” portion of the design brief includes getting rid of the cab-to-bed buttress found on the current Ridgeline—and perhaps even transitioning to a true body-on-frame pickup construction, if the cut lines at the rear of the cab are any indication. A longer, perhaps even full-sized, cargo bed is also indicated.
The next Ridgeline will, apparently, offer a four-door cab configuration, as well as a split tailgate. Whether that split indicates a side-opening-only configuration, or a very trick system that allows both traditional tailgate operation as well as side-opening remains to be seen.
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Otherwise, the Ridgeline preview sketch shows little other than a design that, compared to the current Ridgeline, appears to be much more conventional pickup than quirky half-truck-half-crossover.
Look for more details on the next-generation Ridgeline to emerge in the coming months.
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