2017 Honda Ridgeline Wins Technology Truck of Texas Award

The Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) announced at its annual Texas Truck Rodeo, held at the Longhorn River Ranch near Dripping Springs, that the all-new 2017 Honda Ridgeline is the Technology Truck of Texas for its uniquely-designed 540-watt in-bed sound system. The redesigned Ridgeline was also entered in the hotly-contested Mid-Size Truck category where it walked away with a second place finish. Rebuilt from the ground up for 2017, the engineers at Honda have adopted a truck-first mentality with the Ridgeline instead of the typical SUT thought process of SUV first then truck. When the first-generation Ridgeline was introduced back in 2004, sport utility trucks (SUT) were truly SUV first and truck second. The primary purpose for owning an SUT was about owning a comfortable daily driver that could also pick up a bag of lawn seed or mulch on the way home from work. Previously, if there was a need to haul a 4x8 sheet of plywood or that fresh cut Christmas tree, you would in most cases have needed to borrow your neighbor's truck.

Truck First

The concept of SUV first and truck second has changed at Honda with the all-new second-generation Ridgeline. Engineers have completely redesigned the vehicle from the ground up to be truck first, so that it can better suit the needs of consumers in the highly-competitive mid-size truck market. One important design feature the engineers did keep from the first generation Ridgeline is the unibody frame. This type of frame design (versus the traditional truck frame) allows the Ridgeline to boast the most interior space and the highest safety rating in the mid-size truck segment. It also provides handling similar to a luxury SUV while not sacrificing the hauling capability of a truck.

Baja Victories

To prove the Ridgeline's truck-first mentality, the Honda Performance Development team in conjunction with the Proctor Racing Group built a Baja race-ready Ridgeline. The successful collaboration allowed the Ridgeline to capture a Class 2 win at the Baja 500 race held in June of 2016 as well as the Baja1000 in November of 2015. We've advanced the best and most beloved elements of the original Ridgeline and combined them with an outstanding new platform and the most advanced technology to create new value in the midsize pickup segment, explains Honda Division Senior Vice President and General Manager Jeff Conrad. The result is an amazingly versatile Honda truck with uncompromised capability.

Power and Towing

To further drive home the truck first concept, the Ridgeline is now powered by a brand new 3.5L direct-injected SOHC i-VTEC™ V-6 engine that creates 280hp coupled with a wide-range 6-speed automatic transmission. The Ridgeline can also easily haul payloads up to a class-leading 1,584lbs while leading the mid-size class in EPA fuel ratings as well. Because the Ridgeline is built on Honda's sophisticated Global Light Truck platform, the new chassis is 73 pounds lighter than the first Ridgeline chassis, but engineers have increased the ability to tow up to 5,000 pounds in RT or AWD. For some perspective, your top-end tandem-axel bass boat will typically weigh 2,200lbs empty, so with the new Ridgeline you can load up your gear and gas up your boat at the local gas station before you head out for a day of fishing. For the first time, consumers will have the option of either two-wheel-drive or the new all-wheel-drive options. The AWD model will utilize new Intelligent Variable Torque Management™ (i-VTM4). This system really shines in weather-related events like ice, snow, or even a rain-slick road because the system automatically provides optimal traction to each wheel independently eliminating wheel spin for a safer ride.

The engineers designed the Ridgeline to be a multi-functional truck for both work and recreation. The Global Light Truck platform provides the widest truck bed in the mid-size class. At 5' wide and 5'4" long, the weekend or even full-time carpenter can easily haul flat a number of items from the big-box hardware store in the bed, including 4x8 sheets of plywood or drywall. For the weekend camper, if you like to use the truck bed tent, you can easily fit a full-size inflatable mattress in the bed of the truck because of the extra width between the wheel wells.

The Ridgeline won the Technology Truck of Texas for its Truck Bed Audio System that delivers a whopping 540 watts of power without utilizing one traditional speaker. This unique system uses six completely weatherproof audio exciters in the bed walls of the truck to project the sound. You won't have to worry about the speakers being stolen because the transducers won't work independently of the truck bed. For those interested in how this new technology works, this white paper explains it pretty clearly. Now when you are at a campsite, worksite, or stadium parking lot, you can easily listen to any audio music source (XM, Pandora, USB) or even the pregame show without blasting the in-cab stereo.

Ultimate Tailgating Machine

So if your thing is tailgating 10-12 weekends a year, the Ridgeline will have you rethinking the way you do it. The engineers at Honda have not only designed the phenomenal in-bed audio system, but have also included a 115V AC in-bed power outlet that cranks up to 400-watts. This is enough wattage to allow you to run a flat-screen TV for a couple hours prior to the game or to even run a blender for those pregame drinks. You can also convert the lockable in-bed trunk to an ice chest and just pull the drain plug when you are done for the water to drain right out.

The 2017 Honda Ridgeline is currently available on dealer's lots with a starting MSRP of $29,475 for the RT 2WD and $31,275 for RT AWD.

Vehicle: Honda Ridgeline

Year: 2017

Price: $29,475 for RT 2WD - $31,275 for RT AWD

Engine: 3.5L direct-injected SOHC i-VTEC™ V-6

Horsepower: 280

Transmission: 6-speed automatic - with Intelligent Variable Torque Management (i-VTM4) (AWD models)

Frame: Unibody

Front Engine: 2WD, AWD

See additional information below or visit:
http://automobiles.honda.com/ridgeline