For 2021, Ridgeline gets a new look, a new "Honda Performance Development" cosmetic package and retains its 1,589-pound payload capacity and 5,000-lb. towing talent.
While preparing to enter year four with its second-generation model, Honda's Ridgeline pickup found itself with a PR problem: it just didn't look tough enough.
Truck buyers, it seemed, thought of this unibody, all-wheel drive, midsize pickup more as a crossover SUV with a cargo box than a truck. To wit:
In calendar-year 2020, Ridgeline was outsold by every midsize pickup in town except the GMC Canyon. Toyota Tacoma, Ford Ranger, Chevy Colorado and Jeep Gladiator all outsold it. Heck, more buyers even opted for the 16-year-old Nissan Frontier, whose current platform, introduced in 2005, seems old enough to worry about changes in Social Security.
Ridgeline decided it was time for some soul searching. As a result, it chose to pump up -- cosmetically, at least. The result is a 2021 Ridgeline that shows a lot more swagger as it seeks to reassert its truck cred.
Not that it lacked truck cred. With its 5,000 pounds of towing talent, 1,589 pounds of payload muscle and off-pavement driving modes of Snow, Mud and Sand, it was truck enough for the vast majority of midsize buyers. But, now, Ridgeline puts an exclamation point on it with its face-lifted styling and its new HPD appearance pack.
The styling is -- how can we put this? -- uh, mmmmm . . . truckier. From the A-pillar forward, everything is new, including a taller stance and a bigger, bolder, get-outta-my-way grille. Out back are a new rear bumper and big, exposed exhaust tips.
For buyers who want to go farther in order to scare the bejabbers out of that little Civic coupe ahead, Ridgeline offers the HPD pack, "Honda Performance Development" to its friends. It's a package that includes 18-inch bronze wheels, black fender flares, unique grille and, to ensure the neighbors know you sprung for the twenty-eight hundred bucks to get the package, HPD decals.
You may have noticed there is no mention of performance upgrades. That's because the HPD pack is strictly cosmetic. But we can report that Ridgeline's sissy front-wheel drive model is history. For 2021, all-wheel drive is standard, along with its driver-selectable chassis modes of Normal, Snow, Mud and Sand.
Powering every Ridgeline, whether in Sport, RTL, RTL-E or Black Edition trim, is a 3.5-liter V-6 that makes 280 hp and 262 lb.-ft. of torque. Ridgeline's nine-speed automatic, new last year, is retained.
Inside, upgrades include contrasting stitching on seats, along with a new dash, steering-wheel and center-console appearance in Sport, RTL and RTL-E. Meanwhile, steering-wheel controls for the infotainment system, with its Apple CarPlay and Android Auto talent, are clear and concise while providing a nice tactile experience. And -- hallelujah! -- Honda has finally added a volume knob for the radio.
Every pickup has a cargo bed, of course. But Ridgeline goes one better: bunk beds! The lower berth -- a hidden cargo hold below the cargo-box floor -- is very handy as a "trunk" or, with its bottom drain, an in-bed cooler for tailgating. Also, Ridgeline's tailgate can swing right-to-left like a door or drop down in typical pickup fashion. Cool.
On the road, pep is adequate from the V-6 and the transmission is seamless. Also, thanks to its car-style unibody, the ride is smooth, the ambience quiet and the overall experience more like a big car than a truck.
We drove a base Sport with the HPD package and, in just over 100 miles of mixed city/hwy motoring, realized 22 mpg.
Cabin room is impressive up front and good in back, where head room is great and leg room is sufficient. Also, in another truck-y perk, the rear-seat cushions flip up for in-cab vertical cargo capability.
In the final analysis, Ridgeline remains what it's always been: a unibody, AWD pickup with light-truck capability and a car-like demeanor. But now it looks tougher.
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May 15, 2021 at 04:00AM
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