Honda to Emphasize Truck Features in New Ridgeline

Honda Motor Co. says its next-generation Ridgeline midsize pickup truck will look more like a traditional truck and be better suited to how buyers use such vehicles. But the pickup will continue to “challenge conventional thinking” in the market, the carmaker promises.

Honda, which will unveil the new Ridgeline next month at the Detroit auto show, has released several teaser images of the vehicle that show a squarer and more muscular design than the previous Ridgeline, which was discontinued in 2014 due to lackluster sales.

The pickup bed is expected to be longer to provide greater cargo capacity. The vehicle also will feature “incredible packaging and fuel efficiency,” the carmaker boasts.

Sales of the all-new 2017 model are due to start in the second half of 2016.