What Does the Next Honda Ridgeline Need?

What Truck Shoppers Need to Know

• Honda announced there will be a third-generation Ridgeline pickup truck.
• Few details were provided, but the truck will be at dealers “within two years” and will gain “more rugged design and capabilities.”
• Our Editorial staff was polled for what the Ridgeline needs next, and a visual overhaul, more off-road capability and more powertrains were the biggest themes.

Given its precarious position among mid-size pickup trucks, the arrival of a third-generation Honda Ridgeline was never a guarantee. Its unibody platform and “Passport with a bed” styling stand apart from most of its rivals’ body-on-frame constructions and more traditionally trucklike stances. But Honda officially confirmed today it’s working on the next iteration of the truck, and it’s expected to hit dealers “within two years.”

Related: The 2026 Honda Ridgeline Is ‘Trucky’ Enough for Most Buyers: Review

With virtually all other specifics left to be announced — we know it will gain “more rugged design and capabilities,” per a Honda exec, but that’s about it — the question was put to Cars.com’s Editorial experts to answer the question: What does the next Honda Ridgeline need that the second-gen design didn’t deliver on? And perhaps just as importantly, what does the next Ridgeline not need to change?

What Needs to Change

Exterior Styling

The current Ridgeline’s front end was fashioned in Honda’s early-’20s corporate styling and matches that of the old Passport, but Senior Research Editor Damon Bell welcomes a visual overhaul.

“It’s very likely the new Ridgeline will lift liberally from the design of the redesigned 2026 Passport, which is fine by me,” he said. “I think the Passport’s boxy front-end styling would look great on a pickup truck.”

News Editor Lawrence Hodge agreed: “I’m hoping it becomes something more than just a Pilot or Passport with a bed, though with the recent Passport and its off-roady looks, that might work. But there’s an opportunity here for Honda to do something unique.”

Performance and Capability

Though Honda noted the new Ridgeline will be more “rugged,” Bell had specific ideas: “I’d like to see a TrailSport trim that goes a little further than the current one does in terms of off-road hardware and looks (a bit more of a suspension lift, beefier cladding, etc.).”

Hodge similarly had ideas for better off-roading. “I’d also like to see Honda go further with the TrailSport trim. Given that it’s an actual pickup, there’s lots of room here to do something that’s really off-road-ready — maybe even throw in some Honda Performance Development [the brand’s North American racing division] off-road accessories for it. Lots of people have made overlanding rigs out of their Ridgelines, so I’d like to see some factory support for that.”

Road Test Editor Brian Normile went the opposite direction: “Forget off-road (don’t, actually, I agree with everything above) and go for sport. Given the interest and hype around Ram’s Rumble Bee trucks, a Ridgeline Type R is more compelling to me. The Maverick Lobo doesn’t go far enough, but Honda has shown a willingness to put Type R parts in other vehicles, so why not make a crazy 300-plus-horsepower compact sport truck? Make it stick, too, who cares?”

And on a final note for trims, Bell had this to offer: “While I’m daydreaming, how about a fancier Black Edition or Elite trim that ups the luxury level over the current Black Edition?”

Powertrain Options

The one thing echoed uniformly across polled staff was needed changes to powertrains. The current Ridgeline is propelled by a 280-hp, 3.5-liter V-6 coupled to a nine-speed automatic transmission with all-wheel drive standard, but while that may keep it in line with rivals, there’s an opportunity for more.

“The tried-and-true naturally aspirated V-6 engine works reasonably well, but it would be nice to see the Ridgeline get a more efficient powertrain,” Senior Road Test Editor Mike Hanley said. “The Ford Maverick’s hybrid powertrain has been a standout feature of that truck, and the Ridgeline could see the same type of benefit.”

Bell echoed that sentiment, saying “a hybrid (or at least a newer, more efficient)” powertrain would do, while Hodge said he has “big hopes for that hybrid powertrain to be competitive. I think they should still offer a gas powertrain for those that want it, however — maybe a base turbo four-cylinder.”

Other suggestions were more minor but still important to the everyday user experience. These include a better, more feature-rich infotainment system with a larger touchscreen; removal of the awkward push-button gear selector for a traditional gearshift lever (or at least something “truckier” than the push-buttons); and modern camera tech, as a 360-degree camera system would benefit both on- and off-road driving.

More on the Honda Ridgeline From Cars.com:

• How Much Is the 2026 Honda Ridgeline?
• See Every Photo We Took of the 2026 Honda Ridgeline’s Interior
• What Are the Best Used Pickup Trucks Under $30,000?
• 2024 Honda Ridgeline Review: The Competition Is Closing In

What Doesn’t Need to Change

Cargo Convenience

While this list was considerably shorter, we’ve long appreciated the Ridgeline’s cargo capability, and though its towing capacity may leave something to be desired, we hope the redesign retains some of the features that make it such a functional truck.

“I hope the new Ridgeline continues to offer the lockable under-bed storage trunk, dual-hinged tailgate and flip-up rear seat bottoms — I’ve gotten great use out of all those features on the current Ridgeline,” said Bell. The current gen’s rear wheel wells protrude only an inch or so into the pickup bed, so it’s easy to slide cargo over them; whether or not that changes in the coming Ridgeline remains to be seen.

Whatever the case, we now know for sure another Honda Ridgeline is coming. It won’t be long before further details emerge; stay tuned.

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Cars.com’s Editorial department is your source for automotive news and reviews. In line with Cars.com’s long-standing ethics policy, editors and reviewers don’t accept gifts or free trips from automakers. The Editorial department is independent of Cars.com’s advertising, sales and sponsored content departments.