- The 2024 Honda Ridgeline now comes in four trims, including an off-road directed TrailSport model.
- All-terrain General Grabber A/T Sport tires add a little height and a lot more grip to the Ridgeline TrailSport.
- On-road comfort is improved in all models with a redesigned console and larger, faster infotainment system.
The press materials for the 2024 Honda Ridgeline pickup truck use the word “rugged” nine times, three in the first two paragraphs, so it’s clear that Honda’s main marketing push on the refreshed Ridgeline is the dirt-scrabbling new TrailSport trim. The TrailSport has the most goodies to showcase, but all the 2024 models have some new design cues, and increased in-cabin features.
For 2024, Ridgeline will be offered in four trim levels, the entry Sport, the midrange RTL, the new TrailSport with its skidplates and all-terrain rubber, and the top-of-the-line Black Edition. All models have a new grille design, with the TrailSport getting its own version, with larger mesh, as well as the underbody protection, pewter-gray 18-inch wheels wearing General Grabber A/T Sport tires, power-folding mirrors, and a special sky blue paint option. Around the back, everyone will know what truck you’re repping, as the tailgate now has “Ridgeline” stamped proud from edge to edge.
The Ridgeline’s back end isn’t just for displaying the truck’s name. Honda’s “Dual Action” tailgate opens either in the traditional hinge-down format or swings wide like a door, for easier access to the bed. Tailgaters will make use of the bed’s molded-in seating and 7.3-cubic-inch underfloor cooler, while folks who want a truck for actual truck reasons, like hauling materials, will be pleased to know that the wide bed can carry a four-foot piece of plywood flat across. It won’t be easily damaged by cargo, either, with eight tie-down points and a composite material construction that doesn’t require a bedliner.
Inside, the Ridgeline is a comfortable truck with plenty of room for passengers. Heated seats and steering wheel add luxury, and rear seats with hidden storage and a 60/40 split offer utility. The biggest physical change inside is the new console, with a bigger, padded armrest, cupholders deep enough to hold two buckets full of cold brew, and space for a tablet or a small laptop inside. The 7.0-inch digital gauge cluster is standard, and you still get a physical needle sweeping the speedometer. To the right, a 9.0-inch infotainment screen, with a small ledge for resting your hand against while swiping, features fewer menus and a faster processor for promised zippy response.
Both Android and Apple users can pair phones as a standard feature, and the phone tray at the front of the console is big enough to set two phones side by side, although only one can use the wireless charging. For Black Edition buyers, the sound system gets a bump with better speakers in the premium audio system.
Under the hood all Ridgelines use the 3.5-liter V-6 making 280 horsepower and 262 pound-feet of torque, backed by a nine-speed transmission. Honda hasn’t made any major changes to the chassis it’s still a unibody construction offering a 1583-pound payload and towing capability of up to 5000 pounds. The TrailSport uses the same chassis but bolts on a metal skid plate across the front of the frame to protect the V-6’s oil pan from sharp rocks off-road and retunes the springs, dampers, and stabilizer bars for a more capable, pliant, off-pavement experience.
All Ridgelines are all-wheel-drive and use Honda’s i-VTM4 torque-vectoring system to move up to 70 percent of the truck’s power to the rear wheel, or wheels, as needed. The TrailSport also offers several terrain modes with modified throttle and traction management programs for better performance in sand, snow, mud, or on the road.
In addition to the TrailSport trim, the 2024 Ridgeline lineup also offers the HPD package, which includes a different grille treatment, black fender flares, unique wheels, and HPD graphics.
All Ridgeline models come with the Honda Sensing suite of driver-assist features standard, and new models should go on sale in early December 2023.
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Senior Editor, Features
Like a sleeper agent activated late in the game, Elana Scherr didn’t know her calling at a young age. Like many girls, she planned to be a vet-astronaut-artist, and came closest to that last one by attending UCLA art school. She painted images of cars, but did not own one. Elana reluctantly got a driver’s license at age 21 and discovered that she not only loved cars and wanted to drive them, but that other people loved cars and wanted to read about them, which meant somebody had to write about them. Since receiving activation codes, Elana has written for numerous car magazines and websites, covering classics, car culture, technology, motorsports, and new-car reviews.
Source: Motor - aranddriver.com
