Honda has officially confirmed that a third-generation Ridgeline mid-size truck is currently under development, with a full commercial launch scheduled within two years. But before suburban homeowners start cheering over their weekend mulch hauls, there is a minor catch: Honda will temporarily pause production of the current 2026 Ridgeline later this year to retool its manufacturing facilities for the upcoming model.
For two decades, the Ridgeline has proudly stood as the ultimate rebel of the American pickup segment. Instead, engineered in-house at Honda’s R&D facilities in Ohio and styled at the company’s Southern California design studio, it delivered the refined road manners of a crossover alongside just enough bed space to handle cooler boxes and flat-pack furniture.
The upcoming third-generation iteration promises to push those boundaries further by adopting what Honda describes as an “even more rugged design”, presumably to satisfy buyers who want to look like off-road explorers while sitting comfortably in commuter traffic.
Production of the new truck will remain rooted in familiar territory. Honda confirmed that the next Ridgeline will continue to roll off the assembly line at the Honda Alabama Auto Plant, where it will share floor space with its platform siblings, the Passport and Pilot SUVs, as well as the Odyssey minivan, utilizing a mix of domestic and imported parts.
Lance Woelfer, vice president of Auto Sales at American Honda Motor Company, reinforced the truck’s distinct market positioning in a formal statement, noting that the award-winning Ridgeline has spent two decades introducing innovative technologies to America’s truck market by prioritizing features that recreational buyers actually need and use the most. Woelfer added that the next-generation Ridgeline, continuing its Alabama manufacturing heritage, will advance this legacy while gaining enhanced capabilities alongside its tougher aesthetic.
Whether this upcoming redesign will finally convince die-hard truck purists or simply offer weekend DIY enthusiasts a bolder backdrop for their lawncare errands remains to be seen. What is certain, however, is that Honda is taking a brief pause on the 2026 model year to ensure its unibody warrior returns bigger, tougher, and ready for another round of suburban duty.