For the first time in nearly seventy years, Honda is staring down devastating annual losses, triggered by a multi-billion-dollar bonfire of written-off investments in upcoming electric vehicles that were abruptly axed from the future lineup. The collateral damage of this EV graveyard is staggering: mainstream cash cows like the Civic and Accord are now frozen in time, forced to soldier on completely unchanged until well into the next decade. To top off this financial misery, CBS recently reported a massive 880,000-vehicle recall hitting the Pilot, Passport, Acura MDX, and the Ridgeline across 23 states due to a dangerous suspension defect that could cause unexpected crashes.
Speaking of the Ridgeline, Honda’s aging midsize pickup has been riding on its second-generation unibody platform since all the way back in 2017. Instead of a glorious, clean-sheet redesign to fix its competitive edge, Honda is pulling the plug on Ridgeline production during the fourth quarter of this year, leaving the truck missing in action until the 2028 model year.
When it finally crawls back into showrooms, don’t expect a revolution. It is merely another extensive facelift designed to artificially stretch its expiration date until a true third generation arrives next decade.
The timing for this hibernation could not be worse. While Honda pauses to polish an old platform, the midsize truck segment is turning into a total bloodbath: Ram Trucks is resurrecting the legendary Dakota badge, and Hyundai is completely ditching its compact unibody Santa Cruz to develop a serious, heavy-duty body-on-frame midsize contender.
Naturally, the internet’s CGI wizardry couldn’t wait for the factory lines to restart. Virtual artist Theottle took to social media to modify the pickup for Motor1, essentially copy-pasting the rugged visage of the brand-new Honda Passport TrailSport onto the Ridgeline’s crimson body.
Honestly, it is a brilliant strategy; the adventure-focused Passport SUV is highly popular right now, seeing a 20% sales spike in the first three months of the year with over 14,000 units delivered.
If the 2028 Ridgeline borrows that aggressive face, it might just trick buyers into forgetting its age. Better yet, since Honda threw its pure EV ambitions into the shredder, this updated truck is rumored to get a refreshed V6 or a brand-new V6 hybrid powertrain configuration.
