By Ramon Castro
Sling is preparing important changes to one of its less conventional models. The Ridgelinethe Japanese brand’s only pickup truck, will temporarily stop manufacturing while the company redefines its strategy for the midsize segment.
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The news has not yet been officially announced by the company, but documents revealed by Automobile News They suggest that production would stop towards the last quarter of 2026. The new generation would only appear in 2028 and could end up hitting the market as a 2029 model.
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The decision marks a striking pause for a truck that always played differently against rivals like the Toyota Tacoma, the Ford Ranger or the Chevrolet Colorado. While many opted for a more traditional and robust approach, Honda preferred to give the Ridgeline a behavior closer to that of an SUV.
Honda wants to modernize its pickup
Part of the problem lies in the real engine. The Ridgeline uses a 3.5-liter V6 block with SOHC configuration, a reliable enginebut which is beginning to fall behind the new emissions and efficiency standards that are approaching in the United States.
Honda has already taken different steps in other recent models. Both the Pilot and the Passport incorporate more advanced versions of that V6 with DOHC technologywhich offers improvements in performance and also better integration with future hybrid systems.
The brand is now working on a new generation of engines designed precisely to coexist with partial electrification, something that will be key in the coming years.
The next Ridgeline will be hybrid
Everything indicates that the future Ridgeline will have a much more technological proposal. Honda would seek to improve fuel consumptionreduce emissions and maintain competitive towing capacities within the segment.
That balance will not be easy. Many midsize pickups still rely on large engines and traditional configurations to maintain heavy-duty power and endurance.
Honda, on the other hand, seems to be betting on a more efficient and urban formula, without completely abandoning the practical approach that has always distinguished the Ridgeline.
The Ridgeline originally appeared in 2006 and since then it distanced itself from its direct competitors. Its unibody construction allowed it to offer a much more comfortable and refined ride than many traditional pickups.
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