Honda Chooses Ridgeline for All-New 4-Door 4WD Truck Name

Ridgeline Might Appear like a Chopped Pilot but It Actually Hauls a Half-Ton Payload

Almost a year after Honda's SUT (Sport Utility Truck) Concept debuted in Detroit the Japanese brand has given its production

The production version of the SUT (Sport Utility Truck) Concept that Honda debuted in Detroit has been given a name, the Ridgeline. (Photo: Honda Canada)

version a name. The 4-door, 4WD midsize pickup truck is to be called "Ridgeline" when it becomes available across the country next spring.

And what does Ridgeline mean? Just like it sounds, it's "a line marking or following a ridge top", or so says the Merriam-Webster dictionary. The road getting there would need to be light-duty in order for Honda's new truck to make it, but bushwhacking isn't what it was designed for.

Rather, Honda is about to offer something entirely new, a car-based pickup truck designed more for urban use than roughing it up

The car-based Ridgeline is designed more for urban use than roughing it up country. (Photo: Honda Canada)

country. The benefit to Ridgeline buyers is similar exterior hauling characteristics to a conventional open bed truck, but the driving dynamics, integrated cab and cargo box styling, and interior packaging of monocoque architecture.

American Honda chose the Specialty Equipment Manufacturer's Association (SEMA) show in Las Vegas to announce the new name and show an updated prototype, featuring a new paint scheme, modified suspension and unique wheel and tire package. The production Ridgeline will make its world debut at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit in January 2005, and its Canadian debut at the Montreal International Auto Show during the same month.