Award-wining Pickup From Honda: The Ridgeline

One of the hottest commodities in the pickup industry is the Honda Ridgeline. It has swept almost all truck of the year awards given out by major motor shows. This may not be a surprise, after all, the giant of a company that is Honda has been known for introducing to the public innovative and technologically advanced vehicles.

It would not surprise a driver if he found himself enjoying the full sized pickup from the moment he set his eyes on it. The beauty of this car does not end in its looks. While the design of the car is modern and is an eye candy, the manufacturers did not just stop there, of course. This monster of a car boasts of a unit-body full frame structure. This, in itself, is an innovation which takes this car on top of its class. The design brought to life by engineering geniuses of the company gives the car a very rigid structure. It also has front and rear end crumple zones in addition to having a rigid frame thereby increasing the safety of both driver and passengers in case of crashes. It is also dubbed as the pickup that will most likely not roll over.

Another reason for the fuss about this car is its In-bed Trunk. The Ridgeline tonneau is also another innovation which gives the user a storage area below the pickup bed, a convenient solution to storing supplies safe and dry.

Performance-wise, the vehicle is also one of the best in the market today. Its powerhouse is a 3.5 litre, 24 valve, SOHC VTEC V6 engine capable of giving the driver of up to 247 units of horsepower and a torque of 245 lb. ft. While this may not sound much compared to other models with bigger engines, but it is enough to power the pickup very well. All this power is transferred on all four tires of the truck, but during dry road driving, it is a two wheel drive vehicle. Once the going gets tough, the Variable Torque Management (VTM4) system goes to work and sends power to the tire needing traction. It is done so through its five-speed automatic with fluid cooler transmission.

In addition to that the vehicle has a Vehicle Stability Assist which keeps drivers from getting into troubles. The system automatically compensates for both oversteer or understeer. It has independent suspensions for both front and rear giving the driver the confidence to tackle hard off road conditions.

Joe Thompson is the owner of a successful auto body shop in Ferndale, California. This 38 year old is also a prolific writer, contributing automotive related articles to various publications.