Can Honda's Revived Ridgeline Do the Unthinkable? - Motley Fool
stepped into the American pickup truck market with its Ridgeline in 2005, but has found it difficult to carve out a niche for the model. With the market dominated by Detroit's Big 3 ( General Motors , Ford Motor , and Fiat Chrysler ), will Honda be able to create ripples this time. Sketch of new Honda Ridgeline. Honda introduced the Ridgeline in the U. S. in 2005 with the midsize pickup truck market in mind. But Ridgeline's structure was more that of a special utility truck with unibody styling, built on the Pilot crossover platform. Ridgeline accommodates cargo weighing 1,500 pounds, with a maximum towing capacity of 5,000 pounds. Ridgeline's best year since launch was 2006, but it's only been downhill since then -- from 2006 to 2014, sales have fallen a whopping 73%. Through June of this year, Honda sold only 534 Ridgeline units. The truck's unibody structure was a big problem. Last but not least, the Ridgeline didn't impress customers with its towing capacity and fuel efficiency when compared to other key players in the category. Honda refreshed the model in 2012 for the last time and stopped production in mid-2014. Source: www.fool.com
