Honda Motor announced that production of its next-generation Ridgeline pickup truck will continue at its Alabama manufacturing facility, despite earlier reports indicating potential production challenges. The company confirmed that a temporary production stoppage is scheduled for later this year, with assembly expected to resume at the plant within the next two years, likely in 2028.
The future of the midsize pickup had been uncertain due to regulatory concerns, specifically regarding compliance with California emissions standards. Lance Woelfer, vice president of auto sales at American Honda Motor, indicated that the company remains committed to serving existing Ridgeline customers while enhancing the vehicle’s capabilities. He stated that future iterations will emphasize increased ruggedness and performance features, though he declined to specify whether design changes might include a shift from the vehicle’s current car-based platform to a traditional truck body-on-frame construction, which is standard for most U.S. trucks.
The Ridgeline has historically been positioned as a smooth-driving option rather than a rugged off-road vehicle. Sales data shows the pickup experienced a decline of approximately 3% during the first half of the year. Since 2021, annual Ridgeline sales have ranged between 41,000 and 52,000 units, significantly trailing the segment leader Toyota Tacoma, which sold more than 270,000 units in 2025.
Honda’s commitment to the Ridgeline comes as the company’s CR-V compact crossover achieved a notable milestone, leading U.S. auto sales for the first half of the year for the first time in the model’s history. CR-V sales increased by roughly 6% compared with the prior year, while traditional sales leaders like the Ford F-Series and Toyota RAV4 faced production constraints during the period.
Article Attribution | Read More at Article Source
Article summary produced by Claude AI