Honda Motor announced that its next-generation Ridgeline pickup truck will continue production in the United States after a temporary halt later this year. The Japanese automaker stated that assembly will resume at its Alabama manufacturing facility within two years, with production expected to restart around 2028.
The production pause comes as reports indicated the current Ridgeline model faces compliance challenges with California emissions regulations. Lance Woelfer, vice president of auto sales at American Honda Motor, emphasized the company’s commitment to serving existing Ridgeline customers while enhancing the vehicle’s capabilities. He noted that future iterations will feature increased ruggedness and capability, though he declined to specify whether this includes a shift from the vehicle’s current car-based platform to a traditional truck frame design, which is standard for most U.S. pickup trucks.
Ridgeline sales have trended downward, declining approximately 3 percent during the first half of the year. The model has generated between roughly 41,000 and 52,000 annual sales since 2021, significantly trailing the segment leader Toyota Tacoma, which sold more than 270,000 units in 2025.
The Ridgeline announcement arrives as Honda achieved a sales milestone with its CR-V compact crossover. The CR-V led U.S. auto sales during the first half of the year for the first time in the model’s history, with sales rising roughly 6 percent compared with the previous year. This performance occurred while traditional sales leaders, including Ford’s F-Series pickups and Toyota’s RAV4 crossover, faced production constraints.
Article Attribution | Read More at Article Source
Article summary produced by Claude AI