The 2021 Honda Ridgeline is making waves with a robust redesign, set to hit the market early next year. This pickup truck is engineered to excel both on challenging off-road terrains and smooth highways, offering a blend of rugged capability and refined driving dynamics. Equipped standard with a powerful V6 engine and all-wheel drive (AWD), the 2021 Honda Ridgeline boasts class-leading ride quality and handling, a spacious interior, and a uniquely versatile truck bed, making it a standout in its segment.
Art St. Cyr, Vice President of Auto Operations for American Honda Motor Co., Inc., emphasizes the Ridgeline’s enhanced appeal: “Truck enthusiasts have long recognized Ridgeline as an incredibly versatile and capable pickup, and now it’s got the rugged looks to match.” This redesign signals Honda’s commitment to strengthening its light-truck lineup with vehicles that are both capable and visually compelling.
Revamped Exterior Design
The most noticeable change in the 2021 Honda Ridgeline is its aggressive new exterior styling. From the front roof pillars forward, every panel is new. The redesign includes a more assertive hood with a prominent power bulge and redesigned front fenders that give the truck a squared-off, more upright stance. The grille is bolder and more pronounced, flanked by updated LED headlights for improved visibility. A striking crossbar across the grille is finished in gloss black on Sport and Black Edition trims, and chrome on RTL and RTL-E models.
The front bumper of the 2021 Honda Ridgeline has been completely reshaped to enhance its tough appearance. Broad side vents are integrated into the bumper, designed to channel air around the front tires and wheels, acting as air curtains to improve aerodynamic efficiency. The body color extends further down the bumper, and a prominent skid plate adds to the rugged aesthetic. At the rear, the bumper has been reshaped to accommodate new, more aggressive twin exhaust outlets.
All 2021 Honda Ridgeline models now feature tougher-looking 18-inch wheels with a reduced backspacing of 10 mm, increasing the track width by 20 mm. This wider stance, combined with all-season tires featuring a more aggressive sidewall and shoulder design, gives the Ridgeline a more planted and stable presence. A new exterior color, Radiant Red Metallic II, is also introduced to the palette.
For those seeking an even more dynamic look, the Honda Performance Development (HPD) Package is available across all trims. This package includes a unique grille treatment, black fender flares, distinctive bronze-colored wheels, and special HPD graphics on the bed walls, allowing owners to further personalize their 2021 Honda Ridgeline. The HPD Package is part of a new range of post-production options, which also includes Utility, Function, and Function+ packages to cater to various owner needs.
Enhanced Interior Features
Inside the 2021 Honda Ridgeline, Honda has focused on enhancing usability and convenience. A welcome addition is a physical volume knob for the audio system, addressing a common user request. Wireless phone charging is also now available, adding to the modern tech features.
Across all trims of the 2021 Honda Ridgeline, new contrast stitching on the seats adds a touch of refinement. Sport trims receive new cloth seat inserts, while Sport, RTL, and RTL-E trims benefit from new accents on the dash, steering wheel, and center console. The Ridgeline continues to offer a spacious cabin with class-leading passenger comfort, particularly in the rear seats, which provide generous legroom. The flat floor and 60/40-split rear seat bottoms that fold up offer exceptional flexibility for carrying larger items inside the cabin.
Standard Torque-Vectoring AWD for Confident Handling
A significant upgrade for the 2021 Honda Ridgeline is the standardization of Honda’s i-VTM4® torque-vectoring all-wheel drive system across all trims. This advanced AWD system significantly enhances handling and traction in various driving conditions. It can automatically distribute up to 70 percent of the engine’s torque to the rear wheels and dynamically allocate 100 percent of that rear torque between the left and right wheels based on real-time driving demands.
Powered by a 280-horsepower, 3.5-liter direct-injected VTEC® V6 engine paired with a smooth 9-speed automatic transmission, the 2021 Honda Ridgeline delivers robust performance. The Intelligent Traction Management System, also standard, further optimizes power delivery with selectable modes for Normal, Snow, Mud, and Sand, ensuring confident performance in diverse environments.
Unique Platform for Superior Ride and Utility
The 2021 Honda Ridgeline rides on a unique unit-body construction, setting it apart from traditional body-on-frame pickup trucks. This design, incorporating Honda’s Advanced Compatibility Engineering™ (ACE™) body structure and fully boxed frame members, provides exceptional structural rigidity and contributes to the Ridgeline’s class-leading ride comfort and handling on paved roads. The fully independent rear suspension further enhances ride quality.
This robust platform enables the 2021 Honda Ridgeline to achieve a best-in-AWD class standard payload capacity of 1,583 pounds and a towing capacity of 5,000 pounds. The wide stance of the Ridgeline allows for an extra-wide truck bed, uniquely capable of flat-carrying 4-foot wide materials like plywood and drywall between the wheel wells. The innovative In-Bed Trunk®, a lockable, under-bed storage compartment offering 7.3 cu.-ft. of space, is also standard, providing secure and weatherproof storage.
The versatility of the 2021 Honda Ridgeline bed is further enhanced by the Dual-Action Tailgate, which can open downwards like a traditional tailgate or swing sideways, providing easier access to the bed and the In-Bed Trunk®. The tailgate is robust, capable of supporting dynamic loads up to 300 pounds. The bed itself is constructed from a dent and scratch-resistant glass fiber-reinforced SMC composite, eliminating the need for a bed liner. Eight standard tie-down cleats, each rated at 350 pounds, are included for securing cargo. RTL-E and Black Edition trims also feature the unique In-Bed Audio system, utilizing exciters to transform the truck bed into an outdoor speaker system, perfect for tailgating.
Advanced Safety and Driver Assistance
Safety is paramount in the 2021 Honda Ridgeline, which comes standard with Honda Sensing® suite of safety and driver-assistive technologies. This includes Collision Mitigation Braking System™ (CMBS™) with Forward Collision Warning (FCW), Lane Keeping Assist System (LKAS), Road Departure Mitigation (RDM) with Lane Departure Warning (LDW), and Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC).
The 2021 Honda Ridgeline is engineered to achieve top safety ratings, targeting a 5-star Overall Vehicle Score from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and GOOD ratings in all Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) collision tests, including a SUPERIOR rating for front crash prevention.
Designed and Built in North America
The 2021 Honda Ridgeline is a product of North American engineering and manufacturing, designed and developed by Honda R&D Americas in California and Ohio. It is manufactured at the Honda plant in Lincoln, Alabama, alongside its V6 engine, using domestic and globally-sourced parts. The Ridgeline’s strong American roots are further highlighted by its consistent ranking in the top 10 of the Cars.com American Made Index for the past four years.
More details regarding pricing and detailed specifications for the 2021 Honda Ridgeline will be released closer to its official on-sale date early next year.
About Honda
Honda is committed to providing clean, safe, and enjoyable vehicles. With a wide range of models from passenger cars to SUVs and trucks, Honda continues to innovate and lead in automotive technology and environmental responsibility.
For additional information on the 2021 Honda Ridgeline and other Honda models, please visit hondanews.com and automobiles.honda.com.
