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The Honda Ridgeline is going on sabbatical. The midsize pickup is taking an approximately 18-month break so that Honda can tinker with its powertrain to meet the next phase of emissions standards. Like the Pilot and Passport with which it shares its architecture, the Ridgeline utilizes an old-fashioned V6. Pretty soon, all of them will be getting an upgrade, and it sounds like the Ridgeline will be getting a pretty significant facelift to go with it.
According to Automotive News, the Ridgeline’s re-engineered powertrain will launch with a design update intended to “create the impression of a next-generation truck,” as the outlet put it, paraphrasing an unnamed Honda employee.
A Honda spokesperson told The Drive, “Ridgeline remains an important model in our lineup and one of our top conquest models with unique appeal within the industry and pickup segment. The Ridgeline will continue to play an important role in our product lineup now and in the future.”
When it returns from its hiatus, the Ridgeline will still be powered by V6, only it’ll be paired with two electric motors. That may sound complicated, but it’s just the way Honda’s hybrid system is engineered. This dual-motor setup not only gets electric power to the wheels, but it also substitutes for a conventional transmission; Honda’s hybrids don’t need one.
The new hybrid system accompanies a clean-sheet redesign of the V6 itself. Honda says the new combination will offer a 10% improvement in “full-throttle performance” (whatever that means) and a 30% improvement in efficiency. In other words, it should be both more fun and more fuel-efficient. We’re not sure how “fun” a Ridgeline’s engine really needs to be; that’s not really the point of Honda’s midsize pickup. But hey, we’ll take a little more oomph if it’s being offered.
Honda’s new V6 should replace the existing one everywhere it is currently offered, from the aforementioned SUVs and the Ridgeline to the Odyssey and Acura MDX. We don’t expect the others to need a sales hiatus in order to prep for it, but you just never know these days, do you?
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Update 5/262026, 11:31am ET: This story was updated to include a statement from Honda.
Byron is an editor at The Drive with a keen eye for infrastructure, sales and regulatory stories.
