The third-generation Honda Ridgeline is expected to debut by 2028 with a tougher-looking design and modern powertrain. In a mid-size truck market dominated by Ford, Chevrolet, and Toyota, it's historically been hard for other brands to truly make a dent with consumers.
That hasn’t stopped the folks at Honda from trying, who on Thursday confirmed that development of the third-generation Honda Ridgeline is underway with an expected debut target of 2028. The Ridgeline has never been a massive profit driver for Honda, with just 48,448 units sold in the States last year.
View Price on AmazonFor reference, Toyota sold 274,638 Tacomas in 2025, whereas Chevrolet turned over some 107,074 Colorados. The third-generation truck will aim to continue that trend with an even more rugged design language targeting truck fans. Given how macho the recently refreshed Pilot looks, it shouldn’t be too hard of a transition.
Expect something a bit more upright and boxy than the current iteration. The teaser image above shouldn't be treated like gospel quite yet, as things are liable to change. The design itself will be completed by the company’s California studio, with supporting engineering work slated to take place at Honda’s Ohio campus. Production will take place down in Alabama.
As the automaker prepares for this generational shift, leadership has paused production of the MY2026 product later this year. Reports swirled earlier this summer suggesting that this might be the case, though the reasoning doesn’t quite line up with Honda’s official line. Automotive News reported that the hang-up and redesign are specifically related to the truck’s 3.5-liter V-6 engine, which is no longer going to be able to keep up with emissions regulations.
Source: roadandtrack.com
