It’s impossible not to notice that automakers are really pushing the off-road angle for 2024. The latest vehicle determined to tell everyone that’s a demon in the dirt is the Honda Ridgeline truck, which gets an asphalt-avoiding TrailSport trim, just like its Pilot and Passport bothers.
TrailSport versions of the Ridgeline are marked out by General Grabber all-terrain tires, underbody protection and suspension components optimized for light off-road use, including new spring and damper rates, plus tuned anti-roll bars to improve axle articulation and off-road ride comfort.
And because many TrailSport trucks will be bought for the pose, not their cross-country prowess, you also get a unique grille, black exterior trim, orange badges and interior trim details and five-spoke, 18-inch wheels. Only the TrailSport version of the Ridgeline is available with the Diffused Sky Blue paint previously launched on the 2024 Pilot, but every Ridgeline gets the truck’s name stamped across the rear tailgate. That panel, you might recall, works in two ways, either dropping down like a regular tailgate or swinging open like a door.
Related: The Honda Ridgeline Is On Track For Its Best Year Ever
The entire Ridgeline range, from the base Sport to the RTL, TrailSport and Black Edition flagship, all benefit from a new center console for 2024 that can accommodate a full-size digital tablet under the armrest, and has space for two smartphones – one of them on a charging tray – ahead of the transmission shifter. A 9-inch touchscreen infotainment system and 7-inch digital gauge pack are also new, the integrated navigation system is claimed to be simpler and both Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are both standard.
As is a 3.5-liter naturally-aspirated V6 pumping out 280 hp (284 PS) and 262 lb-ft (355 Nm) of torque, which it sends to Honda’s i-VTM4 torque-vectoring all-wheel drive system. That combination, plus a stiff unibody structure, enables the Ridgeline to carry 1,583 lbs (718 kg) in its bed or haul as much as 5,000 lbs (2,268 kg) behind it.
Sales of the new model are anticipated to commence in the first weeks of December, with pricing details set to be announced shortly.
