Honda is building a new Ridgeline. That much is official. On July 23, 2026, Honda said it is developing a third-generation Ridgeline with a more rugged design. The company also said the next truck will be built at the Alabama Auto Plant, arrive within two years of that announcement, and follow a production pause for the current 2026 Ridgeline later in 2026. What Honda has not done is equally important. It has not confirmed a 2027 model-year badge, a U.S. on-sale month, a starting price, an engine, a hybrid system, towing figures, or a trim chart. 2027 Honda Ridgeline is the phrase shoppers are searching. It is not yet a published product.
That gap is the whole buying problem. The current Ridgeline is a unibody midsize pickup with a 3.5-liter V6, standard all-wheel drive, a 5,000-pound tow rating, and Honda’s In-Bed Trunk. It rides more like a crossover than a body-on-frame Tacoma or Ranger. The next one is supposed to look tougher. Whether it also tows more, goes off-road with more authority, or costs a lot more is still unknown. If you need a truck this year, the 2026 model is the known quantity—and inventory will not be replenished forever. If you can wait, Honda has given you a window, not a brochure.
Is the 2027 Honda Ridgeline Confirmed?
A next-generation Ridgeline is confirmed. A specifically labeled 2027 Honda Ridgeline is not. Honda’s July 23, 2026 announcement established four facts:
- A third-generation Ridgeline is in development.
- Honda described the design direction as more rugged.
- Production will remain at the Alabama Auto Plant.
- The new truck is expected within two years of that announcement, after a production pause for the current 2026 model later in 2026.
“Within two years” from late July 2026 points to arrival by mid-2028. That could produce a 2027 model, a 2028 model, or a late-2027 launch wearing either badge. Automakers treat model year, production start, reveal, and dealership arrival as four different calendars. Honda has not published all four.
So the honest status line is this:
- Confirmed: third-generation Ridgeline; more rugged design; Alabama production; current-generation pause later in 2026; next truck within two years of July 23, 2026.
- Not announced: 2027 as the official model year, MSRP, engine, hybrid, dimensions, payload, towing, trims, or interior details.
Until Honda holds a reveal, treat every horsepower rumor and TrailSport sketch as noise.
2027 Honda Ridgeline Redesign
Honda only committed to one design idea in public: the next Ridgeline will look more rugged. That is a direction, not a clay model. The current truck has always been the polite pickup. Smooth flanks, a car-like nose, and a bed that hides a trunk. Owners like it because it does not drive like a work truck. Critics say it does not look like it can leave pavement. Honda heard that criticism clearly enough to put “more rugged” in the announcement.
Rugged can mean fender flares and a taller grille. It can also mean real approach-angle work, underbody protection, and all-terrain rubber that is not just a sticker package. Honda has not said which version it is building.
A More Rugged Exterior Design
Expect the next truck to read as more upright and more protective: a stronger front fascia, more cladding, a higher visual beltline, and lighting that looks less like a Passport with a bed. Those are reasonable expectations, not confirmed parts.
What should not change, if Honda is smart, is the Ridgeline’s party trick. The dual-action tailgate and In-Bed Trunk are the reasons people buy this truck instead of a Tacoma. Honda has not confirmed either feature for the next generation. Killing the in-bed trunk to chase a more conventional pickup look would be a strange way to spend a redesign. Bed length, cab proportions, and overall width are unannounced. Do not trust any “leaked” dimension sheet.
Could Honda Improve Off-Road Capability?
Possibly. Honda has not said it will. The current TrailSport Ridgeline is an appearance-and-tire package more than a rock crawler. It has all-terrain rubber and unique styling on the same unibody bones. A “more rugged” third generation could give TrailSport real hardware: better approach and departure angles, a locking or more aggressive rear differential calibration, skid plates, and a genuine off-road drive mode.
It could also be mostly visual. That is cheaper. Honda’s own TrailSport playbook on the Pilot and Passport has been a mix of both—useful height and tires, not Jeep Wrangler theater. If off-road ability matters more to you than ride quality, wait for Honda to publish approach angles, ground clearance, and tire sizes. Until then, do not assume the next Ridgeline is a Tacoma Trailhound.
Will the Ridgeline Keep Its Unibody Construction?
Honda has not announced the next truck’s architecture. The current Ridgeline is a unibody pickup. The body and structure are one unit, like a crossover, instead of a passenger cabin bolted to a separate ladder frame (body-on-frame), which is how the Toyota Tacoma and Ford Ranger are built.
Unibody is why the Ridgeline rides so well on the highway and why the cabin is quiet. It is also why the tow rating tops out at 5,000 pounds and why payload is not in the same conversation as a proper midsize work truck. A more rugged Ridgeline could stay unibody and simply get more protective bodywork. That would keep the Honda driving character. Switching to body-on-frame would be a much bigger product change—and Honda has not claimed it.
Confirmed: more rugged design direction.
Not announced: unibody vs. body-on-frame, ground clearance, bed length, tailgate design, In-Bed Trunk.
2027 Honda Ridgeline Engine and Performance
Use the 2026 truck as the only hard benchmark. Honda has not published a powertrain for the successor.
Will the 3.5-Liter V6 Return?
The 2026 Ridgeline uses a 3.5-liter V6 rated at 280 horsepower and 262 lb-ft of torque, paired with a nine-speed automatic. That engine is smooth, proven, and a little old-fashioned in a class that has moved hard toward turbocharged fours and hybrids.
Honda might keep a V6 because the Ridgeline’s buyers like refinement more than spec-sheet torque. It might also replace it. Honda has turbo-four and hybrid hardware across the rest of the lineup. None of that is confirmed for this truck. Do not treat any leaked horsepower number as real. Honda has not released one.
Could Honda Introduce a Hybrid Ridgeline?
Honda has not announced a hybrid Ridgeline. A hybrid would make sense on paper. Instant torque helps a unibody truck feel stronger at low speed. It could improve around-town fuel use. Honda already sells hybrid crossovers in the same Alabama-related product family conversation, so the engineering path is not imaginary.
The penalties are also real: cost, weight, battery packaging under a truck floor, and heat management if anyone actually tows with it. A hybrid that adds 400 pounds and $4,000 without raising the tow rating would be a mixed gift. Until Honda says the word hybrid in a Ridgeline press release, it is a possibility, not a feature.
What Transmission and AWD Changes Are Possible?
The 2026 truck has a nine-speed automatic and standard i-VTM4 all-wheel drive. i-VTM4 is Honda’s torque-vectoring rear system: it can send more torque to the left or right rear wheel to help the truck rotate and stay planted.
A successor could keep that hardware, retune it for dirt, or add a more locking off-road mode. Honda has not said. A manual transmission is extremely unlikely in this class and has not been mentioned.
2027 Honda Ridgeline Towing Capacity and Payload
The 2026 Ridgeline is rated to tow up to 5,000 pounds. That is the confirmed ceiling on the current truck. Five thousand pounds covers a midsize boat, a pop-up camper, or a pair of jet skis. It does not cover the heavy travel trailers that Tacoma and Ranger buyers shop. Payload—the weight you can put in the cab and bed combined—has always been the Ridgeline’s quieter limit. People who load mulch, a tool chest, and three adults find that number faster than the tow rating.
Honda has not published 2027 (or next-gen) towing or payload figures. A more rugged design does not automatically mean a higher rating. Structure, cooling, brakes, transmission tune, and hitch hardware decide that, not fender flares. If you regularly tow near 5,000 pounds, the current truck is already at the edge. Waiting for a bigger number is a bet, not a plan. If you tow 3,000 pounds of boat on weekends, either generation can probably do the job—once Honda publishes the next rating.
2027 Honda Ridgeline Interior, Technology and Comfort
Honda has not shown the next cabin. Any screen size, material, or seat design you have seen on social media is unofficial. The current Ridgeline’s interior is the reason a lot of families skip a “real” truck. The ride is calm. The seats are adult-friendly. Rear-seat space is closer to a midsize SUV than to an old compact pickup. That is the standard a successor has to beat.
Infotainment and Smartphone Connectivity
Buyers in 2027 will expect wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a clear backup camera, and a volume knob you can find without looking. Honda’s recent U.S. interiors have generally moved that way. That is a class expectation, not a confirmed Ridgeline spec sheet.
Driver-assistance is the same story. Adaptive cruise, lane keeping, and automatic emergency braking are table stakes. A truck that nags on a dirt road will annoy TrailSport shoppers. Honda has not described the next system.
Rear-Seat Space and Everyday Practicality
The Ridgeline’s second row is one of its actual advantages. Adults fit. Child seats fit. The floor is lower than in many body-on-frame midsize trucks, which makes daily family use less of a climb.
Honda has not released next-gen interior dimensions. If the redesign gets more rugged by raising the truck, watch step-in height. A more truck-like stance can tax the same people who bought a Ridgeline because it was easy.
Storage Solutions and Cabin Improvements
Under-seat storage, a useful console, and the In-Bed Trunk are the Ridgeline’s personality. Improving small-item storage and bed security would be a logical next step. None of it is confirmed.
If Honda keeps the in-bed trunk and simply makes the cabin quieter and the materials nicer, many current owners will call that a win. If Honda chases Tacoma theater and loses the trunk, it will have redesigned away its own reason to exist.
2027 Honda Ridgeline Trim Levels
The 2026 Ridgeline has been sold in familiar Honda truck language: Sport, RTL, TrailSport, and Black Edition, depending on the current order guide. Those names are a useful shopping map for today’s truck. Honda has not confirmed that the third generation will reuse them. Reasonable guess, not a fact: Honda will keep a value trim, a leather comfort trim, a TrailSport outdoor trim, and a blacked-out flagship. That is how Honda sells Pilots and Passports, and it is how the Ridgeline already works.
What TrailSport becomes is the interesting question. On the current truck it is the outdoorsy look. On a “more rugged” successor it could be the headline trim—the one Honda puts in ads with mud and roof tents. It could also stay a package. Honda has not said. Do not shop a 2027 TrailSport that does not exist on a window sticker. If you want that vibe now, the 2026 TrailSport is the one you can actually configure.
2027 Honda Ridgeline Price
Honda has not published a price for the next Ridgeline. The current baseline is the 2026 Sport, which Honda listed at $40,795 before destination. Higher trims, especially TrailSport and Black Edition with options, climb from there. Always check the window sticker; destination, packages, and dealer add-ons change the real number. A new generation usually costs more than the truck it replaces. Reasons that do not require a rumor mill:
- New tooling and a design change
- Tougher crash and lighting rules
- More standard safety tech
- Any hybrid hardware, if Honda adds it
- A more rugged positioning that Honda may want to charge for
if Honda keeps the Ridgeline in the same unibody midsize-pickup slot, a next-gen Sport starting in the low-to-mid $40,000s before destination would not be shocking. A loaded TrailSport or hybrid flagship could push well into the $50,000s. Those are assumptions based on how this class has moved and on the 2026 Sport’s $40,795 starting point. They are not Honda prices.
If the next truck opens thousands above a comparably equipped Tacoma or Ranger without a clear comfort or capability gain, Honda will have a problem. If it stays near the current Sport’s neighborhood with a tougher look and the same daily manners, it will still have a customer.
2027 Honda Ridgeline Specs
| 2026 Honda Ridgeline | 2027 / next-generation Ridgeline | |
|---|---|---|
| Status | Current model; production pause later in 2026 | Third generation confirmed July 23, 2026 |
| Model year | 2026 | Not announced as a 2027 model |
| Body style | Midsize unibody pickup | Not announced |
| Design | Current second-generation styling | More rugged (Honda confirmed) |
| Construction | Unibody | Not announced |
| Engine | 3.5-liter V6 | Not announced |
| Horsepower | 280 hp | Not announced |
| Torque | 262 lb-ft | Not announced |
| Transmission | 9-speed automatic | Not announced |
| Drive system | Standard i-VTM4 AWD | Not announced |
| Hybrid | No | Not announced |
| Max towing | Up to 5,000 lbs | Not announced |
| Payload | See current window sticker / Honda specs | Not announced |
| In-Bed Trunk | Yes | Not announced |
| Dual-action tailgate | Yes on current truck | Not announced |
| Seating | 5 | Not announced |
| Trims | Sport, RTL, TrailSport, Black Edition (current lineup) | Not announced |
| Assembly | Alabama Auto Plant | Alabama Auto Plant (confirmed) |
| Starting MSRP | Sport $40,795 before destination | Not announced |
| U.S. timing | On sale now / remaining inventory after pause | Within two years of July 23, 2026; exact date not announced |
2027 Honda Ridgeline Release Date
Honda has not announced a 2027 Honda Ridgeline release date. What Honda did say, on July 23, 2026.
- The next-generation truck would arrive within two years
- The current 2026 model gets a production pause later in 2026
- Alabama remains the plant
Separate the calendars:
- Reveal — photos and specs
- Production start — Alabama builds the new one
- Model year — the door-jamb sticker
- U.S. dealership arrival — when you can take one home
A pause later in 2026 means new 2026 production stops. Dealers can still sell remaining stock. Then there is a gap until the third generation is ready. That gap could be months. It could be longer. Honda has not published the build calendar.
Could a truck go on sale in calendar 2027 and be sold as a 2027 Ridgeline? Yes. Could it miss 2027 and show up as a 2028? Also yes. “Within two years” of July 2026 runs to July 2028. Anyone posting a month and an auto-show name without a Honda newsroom link is guessing.
2027 Honda Ridgeline vs. 2026 Honda Ridgeline
The 2026 truck is a finished product. The next one is a confirmed program with almost no specifications.
| Feature | 2026 Honda Ridgeline | Next-generation Ridgeline |
|---|---|---|
| Program status | Current; production pause later in 2026 | Third generation confirmed July 23, 2026 |
| Model year 2027 | N/A | Not announced as a specific model year |
| Design | Current second-generation styling | More rugged (Honda confirmed) |
| Construction | Unibody | Not announced |
| Engine | 3.5-liter V6, 280 hp, 262 lb-ft | Not announced |
| Transmission | 9-speed automatic | Not announced |
| Drive system | Standard i-VTM4 AWD | Not announced |
| Max towing | Up to 5,000 lbs | Not announced |
| In-Bed Trunk | Yes | Not announced |
| Hybrid | No | Not announced |
| Assembly | Alabama Auto Plant | Alabama Auto Plant (confirmed) |
| Starting MSRP | Sport $40,795 before destination | Not announced |
| U.S. timing | On sale now / remaining inventory after pause | Within two years of July 23, 2026; exact date not announced |
The only guaranteed difference Honda has described is a more rugged design, plus the production pause and Alabama continuity. Everything else in the right-hand column is a blank Honda has not filled in.
2027 Honda Ridgeline vs. Toyota Tacoma and Ford Ranger
Toyota Tacoma is the default midsize truck in America: body-on-frame, available hybrid power in i-FORCE MAX form, and a much more serious off-road ladder (TRD, Trailhunter, and related hardware depending on the year). It generally tows more than 5,000 pounds in the right configuration and feels more like a truck on a rutted road. It also rides more like a truck. Verify current Tacoma tow ratings, hybrid availability, and MSRP on Toyota’s site before you cross-shop; those numbers move by cab, bed, and axle ratio.
Ford Ranger is the other body-on-frame foil, with turbocharged engines and a more conventional midsize-truck stance. Higher trims and Raptor-style off-road versions exist in this generation’s orbit. Max towing, depending on configuration, has typically sat above the Ridgeline’s 5,000-pound cap. Again: check Ford’s current order guide rather than an old brochure.
The Ridgeline’s case has never been “beats Tacoma in the dirt.” It is:
- Unibody ride and quietness
- Standard AWD
- A lockable In-Bed Trunk
- A cabin that works as a family vehicle
- Independent rear suspension manners on broken pavement
A more rugged third generation tries to steal a little Tacoma credibility without throwing away that list. If Honda only bolts on cladding and leaves towing at 5,000 pounds, the Tacoma and Ranger keep the capability argument. If Honda keeps the trunk and the ride and merely looks tougher, Ridgeline buyers will probably be happy—and Tacoma buyers will not switch.
Price will decide a lot of conquest sales. The 2026 Sport’s $40,795 starting MSRP (before destination) already sits in real-money territory. A next Ridgeline that lands like a luxury crossover will fight different shoppers than a next Ridgeline that undercuts a loaded Tacoma.
Should You Buy the 2026 Honda Ridgeline or Wait for the Next Model?
Buy the 2026 if you need a truck, like this truck, and do not want to gamble on a two-year window.
Buy the 2026 Ridgeline if:
- You need AWD, a usable back seat, and 5,000-pound towing this year
- You prefer a car-like ride over body-on-frame bounce
- You want the In-Bed Trunk and dual-action tailgate as they exist today
- You can live with 280 hp / 262 lb-ft and a nine-speed automatic
- You understand that production pauses later in 2026, so remaining new inventory is finite
- A new-truck warranty starting now matters more than a tougher-looking successor
Wait if:
- You specifically want the more rugged third-generation design Honda already confirmed
- You can keep your current vehicle until Honda reveals the engine, price, and tow rating
- You are hoping for a hybrid or a higher tow number—and you accept that Honda has not promised either
- You can wait through 2027 and possibly into 2028
Do not wait if your only reason is a rumor about horsepower or a TrailSport render. Honda has not confirmed those details. A production pause also means the 2026 you can test-drive today may be a better, simpler purchase than a mystery truck at an unknown price. Set a personal deadline. If Honda has not shown the next Ridgeline, with specs, by the time you actually need a truck, buy the 2026—or a comparable Tacoma or Ranger you can put on a scale.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q.1. Will there be a 2027 Honda Ridgeline?
Honda has confirmed a third-generation Ridgeline. It has not confirmed that the truck will be sold as a 2027 model-year vehicle.
Q.2. When will the redesigned Honda Ridgeline be released?
Honda said the next truck would arrive within two years of its July 23, 2026 announcement, after a 2026-model production pause later in 2026. No month or auto-show date has been announced.
Q.3. How much will the 2027 Honda Ridgeline cost?
Not announced. The 2026 Sport starts at $40,795 before destination. That is a historical reference, not a next-gen MSRP.
Q.4. Will the 2027 Honda Ridgeline have a V6 engine?
Not announced. The 2026 model uses a 3.5-liter V6 rated at 280 horsepower and 262 lb-ft of torque.
Q.5. Will Honda make a hybrid Ridgeline?
Honda has not announced a hybrid Ridgeline.
Q.6. What is the expected towing capacity?
Honda has not published a next-gen rating. The current Ridgeline tows up to 5,000 pounds.
Q.7. Will the 2027 Ridgeline have a TrailSport trim?
Not announced. TrailSport is part of the current Ridgeline lineup. Honda has not confirmed next-gen trims.
Q.8. Is the 2026 Honda Ridgeline worth buying now?
Yes, if you need the truck Honda already builds: unibody comfort, standard i-VTM4 AWD, 5,000-pound towing, and the In-Bed Trunk. Production is planned to pause later in 2026, so shop remaining inventory with eyes open. It is not the more rugged third generation Honda has previewed in words only.
Honda has started the clock on a new Ridgeline. The company confirmed a third generation, a more rugged design, Alabama production, a 2026-model pause later this year, and arrival within two years of July 23, 2026. It has not confirmed a 2027 Honda Ridgeline as an official U.S. model, and it has not published the things that actually close a deal: price, engine, hybrid, towing, payload, trims, or interior.
The 2026 Ridgeline remains the only complete picture—3.5-liter V6, 280 hp, 262 lb-ft, nine-speed automatic, standard AWD, 5,000-pound towing, In-Bed Trunk, Sport from $40,795 before destination. If that truck already fits your life, buying one before the production pause is the low-risk move. If you are waiting for the tougher successor, wait for Honda’s reveal, not for a keyword. Watch the Honda newsroom for specs. Until those exist, the next Ridgeline is a direction, not a driveway.
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