Not much has changed underneath the Ridgeline for its refresh, which speaks to Feinstein s assertion that the truck was already very capable. It s still powered by a 3.5-liter direct-injection V6 producing 280 horsepower and 262 lb-ft of torque, distributed to a sophisticated all-wheel-drive system by a nine-speed automatic transmission. There is, however, a new Honda Performance Development (HPD) package available.
We ll be interested to see how the new-look Ridgeline sells in 2021, but we suspect that giving into the American idea that all trucks should be macho looking will pay off. After all, the Ridgeline is a great lifestyle truck suited to more American truck buyers than want to admit it. It went on sale last month and Honda is already pushing hard with discounts.
But don t worry, the price increase is worth it.
After the Ridgeline was widely criticized for not looking tough next to its body-on-frame rivals from Detroit and Japan, the 2021 Honda Ridgeline arrived with a significant facelift. The new model no longer looks like a Pilot that happens to have a bed in the back. After making its debut in October, the 2021 Ridgeline is ready to hit dealerships on February 2, boasting some serious improvements over the outgoing model.
The base Ridgeline Sport arrives with a $36,490 starting price, not including a $1,175 destination charge. This is a huge increase compared to the 2020 Ridgeline Sport, which started at $33,900. There is an important reason why the new model is more expensive, though; it now includes torque-vectoring i-VTM4 all-wheel-drive as standard. Last year s Ridgeline Sport AWD model was priced at $36,140, so the new model has only gone up by $350.