SPYSHOTS: 2017 Honda Ridgeline goes testing

Initially illustrated in a sole teaser sketch back at the 2015 Chicago Auto Show, a heavily-camouflaged prototype of the 2017 Honda Ridgeline has now been captured by our spy photographers undergoing testing in Ohio. The second-generation pick-up truck is slated to be based on the 2016 Honda Pilot crossover – itself revealed not too long ago at the start of the year in Chicago.

Unfortunately, drawing conclusions on how the finished article might look like is useless due to the amount of camouflage present. However, if the sketch is anything to go by with, one might be able to spot one of the original Ridgeline’s defining features – a split tailgate that allows owners to lower one half of the assembly to load/unload equipment.

Elsewhere, expect the 2017 Honda Ridgeline to arrive with the same bold, bluff front end as seen on its Pilot cousin – the second-gen pick-up is expected to feature a stockier profile sans “rear buttresses”. Look closer and one might be able to see that the new Ridgeline also boasts a more streamlined silhouette, courtesy of its raked windshield that gels seamlessly into the roof.

Also demonstrated by these spyshots, the 2017 Honda Ridgeline will most likely be offered in a single body style like its predecessor – a four-doored crew cab layout. Apart from sharing its platform, the new pick-up will likely adopt the same engine/gearbox combination currently in service in the 2016 Honda Pilot.

That would equate to a 3.5 litre V6 engine with around 280 hp and 355 Nm of torque with cylinder deactivation and start/stop technology, mated to a six-speed automatic transmission as standard. The nine-speed automatic on higher-end Pilot models could feature, as well. As is the case with the last Ridgeline, the new truck is expected to channel its power to all four wheels exclusively.

While not much has been said regarding its impending debut, the 2017 Honda Ridgeline is expected to hit the stands at the very end of 2015 or early- to mid-2016 with an on-sale date slated for the later months in the same year. Estimated prices are pegged to begin at around US$30,000 (RM116,217).

GALLERY: 2016 Honda Pilot

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