Probably we will all be talking tommorow about the new $500 Mac, but until then, let’s take a look at Honda reinventing a product category: pick-ups.
Just to get it out of the way, I think the Ridgeline is one ugly vehicle. However, it is an appropriate aesthetic for its market. I think Honda has used their traditional restraint and made a reasonably attractive version of a Hummer pick-up.
The innovation occurs in a couple places: construction and storage.
Construction: The new Ridgeline is a unit body. This means it is lighter and stiffer than other pick-ups. It also features a fully independent suspension. I know the real offroaders out there will not be happy, but for mom to run to the store, or for a soft-roader that wants a pick-up bed, this is a good thing. It means a smoother ride.
On the design front, Honda designs had to struggle integrating a bed into the design without the normal cab-to-bed part line.
Storage: As I’ve noted several times before, security is a big issue in car design. Honda addressed this by giving Ridgeline buyers a lockable storage big UNDER the bed floor. Great idea.
This storage space doubles as a place to hide the spare tire, which rests on a slidable cradle. It’s about time designers learn that it is ridiculous to have users crawl under their vehicle to get a spare tire out.