The Honda Ridgeline is a small unibody truck with a spacious cabin, good road manners, and a single streamlined powertrain. Competitors include the Ford Maverick, the Ford Ranger, and the Hyundai Santa Cruz.
2026 Honda Ridgeline Pricing, Specs, and Release Date
- What’s New for the 2026 Honda Ridgeline
- Design
- Powertrain
- Interior
- Technology
- Safety
- Pricing and Release Date
- Further Research
What’s New for the 2026 Honda Ridgeline
This year, the Honda Ridgeline carries over mostly unchanged except for some superficial styling options. In fact, this generation has seen few substantial changes since its mid-cycle refresh in 2021, except for the 2024 addition of the TrailSport trim. The TrailSport is now available with an exclusive new Ash Green Metallic exterior option, while the top Black Edition trim is now available with a black contrast roof.
Design
The Ridgeline is available exclusively in a four-door crew cab and short bed configuration and comes standard with 18-inch alloy wheels. Though the bed measures just 5 feet and 4 inches, Honda has given it a ton of functionality. It’s constructed of durable molding compound, wide enough to accommodate a standard sheet of plywood, and features a dual-action tailgate that can flip down or swing open to the side. The cargo floor hides a lockable storage cubby with a capacity of 7.3 cubic feet, and the bed features a drain plug so it can function like a cooler while camping or tailgating.
Powertrain
Honda equips the 2026 Ridgeline with a 3.5-liter V6 engine rated for 280 horsepower and 262 pound-feet of torque. All models come standard with a nine-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel drive (AWD). Most versions of the Ridgeline have EPA fuel economy ratings of 18 mpg city, 24 highway, and 21 combined, though the TrailSport model loses 1 mpg each in highway and combined ratings, thanks to its all-terrain tires. The Ridgeline can tow up to 5,000 pounds when properly equipped.
Interior
Every Ridgeline features a two-row crew cab layout with five seats. Though the front seats are spacious and supportive, and the rear row is spacious enough, the rear seats themselves are less supportive and may force passengers to sit at uncomfortable angles. The Ridgeline’s cabin has a good design and good build quality, but materials are simple, particularly in base trims. Cloth upholstery comes standard, and the cockpit is loaded with dull but functional black plastic trim. Options include leather upholstery and heated seats in both rows.
Technology
A 9-inch touchscreen infotainment system comes standard across the Honda Ridgeline lineup, along with a 7-inch digital instrument display. The system includes wireless Android Auto, wireless Apple CarPlay, wireless device charging, Bluetooth, a seven-speaker audio system, and USB-A and USB-C charging ports. Options include an eight-speaker audio system and additional USB-C ports.
Safety
The 2026 Honda Ridgeline boasts a five-star overall safety rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) hasn’t published crash-test results for the 2026 Ridgeline, but the 2025 model received a top “Good” rating in the small overlap front crash test and a second-best “Acceptable” rating in the updated side crash test. The Ridgeline comes standard with a rearview camera and the Honda Sensing package, comprised of adaptive cruise control, forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, lane-keep assist, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and road-departure mitigation.
Pricing and Release Date
The 2026 Honda Ridgeline is available now, in four trim levels that carry over from 2025. As of this writing, Honda lists pricing starting at $40,595 for the base Sport, $43,395 for the RTL, $45,795 for the TrailSport, and $47,195 for the top Black Edition. These prices do not include Honda’s destination charge of $1,495.
