TL;DR
Get business pricing on garage and car supplies
- Business-only prices and quantity discounts
- Tax-exempt purchasing
- Multiple users, one account, clear invoices
Don Herner, exterior design lead for the original Honda Ridgeline, discussed the pickup’s development in an interview with YouTuber Jack Bontatibus. Herner said Honda initially called the project the “Advanced Capabilities Vehicle,” reflecting a design brief that did not begin as a conventional truck program.
Don Herner, the exterior design lead for the original Honda Ridgeline, has discussed how the unconventional pickup took shape in an interview with YouTuber Jack Bontatibus. Herner said the project was not initially treated inside Honda as a conventional truck program: designers called it the “Advanced Capabilities Vehicle,” a name that reflected the vehicle’s intended role and the engineering limits shaping its design.
In the interview, Herner described the Ridgeline and first-generation Acura RDX as projects that grew out of designers sketching ideas during a quiet period. A marketing executive saw the truck sketches and began advocating for a production vehicle, Herner said. The account offers a behind-the-scenes explanation of why Honda’s first production pickup differed from traditional body-on-frame trucks.
Herner said Honda lacked a transmission robust enough for the large wheels and tires shown in some early sketches. Designers tried 32- and 35-inch tire concepts, but engineering favored smaller wheel-and-tire combinations to increase torque at the wheels. The production Ridgeline used a 3.5-liter V6 paired with a five-speed automatic, rated at 255 horsepower and 252 pound-feet of torque, according to the source report.
The first-generation model, introduced in 2005 as a 2006 model, used a unibody structure based on a modified version of Honda’s Odyssey platform. It had a fiberglass cargo box, a dual-action tailgate, fold-up rear seats and a lockable storage compartment beneath the bed. The source report says Honda tested overloaded beds in simulations to identify when the rear suspension would fail, while the tailgate mechanism was designed to support the weight of multiple people.
How the Design Shaped the Ridgeline
Herner’s account helps explain why the Ridgeline became a different kind of pickup rather than a direct copy of established truck designs. Its unibody construction and integrated cab-and-bed styling challenged expectations in a market where body-on-frame vehicles were the norm. The development story also shows how practical constraints, including the drivetrain’s limits and durability targets, shaped visible design decisions.
The details matter to current and prospective truck buyers because several of the original vehicle’s practical ideas remain recognizable in later Ridgelines. The dual-action tailgate and flexible cabin storage were not just styling experiments; they were features intended to make the vehicle useful for everyday tasks. Honda’s approach helped establish a distinct position in the pickup market, even though some buyers did not regard the original design as a conventional truck.
2006-2014 Honda Ridgeline bed extender
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
Honda’s First Production Pickup
The first-generation Ridgeline marked Honda’s first production vehicle with a bed and was the company’s largest production vehicle at the time, according to the source report. Its size required changes to assembly lines. The report also recounts that spelling “Honda” across the tailgate in the company’s typeface required personal approval from the company president, a departure from Japanese corporate norms described by the account.
The original model’s platform and layout distinguished it from conventional pickups. The current-generation Ridgeline remains a unibody vehicle and retains some features associated with the first generation, although its styling is more conventional. The source report says a future generation is expected to look more like a traditional truck, but does not provide details or a timeline.
“This never really started out to be a truck project per se, because Honda doesn’t make a transmission robust enough to turn gigantic wheels and tires.”
— Don Herner, Ridgeline exterior design lead, as quoted in The Drive’s report
Honda Ridgeline in-bed trunk organizer
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
Details Still Missing From the Account
The source material does not specify when Bontatibus published the interview, how long it runs, or whether Honda has separately confirmed Herner’s recollections. The development details and quotations are presented through the interview and The Drive’s account; they should be understood as Herner’s recollections, not as a newly released Honda technical document.
The report also gives no schedule or specifications for the next-generation Ridgeline. Its statement that the future model will look more like a truck is presented as an expectation, not a confirmed design announcement. It remains unclear what features or construction choices Honda will retain.
Honda Ridgeline dual-action tailgate replacement parts
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
Interview and Model Plans
Readers can watch Bontatibus’s interview for Herner’s fuller account of the vehicle’s development. The source report identifies no upcoming Honda announcement, launch date or confirmed next-generation specifications. Any claims about future styling or equipment should be treated as unconfirmed until Honda releases details.
Honda Ridgeline all-weather floor mats 2006-2014
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
Key Questions
Who is Don Herner?
Don Herner was the exterior design lead for the first-generation Honda Ridgeline. The source report says he also worked on the third-generation Acura Integra and led design of the first-generation Acura RDX.
What did Honda call the Ridgeline project internally?
Herner said the project was called the “Advanced Capabilities Vehicle.” He said it did not begin as a conventional truck project.
When did the original Ridgeline arrive?
The first-generation Ridgeline arrived in 2005 as a 2006 model, according to the source report.
What made the original Ridgeline different from traditional pickups?
It used unibody construction on a modified Odyssey platform rather than the body-on-frame layout common among conventional pickups. It also had an integrated cab and bed, a dual-action tailgate and storage beneath the bed.
Has Honda confirmed details about the next Ridgeline?
The source material provides no confirmed next-generation specifications or timeline. It says the next model is expected to look more like a traditional truck, but that is not presented as a formal Honda announcement.
Source: rss
Fall Picks
fall essentials
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
