The 2017 Honda Ridgeline has been teased again ahead of its global debut at the Detroit Motor Show in January next year… It won’t come to Australia
DESPITE THE BOOM in sales of work and play utes here in Australia, Honda has already said the new Ridgeline won’t come to Australia. Teased ahead of its debut at the Detroit Motor Show, Honda US has confirmed it will run a number of TV ads to announce the return of the Ridgeline.
Details are still thin, although US motoring journos have already been treated to a sneak peek of the new Ridgeline and sworn to secrecy, but the new Ridgeline will share its underpinnings with the 2014 Honda MDX (which Australia doesn’t get) which offers all-wheel drive on demand and, so is predominantly a front-driver. This, we suggest, is the reason Honda won’t bring it Down Under; it would be slammed against the likes of Ford Ranger, Toyota HiLux, Nissan Navara and Mistusbishi Triton.
“We developed this new Honda Ridgeline to offer something new and fundamentally better suited to the way many buyers use their truck,” said Jeff Conrad, senior vice president and general manager of the Honda Division. “Ridgeline will deliver everything you’d expect in a Honda from incredible packaging and fuel-efficiency to top safety technologies and innovative, segment-first features. We’re honored to once again debut the Ridgeline in Detroit at the North American International Auto Show.”
The Ridgeline will also be joined by a new look Honda Odyssey sometime in 2016.
Well Honda would not want to “go the extra mile” to build something specific and or suitable for Australia. Better to sell “other” vehicles in Australia whilst elswhere in the world, Honda sells many better and newer models. Used to like Honda. Used to own a Honda. Not any more.
Yep, Honda Australia thinks the Ridgline is too good for Australia. They rather sell things like the CR-Z and the Jazz hybrid. Australians want complex hybrid cars which are expensive to buy, cannot go off-road, and don’t actually save fuel. Anyway, the Ridgline comes with a 6 speed automatic and a V6 engine, that is too much for Australia. If it used a 10 year old engine and a 5 speed or a 4 speed auto, then it would be here right away!