Honda sold more than 48,000 Ridgeline pickups in 2025, but it outsold only the Prologue EV in the brand’s lineup. Now the truck faces a more significant threat from tightened emissions regulations, according to a report from Automotive News published Tuesday.
The Ridgeline’s naturally aspirated V6 engine won’t comply with the new rules, forcing Honda to pause Ridgeline production for a year and a half for revisions. Honda will pause production on the Ridgeline in the fourth quarter of 2026. The Alabama-built pickup isn’t expected to return until the third quarter of 2028, giving Honda time to update the powertrain and roll out other revisions.
Sources told Automotive News that the changes are meant to give the impression of a generational update, but the automaker hasn’t confirmed the reports, only saying the truck “will continue to play an important role” in its catalog. Honda reportedly plans to build more popular Odyssey minivans and Passport SUVs during the hiatus, which will hold jobs at the Alabama factory and keep inventory on dealers’ lots. Some dealers are skeptical of the Odyssey’s ability to meet customer demand.
Honda posted its first-ever annual loss in the fiscal year that ended March 31 due to extensive investments and subsequent cancellation of electric vehicles, leading it to extend the life cycles of several models. That includes the Odyssey minivan, which shares a powertrain with the Ridgeline. The company plans to rework its product pipeline with new hybrid systems for larger vehicles, which the Ridgeline is expected to adopt early next decade.
The new powertrain will still employ a V6, but Honda is expected to add electric motors for better fuel economy and torque. Hybrid power could also boost the Ridgeline’s towing capacity, helping it gain ground on beefier rivals, including the Ford Ranger and Toyota Tacoma.
The Ridgeline’s disappointing position on Honda’s sales docket is reflected by its segment rankings, where it’s next-to-last, ahead of only the Jeep Gladiator. While it is priced competitively, it lacks the broader range of configuration options that many rivals offer, leaving buyers out at the low and high ends of the market.
