Honda teases new American-built midsize pickup truck
2026 Honda Ridgeline pickup truck.
Courtesy of HondaHonda
honda engine It confirmed Thursday that the next-generation model of its Ridgeline pickup truck will be built in the U.S. following a temporary production halt later this year.
The future of the mid-size pickup truck changing between reports He said production may be suspended due to the vehicle not complying with California emissions regulations.
The Japanese automaker said on Thursday that production for the pickup truck would be temporarily halted at the Alabama plant that produces the vehicle later this year, with assembly returning to the facility within two years, possibly in 2028.
“The goal is to continue serving customers who have been loyal to the Ridgeline,” Lance Woelfer, American Honda Motor’s vice president of auto sales, told CNBC. “But one of the things we want to highlight in the future is the greater robustness and greater capability of this vehicle.”
Woelfer declined to comment on whether the more robust capability would involve switching the vehicle from a car-based production process to a more traditional truck assembly known as “body-on-frame,” where most trucks are built in the United States.
Honda released a teaser image of its next-generation Ridgeline pickup truck for the US market on July 23, 2026.
Courtesy of Honda
“This was an important part of his history. Whether or not it was part of his future, I’m not going to get into that,” Woelfer said. “This is a step forward for Ridgeline that I think everyone will appreciate.”
Known for its smooth ride rather than its ruggedness, expanding the Ridgeline’s capacity could help broaden the vehicle’s buyers.
Ridgeline sales fell nearly 3% in the first half of the year. The company has sold approximately 41,000 to 52,000 Ridgelines annually since 2021. That compares with more than 270,000 sales of the segment-leading Toyota Tacoma in 2025.
Honda’s new acquisition approval comes as its CR-V compact crossover model increased U.S. auto sales for the first time in the first half of the year.
CR-V sales were up about 6% from last year as the Ford F-Series pickups and Toyota Rav4 crossover, which have led sales in recent years, coped with production bottlenecks.
