Yes. Honda currently sells a pickup—the Ridgeline—a midsize truck that uses a unibody design rather than the traditional body-on-frame chassis.
What counts as a real truck, and where Honda fits
Automakers and buyers often debate what qualifies as a "real" truck. Generally, traditional full-size and midsize pickups are built on body-on-frame platforms designed for heavy-duty work, with rugged suspensions and higher towing capacities. Honda’s Ridgeline challenges that stereotype by offering a true cargo bed, towing capability, and practical utility, but it adopts a car-based, unibody architecture rather than a conventional truck frame.
Design and engineering
Most classic trucks rely on a body-on-frame construction for durability under heavy loads. The Ridgeline, however, uses a unibody layout shared with Honda’s crossover/SUV lineup and features an independent rear suspension, which prioritizes ride comfort and on-road manners over brute-truck off-road prowess.
Market position and capabilities
For buyers who need a practical daily driver with a usable bed, the Ridgeline offers compelling features: a bed with In-Bed Trunk storage, a dual-action tailgate on certain trims, and a towing capacity around 5,000 pounds along with payload near 1,500 pounds. It aims for a balance between everyday usability and light-to-moderate work capability, rather than heavy-duty, off-road-only performance.
Here are key facts about Honda's Ridgeline that help categorize its truck status.
- Body style and platform: unibody pickup based on Honda's Pilot platform.
- Suspension: independent rear suspension for a smoother ride; traditional trucks often use leaf springs or solid axles.
- Powertrain: 3.5-liter V6 engine paired with a 9-speed automatic transmission.
- Drivetrain: available all-wheel drive with advanced torque management.
- Bed features: In-Bed Trunk and a dual-action tailgate on certain trims.
- Capabilities: tow rating up to about 5,000 pounds; payload around 1,500 pounds.
- Market availability: primarily sold in the United States, Canada, and some Latin American markets; not widely available in Europe.
In summary, while the Ridgeline is not a classic body-on-frame truck, it is widely considered a real pickup by consumers and automakers, offering an actual cargo bed, towing ability, and practical usefulness in a true-truck sense. The key distinction is its unibody, more car-like underpinnings compared with traditional trucks.
Other Honda trucks in history and across markets
Beyond the Ridgeline, Honda has built a history of small and kei-trucks for various markets. This section outlines notable examples and how they differ from the Ridgeline.
The following list highlights notable Honda trucks from different eras and regions.
- Honda T360 (1960s): one of Honda's earliest mini-pickups, designed for light commercial use; typically described as a traditional truck by most definitions.
- Honda Acty (1970s–present in some markets): a kei-truck with compact dimensions, used widely for city deliveries and trades; a distinctly smaller, lighter-duty class than the Ridgeline.
- Honda Ridgeline (2006–present in North America): a midsize pickup that uses a unibody chassis; marketed as a real truck with practical bed features and towing capacity.
These models show that Honda has used a variety of approaches to pickups—ranging from micro-trucks to more traditional trucks—depending on the market and era. In North America, the Ridgeline remains Honda's flagship pickup offering to consumers seeking a practical, everyday-use truck with family-friendly comfort.
Summary
Bottom line: Yes, Honda makes a real pickup—the Ridgeline—though it diverges from the traditional body-on-frame, heavy-duty truck design. It blends car-like ride and practicality with a genuine cargo bed and usable towing capacity, representing Honda's modern take on what a "truck" can be in today’s market.