December 21, 2005
Motor Trend magazine has named the Honda Ridgeline 2006 its truck of the year.
This is the second year in a row that a Japanese truck has bested Detroit. Toyota won truck of the year in 2005 with the Toyota Tacoma.
The Ridgeline pickup truck is the second Honda vehicle to win Motor Trends top award. Last month the magazine named the 2006 Honda Civic its car of the year. The designation is important to automakers because they often use Motor Trend's endorsement in their advertising.
The Ridgeline is the first Honda pickup and Motor Trend said innovative features set it apart from other trucks in its class, including an 8.5-cubic-foot trunk under the pickup's bed, four cargo lamps that illuminate the bed and a rear gate that opens like a door.
Despite the award, the Ridgeline may not meet Honda's sales targets for the year. Honda targeted sales at 50,000 Ridgelines in 2005. As of the end of November, Honda had sold 36,000.
