ALL-NEW 2028 Honda Ridgeline Is Brilliant - But Its Biggest Surprise Isn't the Hybrid!

Honda is completely redesigning the Ridgeline for 2028, and what it's bringing to the table is going to make a lot of truck buyers do a serious double-take. If you've ever looked at the Ridgeline and thought it was too soft, too car-like, or just not enough truck for your needs, the 2028 model was built specifically to change your mind. And while everyone is talking about the new hybrid powertrain, the upgrade that's actually going to turn heads is something else entirely, something nobody saw coming. Electrification Let's start with the news that's been getting all the attention. Honda is getting ready to launch a brand new hybrid V6 powertrain, developed specifically for its larger North American models. The Ridgeline is going to be one of the first to receive it, and the numbers behind the system are hard to ignore. Honda is targeting a fuel economy improvement of over 30% compared to the current gas-only setup. At the same time, the company isn't planning to sacrifice performance to get there. Acceleration times are expected to improve by more than 10% as well. The new system is going to pair a V6 engine with up to three electric motors. On all-wheel-drive variants, the third motor is going to feed the rear axle independently, which should sharpen traction management considerably. Anyone who's watched the fuel gauge drop on a long tow knows exactly how painful it is to stop every 250 miles on a trip that should take half the time. That's the kind of real-world cost the new hybrid setup is directly aimed at. If the current V6 delivers a 0-60 run in around 7 seconds, the hybrid replacement is looking at somewhere in the low-to-mid 6-second range. It all sounds impressive, and it is. But here's the thing. The hybrid isn't the most exciting part of what's coming. Not by a long shot. Because before any of that powertrain technology can win over truck buyers, the Ridgeline is going to have to solve a problem that's followed it around for nearly two decades. A proper truck look, finally. The Ridgeline has always been a capable vehicle. Practical, refined, genuinely smart in the way it's engineered. But honest truck buyers have had one consistent complaint for years. It doesn't look the part. The rounded, crossover-like silhouette has kept a lot of traditional pickup shoppers from even considering it. Not because they tested it and walked away, but because the styling never got them through the door in the first place. That's all changing with the 2028 model. The redesign is set to give the Ridgeline a dramatically different appearance. One that finally plants it firmly in truck territory. The new body is going to bring a taller, boxier profile with squared-off fenders and a more upright stance that reads as a proper pickup from every angle. Gone is the soft, rounded greenhouse that blurred the line between truck and SUV. The front end is going to draw from the direction Honda has already taken with the new Passport and Pilot. Bold, structured, with sharper headlight clusters and a more aggressive bumper design. A round back, wider horizontal taillights, and a redesigned rear fascia are going to reinforce that truck-forward identity. There's a reason truck buyers spend time in parking lots just looking at their vehicles before getting in. Presence matters. The whole exterior package is shaping up to deliver exactly that. A vehicle that looks like it means business before you ever turn the key. This is the change that could genuinely move the needle for Ridgeline. A truck that was already good at what it does is now going to look good doing it. But a truck that looks rugged and actually performs rugged are two very different things. And Honda is making sure the 2028 Ridgeline can back up every inch of that new styling. Serious Off-Road Performance The Trailsport trim is coming back, and this time it's arriving with a lot more behind it than all-terrain tires and a badge. The new Passport Trailsport set a new bar for what Honda can do off the beaten path. It came with a heavily revised platform, a stiffer structure, a wider track, and a longer wheelbase. The suspension geometry was reworked specifically for off-road use, and a new IVTM4 all-wheel drive system brought quicker, more precise torque vectoring to the mix. Skid plates, a retuned suspension, and a new TrailWatch camera system rounded out a package that's genuinely capable in rough terrain. Think about what it's like to pull up to a trailhead and start second-guessing whether your truck can handle what's ahead. That hesitation, that mental calculation of risk, is exactly what a properly built off-road setup is supposed to eliminate. Upgraded suspension tuning, improved ground clearance, proper approach and departure angles, the kind of specs that give the Ridgeline a real argument against the Tacoma Trailhunter crowd. The exterior is going to follow through as well, with flared wheel arches, recovery points, and a rugged visual identity that matches the mechanical upgrades underneath. For buyers who don't need the off-road package, Honda isn't leaving them without options either. GAS ONLY CONTINUES Not everyone is going to want the hybrid, and Honda knows that. The 2028 Ridgeline is going to remain available with a gas-only powertrain for buyers who prefer the simplicity of a conventional drivetrain. The engine in question is going to be a revised version of the familiar 3.5-liter V6, the same basic architecture that's been powering Honda's larger models for years, now updated for the new generation. Expect a modest bump in output beyond the current 280 horsepower, along with improved efficiency through updated combustion and fuel delivery technology. The current V6 pairs with a 9 or 10-speed automatic transmission, depending on trim, and that setup is expected to carry forward in refined form. For a lot of buyers, the choice here is straightforward. A smooth-proven V6 with no electrification complexity, no hybrid premium on the sticker, and a long track record of reliability. That's a genuinely appealing package for someone who just needs a capable, dependable truck without the extra variables. The gas version is likely to remain the entry point into the Ridgeline lineup, keeping the base price accessible while the hybrid commands a premium higher up the range. So the powertrain options are sorted. But none of that matters much if the place where you spend all your time doesn't feel worth the money. That's exactly where Honda is putting in some serious work. Redesigned Cabin The interior is getting a full overhaul, and anyone who's spent time in the current Ridgeline next to a new Pilot knows exactly why that's overdue. The gap between the two cabins has been noticeable, and the 2028 model is going to close it. New materials, a more refined layout, and a clear step-up in quality across the board are all part of the plan. The dashboard is expected to take cues from the updated Pilot, bringing a larger central display for the infotainment system, along with a redesigned steering wheel and a new digital instrument cluster. Wireless smartphone integration, updated connectivity features, and over-the-air update capability are all expected to be part of the new tech package. On the safety side, Honda's latest suite of driver assistance systems is going to be standard equipment across the lineup. Updated automatic emergency braking, improved pedestrian and cyclist detection, and more refined adaptive cruise control behavior are all coming. Higher trims are expected to add blind spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and a surround-view camera system. The Trailsport is going to bring its own flavor inside as well. Orange contrast stitching, a wider center console, and materials built to handle the kind of use its buyers are actually going to put it through. The current Trailsport already does this well, and the new generation is expected to take it further. Once you factor in what Honda is planning to charge for all of this, the picture gets even more interesting. Release Date and Price The 2028 Honda Ridgeline is going to reach dealerships in the second half of next year. Pricing is expected to remain competitive within the midsize truck segment, a segment where values have been climbing fast. The current Ridgeline starts around $42,000 before destination, with the Trailsport sitting closer to $55,000 to $58,000 fully equipped. The new generation is going to push those figures up, particularly with the hybrid powertrain in the picture. A base hybrid Ridgeline landing somewhere in the mid to upper $40,000s wouldn't be surprising, with Trailsport variants potentially approaching $60,000 in loaded configuration. That sounds like a lot until you consider what's sitting across the aisle. A hybrid Toyota Tacoma is already pushing close to $68,000. Against that backdrop, the Ridgeline's value proposition is going to look very strong, especially for buyers who put daily usability, ride quality, and long-term reliability at the top of their list. The next generation Ridgeline has been a long time coming, and when it finally arrives, the class is going to have a harder time ignoring it than ever before. The 2028 Honda Ridgeline is shaping up to be the most complete version of this truck Honda has ever built. A hybrid powertrain that cuts fuel costs without cutting performance, a redesigned exterior that finally looks the part, a Trailsport with genuine off-road credentials, a gas-only option that keeps things simple, and a cabin that's closing the gap on vehicles costing considerably more. For years, the Ridgeline has been the smartest truck that too few people gave a serious look, but that calculation is about to change. Still, are these changes enough to get closer to the undisputed leader in the segment? Of course, we are talking about the Tacoma, which is getting a new set of updates for next year, which you can check out in our next video. Capability, efficiency, and unmatched quality, with a few more updates, stand as a guarantee of dominance in the midsize truck segment.