LA JOLLA, Calif. — Aside from cars, the list of products bearing the Honda name is staggering:   Weed whackers, generators, lawn mowers, pumps, personal watercraft, outboard motors, snowblowers, motorcycles and ATVs, too.

What’s not on the list? A pickup truck.  But not for long.  Honda’s Ridgeline sport-utility truck goes on sale in March.  Honda has not set final prices, but it expects the truck to range from ,000 to ,000. It will come in RT, RTS and RTL models.  A moonroof and navigation system will be options on the RTL.

The Ridgeline was designed to look as if it was carved from a solid steel billet. The cab and fenders flow together in one piece.

Honda’s pickup is unique, which shouldn’t be surprising because Honda has a reputation for innovation.  The four-door Ridgeline is not a typical body-on-frame pickup with a V-8 engine and rear-wheel drive.  Instead, it has a 3.5-liter, 255-horsepower V-6, all-wheel drive, fully independent suspension and a 5-foot composite bed.  The bed is 6 feet long when the tailgate is down.

It is built on a unibody chassis similar to the Pilot SUV, but welding on a fully boxed frame that has a reinforced floor pan.  That gives it strength for towing a 5,000-pound trailer or hauling a half-ton load.  The frame also keeps the body structure from flexing.  The Ridgeline feels solid and secure with a load, when towing or bouncing through off-road ruts.

To prove that point, Honda invited auto writers to drive the Ridgeline in a variety of situations.  It did an impressive job of towing a 5,000-pound trailer around a course on a deserted parking lot.  We slalomed the Ridgeline and its competitors through turns, each truck loaded with more than 1,000 pounds of landscaping rocks.  On a rural off-road course, we climbed steep, slippery slopes and splashed through mudholes.  The Ridgeline acquitted itself extremely well in every situation.

Around town and on the highway, the Ridgeline feels like an SUV. Wind and road noise are commendably low.  It is easy to handle, and wheels into parking spaces like a car.

Standard equipment includes side-curtain airbags with a rollover sensor, tilt wheel, six-speaker audio system with CD player, power windows and keyless entry.  Options include a moonroof, XM satellite radio and a voice-activated navigation system that also lists restaurants according to the Zagat Survey.

Think of the Ridgeline as an urban pickup.  Conceptually, it has more in common with trucks such as the Chevrolet Avalanche and Ford Explorer Sport Trac. It is designed to haul dirt bikes, bicycles and ATVs.  It can tow boats or campers.  Sheets of plywood will fit flat between the wheelhouses in the bed. The bed’s indentations are sized to accommodate dirt-bike tires.  The bed has built-in tie-downs and four flush lights for nighttime loading. Honda will offer an extensive list of accessories, such as a bed extender and racks for motorcycles.

Urban moms will like the Ridgeline because it drives, parks and handles like an SUV.

Ridgeline has two things no other pickup does.  A trunk, and a two-way tailgate.  Both items are bound to be copied by other truck makers.  Pulling down the tailgate extends the bed floor to 75 inches.  Swinging it from the side makes it easy to access the lockable, weatherproof trunk that is under the rearmost portion of the bed floor. The trunk is big enough to hold three golf bags. It can be filled with ice and used as a giant cooler (there’s a drain plug in the floor), or it will hold a baby stroller.

The split-folding back seat is not only big enough for adults to ride comfortably, it also provides interior storage when it is folded up. A mountain bike will fit inside, and an underseat storage area is large enough for a golf bag.

Ridgeline uses the same all-wheel-drive system as the Honda Pilot and Acura MDX.  The system operates as front-wheel drive most of the time, but transfers power to the rear wheels as needed.  The system can be locked into four-wheel mode for maximum traction with a button on the dash.  Traction control, antilock brakes and vehicle stability control are standard

Inside, the Ridgeline’s cabin is designed for comfort and convenience.  Bright silver door pulls look gaudy but provide a firm place to grip.  The center console has built-in cup holders but it can also be configured to hold a variety of objects and accessories.

Honda expects to sell about 50,000 pickups in the first year. They are built in Alliston, Ontario, Canada.

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Specifications 

2006 Honda Ridgeline Standard Equipment

Standard Equipment (Partial list)
    All Models

• Automatic transmission
• Full time 4WD
• privacy glass
• 4-wheel ABS
• traction control
• stability control
• front and rear head airbags
• front side-mounted airbags
• cloth upholstery
• power one-touch windows
• air conditioning
• AM/FM in-dash single CD player with 6 speakers

   RTS also Includes

• 8-way power driver's seat
• dual zone climate control
• alloy rims
• remote anti-theft alarm system
• audio controls on steering wheel

• leather upholstery
• universal remote garage door opener

Major Available Options
(Only for RTL)

• Moonroof
• XM Radio
• DVD Navigation system

For more information on the Honda Accord, visit honda.com

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