A Honda Civic-Based Pickup Truck…Seriously?
Jason Lancaster | Aug 10, 2011 | Comments 7
According to PickupTrucks.com, the next-generation Honda Ridgeline (which may or may not be produced, we’re guessing not) would be based on the CR-V platform. As you may or may not know, the CR-V is based on the Honda Civic platform…which means the possible replacement for the Ridgeline (emphasis on possible, as in maybe but maybe not) will be a Honda Civic with a pickup bed.
Honda is rumored to be considering replacing the Ridgeline with a smaller truck based on the Honda Civic platform.
Let that sink in for a moment. A Civic is a fine car. A car-based pickup is a possibly valid concept. But a smaller, less capable pickup truck from the same people that brought us the Ridgeline? Let’s do the list:
PROS:
Great platform. The Honda Civic might just be the nicest compact car in the world. It’s outsold the rest of the market for decades, it’s consistently won awards for quality and reliability for Consumer Reports, JD Power, etc., the resale value has been excellent forever, and Honda has won numerous consumer loyalty awards greatly because of this vehicle.
Great quality and reliabliity. Honda and quality as synonymous. People can say a lot of bad things about Honda (and we will, shortly) but very few people argue that the quality is poor. From lawn mowers to motorcycles to cars to private jets, Honda makes good quality stuff.
High resale is all but certain. People trust the Honda brand for all the reasons listed, which means that every Honda has good resale value. A Civic-based pickup – as flawed as it may be – will be as good a way to spend your money as any in terms of resale.
It will be made in the USA. The East Liberty, Ohio plant is the likely home of whatever Civic pickup Honda does decide to product.
CON – There’s only one, but it’s a biggie.
Honda’s Japanese masters don’t get pickups. These are the same people that said V8s would go extinct. These are the same people that tried to build a pickup using a minvan platform, then styled it to look like a lunar lander…and then priced like it came from the moon. These are the same people that argued the Ridgeline was/is a half-ton competitor.
For years, American executives at Toyota railed against Japanese influence over the Tundra, and it wasn’t until the 2nd generation truck that Americans finally had some say over the way the pickup was built. At Honda, the Japanese masters are still firmly in charge…and probably always will be. For that reason – and that reason alone – Honda’s attempts to build a successful pickup truck will forever be crippled.
Here’s to hoping that Honda hangs it up with the Ridgeline.
Filed Under: Auto News
@Jason,
Your assumption is that Honda would be sticking with the same unibody style truck as with the current Ridgeline. There are small trucks around the world build on small platforms and in some cases even smaller but adequate for the average urban driver who is not seeking a a monster V8. For the same reason there are people who buy the Subaru Baja, more people would likely buy a Honda because it has such a great following. If Honda brings a small diesel, even better. On the small side, they could do a unibody like the Ford Bantam made in South Africa http://www.carsplusplus.com/sp.....13i_xl.php Some of these can even handle 1 ton payloads. However with the size of the current civic, it’s not impossible to build a small truck like the 80s and 90s Toyota Tacoma and Nissan Frontier. If they went that route, Honda would actually be the winner because many small business owners would love small trucks that are economical but reliable and the private owner, a truck that they can fit in the garage without rearranging things.
I already thought the Ridgeline was based on a Civic? ha ha! A very poor attempt to copy and downsizing the GM concept of their chevy avalanche which some say is very versatile and a decent crossover pickup, but not for me.
I don’t think honda would even call it a truck if it was just a cr-v with a bed.
Cephus – All good points. Honda could clean up. My reason for being negative is that, for all of Honda’s strengths, they’ve never seemed to have a firm grasp on the US auto market. Acura is a failure, Honda is losing share and sales to Hyundai/Kia, and Honda is cutting back on models in order to try and improve profits. It seems like they’re destined to be smaller and less relevant…as much as I am a fan.
mk – LOL. As Cephus says, there is a precedent for it working in other countries. I’m trying to keep an open mind. 🙂
Steve H – They might! 🙂
I have thought that Toyota should make a small pick-up more inline with their original trucks based on the Scion XB.
It would be truck for teenagers and body kit enthusiasts and the suburbanite who just needs something to bring home all their wares from Costco and Ikea.
Quinn – It’s a good concept, and what you describe makes sense. Here’s to hoping Toyota makes it work.
I love my Ridgeline and it will still be going down the hiway at 250,00 accumulated miles while your pathetic American brand pickups will be shredded for scrap metal.