The Honda Ridgeline has two North American generations: the first-generation truck covers the 2006–2014 model years, while the redesigned second generation begins with 2017 and continues through 2026. Model years 2015 and 2016 are the gap between them, not separate generations. The nine-speed automatic appears from 2020 onward in the documented lineup.
Honda Ridgeline generation overview
| Generation | Model years | What defines it |
|---|---|---|
| First generation | 2006–2014 | Four-door, four-wheel-drive layout; 3.5-liter V6; five-speed automatic; steel-reinforced composite bed; Dual-Action tailgate; In-Bed Trunk. |
| Model-year gap | 2015–2016 | No Ridgeline generation in the cited North American record. Honda announced the redesigned truck as a 2017 model. |
| Second generation | 2017–2026 | Larger bed and cabin, four-foot-wide flat floor between the wheel arches, payload approaching 1,600 pounds at launch, and later nine-speed automatic and standard i-VTM4 all-wheel drive. |
If you are ordering parts or a Honda Ridgeline repair manual, select the exact model year and generation; equipment can vary by trim and year.
First-generation Ridgeline: 2006–2014
Honda announced the truck in January 2005 for sale as a 2006 model. Its four-door, four-wheel-drive format used a 3.5-liter V6, five-speed automatic transmission and fully automatic four-wheel drive. The platform’s signature utility features were a steel-reinforced composite cargo bed, a Dual-Action tailgate that opens down or to the side, and a lockable In-Bed Trunk. Honda highlighted a 5,000-pound towing capability.
What stayed consistent
- Unibody-based four-door truck design rather than a conventional body-on-frame pickup.
- Composite bed construction intended to resist dents and corrosion.
- In-Bed Trunk storage beneath the cargo floor.
- Dual-Action tailgate with conventional drop-down and side-opening modes.
Year-change certainty
The available official material does not provide a complete equipment table for every first-generation year. A secondary model-history account describes a thorough freshening for 2009, but trim-specific details should be confirmed with the applicable Honda brochure or the vehicle identification number. Do not assume a feature is present on every 2006–2014 truck solely from its generation.
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Why there is no 2015 or 2016 Ridgeline generation
The cited generation references move from 2014 directly to 2017. Honda’s announcement for the all-new truck identifies it as a 2017 model, so 2015 and 2016 are a model-year gap between generations rather than years belonging to a third generation.
Second-generation Ridgeline: 2017–2026
The redesign brought a bed five inches wider and four inches longer than the previous Ridgeline. Honda also described a four-foot-wide flat loading area between the wheel arches and payload approaching 1,600 pounds. The cabin and chassis were revised, while the composite-bed, tailgate and under-bed-storage concept continued.
Rank #2
2017–2019: early second-generation trucks
These model years are part of the second generation, but the cited official summaries do not provide a complete transmission, drivetrain or trim-equipment table for each year. Verify whether a particular truck has the equipment you need using its original feature guide, window sticker or VIN record.
2020: nine-speed transmission and standard connected equipment
For 2020, Honda discontinued the RT and RTL-T trims and offered Sport, RTL, RTL-E and Black Edition. Honda Sensing, Display Audio, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto became standard. Every trim received a nine-speed automatic transmission with shift-by-wire controls and paddle shifters, a power-locking tailgate and wider-opening rear doors.
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Rank #3
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2021: exterior refresh and standard AWD
The 2021 refresh changed the front sheet metal, grille, lower fascia, LED fog lights, LED low-beam headlights, rear bumper and dual exhaust outlets. New wheels and more rugged tires were added. RTL and higher trims gained mirror indicators; RTL also added SiriusXM, an auto-dimming mirror, memory settings and blind-spot and cross-traffic monitoring. Two-wheel-drive Sport and RTL versions were discontinued, making i-VTM4 all-wheel drive standard across the lineup.
2022
Honda’s model information lists a 3.5-liter i-VTEC V6 and a nine-speed automatic with paddle shifters. The cited material does not provide a complete year-over-year equipment list, so trim differences require the 2022 guide or VIN-specific verification.
Rank #4
2023
Honda states that the Ridgeline carried over to 2023 with no changes. The documented package includes Honda Sensing features and two years or 24,000 miles of Honda Service Pass.
2024 and 2025
The available material confirms these years remain within the second-generation run but does not include a complete official change table. Check the applicable model-year feature guide before attributing a trim, wheel, safety or infotainment feature to a 2024 or 2025 truck.
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2026
The 2026 lineup lists Sport, RTL, TrailSport, TrailSport with HPD wheels, Black Edition and Black Edition Two-Tone trims. All use a 3.471-liter V6 rated at 280 horsepower and 262 lb-ft of torque, i-VTM4 all-wheel drive, a nine-speed automatic transmission and a 5,000-pound towing rating.
Which Ridgeline years have the nine-speed transmission?
The documented changeover is the 2020 model year. Honda made the nine-speed automatic standard on every 2020 trim, and it remains specified for the 2022 and 2026 trucks. Therefore, 2020–2026 Ridgelines are the confirmed nine-speed years in the supplied North American information. The cited summaries do not establish the transmission for every 2017–2019 trim, so identify those trucks by VIN or their original specifications rather than assuming they have the nine-speed.
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| Category | 2006–2014 | 2017–2019 | 2020–2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Generation/platform | First generation | Second generation, redesigned for 2017 | Second generation with 2020 and 2021 updates |
| Bed | Composite bed with In-Bed Trunk and Dual-Action tailgate | Five inches wider and four inches longer than the first generation; four-foot flat width between wheel arches | Same second-generation bed concept; verify trim equipment by year |
| Transmission | Five-speed automatic | Not established for every trim in the cited summaries | Nine-speed automatic documented from 2020 onward |
| Drivetrain | Fully automatic four-wheel drive | Trim-specific details require the applicable guide or VIN | 2021 onward: i-VTM4 AWD standard; 2026 specifications list i-VTM4 AWD |
| Safety and infotainment | Equipment varies by year and trim | Verify the individual truck’s feature guide | Honda Sensing, Display Audio, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto standard for 2020; later equipment varies by trim |
| Payload/towing figures documented | 5,000-pound towing capability highlighted at launch | Launch payload approaching 1,600 pounds; towing figure not stated in the cited launch summary | 2026: 5,000-pound towing rating; 2026 engine output is 280 hp and 262 lb-ft |
Ridgeline model-year timeline
| Model year | Documented status or change |
|---|---|
| 2006 | Debut first-generation model with composite bed, Dual-Action tailgate and In-Bed Trunk. |
| 2007 | No detailed official year-change summary in the cited material; verify trim equipment. |
| 2008 | No detailed official year-change summary in the cited material; verify trim equipment. |
| 2009 | Secondary history describes a thorough freshening; confirm exact changes with the brochure or VIN. |
| 2010 | First-generation run continues; no complete official equipment table cited. |
| 2011 | First-generation run continues; no complete official equipment table cited. |
| 2012 | First-generation run continues; no complete official equipment table cited. |
| 2013 | First-generation run continues; no complete official equipment table cited. |
| 2014 | Final first-generation model year in the cited record. |
| 2015 | Model-year gap; not listed as a separate Ridgeline generation. |
| 2016 | Model-year gap; Honda announced the replacement as a 2017 model. |
| 2017 | Second-generation redesign with wider, longer bed, four-foot flat loading width and improved cabin. |
| 2018 | No complete official year-change summary in the cited material; check the feature guide. |
| 2019 | RT, Sport and RTL trims gained a 1.0-amp USB Audio Interface; the center-console USB port became a 2.5-amp charging-only outlet. |
| 2020 | RT and RTL-T discontinued; Sport, RTL, RTL-E and Black Edition remained. Nine-speed automatic, Honda Sensing, Display Audio, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto became standard. |
| 2021 | Major exterior refresh; more rugged wheels and tires; additional RTL equipment; AWD became standard across trims. |
| 2022 | 3.5-liter i-VTEC V6 and nine-speed automatic with paddle shifters; no complete change list cited. |
| 2023 | Honda says the truck carried over with no changes; Honda Sensing and Honda Service Pass are documented. |
| 2024 | Second-generation year; complete official change table not included in the cited material. |
| 2025 | Second-generation year; complete official change table not included in the cited material. |
| 2026 | Sport, RTL, TrailSport, TrailSport with HPD wheels, Black Edition and Black Edition Two-Tone; 280-hp V6, nine-speed automatic, i-VTM4 AWD and 5,000-pound towing. |
How to identify a used Ridgeline correctly
- Read the model year from the title, registration or VIN decode rather than relying on appearance alone.
- Classify 2006–2014 trucks as first generation, skip 2015–2016 as the documented gap, and classify 2017–2026 trucks as second generation.
- For a claimed nine-speed truck, confirm a 2020 or newer model year and check the VIN-specific equipment record.
- Confirm drivetrain: 2021 and newer models in the cited lineup have standard i-VTM4 AWD, while earlier second-generation drivetrain availability is trim-specific.
- Match replacement parts and service information to the exact year, trim and generation.
Bottom line
For North American buyers, the Ridgeline story is a two-generation timeline: 2006–2014 first generation, a 2015–2016 gap, and 2017–2026 second generation. The practical milestones are the 2017 redesign, the 2020 standard nine-speed and connected safety technology, the 2021 refresh with standard AWD, and the 2026 280-hp, 5,000-pound-capable configuration.
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