All-New 2025 Honda Ridgeline Hybrid Feels Game for a Virtual Brawl With Tacoma i-Force Max

According to Honda, they have created their most off-road capable truck ever – and the Ridgeline TrailSport joins the ranks alongside the Passport TrailSport and the 7-passenger Pilot TrailSport. While it's still the only Honda truck in America and the only unibody mid-size pickup truck, the Ridgeline TrailSport at least brings a new off-road tuned suspension, steel underbody protection, standard General Grabber all-terrain Sport tires on new Pewter 18-inch wheels, and the TrailSport-exclusive Diffused Sky Blue paintjob along with orange details in the cabin.

However, Toyota's Tacoma – which was recently crowned as the king of the mid-size pickup truck segment in America – has started deliveries of the all-new N400 generation based on the TNGA-F body-on-frame modular architecture. The new iteration is even more capable now with inline-four turbo mills under the hood, including the 326-hp i-Force Max powertrain, the classic TRD Pro off-road trim, and an all-new first-ever Trailhunter grade that's obviously a direct response to such things as Honda's TrailSport.

On the other hand, the second-generation Honda Ridgeline is growing a little old in the tooth after it debuted in 2017 – luckily, the Japanese automaker has updated it along the way, most recently for the 2024 model year. Alas, downsizing is happening everywhere, and Honda probably won't keep the 3.5-liter V6 powertrain in place for much longer, even though it was mixed since 2020 with a more efficient nine-speed automatic transmission. Well, no worries, the imaginative realm of digital car content creators is already thinking about Honda's Ridgeline third generation.

For example, the TalkWheels channel on YouTube strives to bring forth the newest information about vehicles from around the world - and they also have a pixel master who loves to use AI software to make their visions a digital reality. They also recently discussed the upcoming next-generation Ridgeline, potentially arriving for the 2025 model year. Even better, there's also hypothetical talk about a hybrid powertrain sitting under the hood of the redesigned unibody mid-size pickup truck.

So, what do you think? Would an all-new Honda Ridgeline third generation fare any better than before with an electrified mill in the menu against the mighty N400 Toyota Tacoma but also the rest of the pack of competitors composed of the Chevrolet Colorado, GMC Canyon, Ford Ranger, Nissan Frontier, and Jeep Gladiator? Or is it better if Honda tries to stick to the V6 recipe and endure the wrath of those who believe that even mid-size pickup trucks need to start thinking about sustainability with electrified and even fully electric powertrains?