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Honda Reveals Rugged Open Air Concept

Honda Rugged Open Air Concept 18 photos
Photo: Honda
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Half Ridgeline and half side-by-side vehicle, the Rugged Open Air Concept is the most exciting Honda since the Civic Type R came to America. Presented at the 2018 SEMA Show, this fellow here is described by its maker as “the ultimate off-road Honda four-wheeled vehicle.”

Mentioning the Civic Type R in the opening paragraph wasn’t a coincidence, more so if you take a look at the design of the seats. Re-upholstered in waterproof material, the seats are complemented by Sparco seatbelts and safety nets. That’s right; no side windows or windshield here!

Developed by Honda R&D Americas, the concept “is a physical thought exercise” or something along those lines. Regardless of the PR mumbo-jumbo, the Rugged Open Air Vehicle is extremely good at bashing dunes thanks to i-VTM four-wheel drive and all-terrain tires.

Honda says the concept uses existing components, with the suspension coming from the Ridgeline. The doors are from the Pioneer 1000, and so is the steering wheel, adapted to suit the steering column from the Ridgeline. The RAM phone mounts bring the point home, oozing the same ruggedness as the concept.

The automaker doesn’t mention anything in regard to powertrain, but by the look of the transmission lever, the heart of the Rugged Open Air Concept is the 3.5-liter naturally aspirated V6 from the Ridgeline. Developing 280 horsepower at 6,000 rpm, the motor features direct injection, variable cylinder management, 24 valves, and one single overhead camshaft.

Turning our attention to the donor vehicle, the Ridgeline starts at $29,990 for the RT trim level. This makes the Honda more expensive than mid-size pickups, including the 2019 Ford Ranger.

Honda managed to sell 34,749 examples of the breed in 2017, but the sales figures for 2018 don’t look too well. The truth of the matter is, Honda charges too much money on the Ridgeline. A four-cylinder turbo option would bring the price down, aiding sales along with it.
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About the author: Mircea Panait
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After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well.
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