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Former Honda exterior design lead Don Herner discussed the first-generation Ridgeline’s origins and development in an interview with YouTuber Jack Bontatibus. Herner said the project began as an “Advanced Capabilities Vehicle,” not a conventional truck, and described how engineering choices shaped its design and features.
Don Herner, the exterior design lead for the first-generation Honda Ridgeline, has described how the pickup took shape in an interview with YouTuber Jack Bontatibus. Herner said Honda initially called the project the “Advanced Capabilities Vehicle”, reflecting an approach that did not begin with the conventional body-on-frame pickup formula. The account offers a firsthand perspective on the concept and engineering decisions behind a vehicle that helped establish Honda in the pickup market.
According to Herner, the Ridgeline’s origins were informal: he and other designers started sketching when there was not much else happening in the studio. A marketing executive later saw the truck sketches and began advocating for a production vehicle. Herner said Honda did not treat the project internally as a typical truck program. He explained that Honda lacked a transmission robust enough for the gigantic wheels and tires shown in some early sketches, and said the team used the “Advanced Capabilities Vehicle” name instead.
Herner also recounted an attempted collaboration with Nike, which had an “Advanced Capability Gear” line at the time. That partnership was never a public part of the Ridgeline’s identity, according to the account. Designers initially considered 32- and 35-inch tires, but engineering favored smaller wheel-and-tire combinations to maximize torque at the wheels. The production truck used a 3.5-liter V6 paired with a five-speed automatic transmission. The source report lists its output as 255 horsepower and 252 pound-feet of torque, with a 5,000-pound towing capacity and a 1,550-pound payload capacity.
Durability also shaped details that might otherwise seem like styling decisions. The Ridgeline used a fiberglass cargo box, selected for durability, and Honda ran simulations that overloaded the bed to identify when the rear suspension would collapse. Herner said the dual-action tailgate mechanism extended nearly the length of the bed so it could support the weight of multiple people. The design also included fold-up rear seats and a storage space between the dashboard and center console. A concealed CD loader behind the head unit was another feature of the original model.
How the Original Set Its Own Course
The interview matters because it puts the Ridgeline’s unusual design in the context of the decisions that produced it. Its unibody construction and integrated cab and bed distinguished it from pickups built around a separate body and frame. Herner’s account suggests those choices were tied to a different product brief, along with engineering limits and Honda’s focus on durability, rather than an attempt to follow established truck conventions.
The model was a significant step for Honda: the source report says it was the automaker’s first production vehicle with a bed and its largest production vehicle at the time. Its development required changes to assembly lines. Even its tailgate lettering, which spelled out “Honda” in the company typeface, needed personal approval from the company president because it departed from Japanese corporate norms, according to the report. The Ridgeline’s story helps explain why it occupied a distinct place in the pickup market and why later versions retained features of the original even as their styling became more conventional.
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From 2005 Launch to Today
The first-generation Ridgeline arrived in 2005 as a 2006 model. It was based on a modified version of the then-current Honda Odyssey platform, according to The Drive’s report. Its unibody structure, in which the body and frame are integrated, differed from the body-on-frame construction common among traditional pickups and contributed to the mixed response the original design received.
The current Ridgeline has more conventional exterior styling but remains unibody and retains several features associated with the first generation. The source report says a future generation is expected to look more like a traditional truck, but it does not provide a launch date or confirmed design specifications. Herner’s interview centers on the original program rather than announcing a new model or a change to Honda’s plans.
“This never really started out to be a truck project per se, because Honda doesn’t make a transmission robust enough to turn gigantic wheels and tires.”
— Don Herner, first-generation Ridgeline exterior design lead, speaking to YouTuber Jack Bontatibus
What the Interview Does Not Confirm
The interview is an account of the first-generation vehicle’s development, not a formal announcement from Honda. The available source material does not give the interview’s publication date, identify the marketing executive who promoted the sketches, or detail the outcome of the proposed Nike collaboration beyond Herner’s recollection that Honda tried to arrange one. The report does not independently verify those recollections.
It is also unclear when a next-generation Ridgeline might arrive or what its final design and engineering specifications will be. The suggestion that it will look more like a truck appears in the source report as an expectation, not a confirmed Honda product announcement. No changes to the current model are established by this interview.
Honda’s Future Pickup Remains Unspecified
The immediate development is the publication of Herner’s account, which gives enthusiasts and readers more detail about the first Ridgeline’s design history. The source material does not identify a related Honda event, product reveal or follow-up interview. For now, any next-generation details remain unconfirmed; a launch timetable, design images and specifications would need to come from Honda or another attributable source.
Readers can watch the full interview with Jack Bontatibus for Herner’s complete recollections. Until Honda shares formal information about a future model, the original Ridgeline’s development stories should be treated as historical context rather than evidence of what the next pickup will include.
Key Questions
Who discussed the first-generation Ridgeline’s development?
Don Herner, its exterior design lead, discussed the vehicle in an interview with YouTuber Jack Bontatibus.
What was the Ridgeline called internally?
Herner said the team called it the “Advanced Capabilities Vehicle.” The name was internal and was not used publicly as the vehicle’s name.
When did the first Honda Ridgeline arrive?
The first-generation Ridgeline arrived in 2005 as a 2006 model, according to the source report.
What made the original Ridgeline different from many pickups?
It used unibody construction, integrating the body and frame rather than following the body-on-frame layout common among traditional pickups. It also featured an in-bed cargo box and a dual-action tailgate.
Did Herner announce details about a new Ridgeline?
No. The interview discussed the first-generation model’s history. The source report offers no confirmed launch date, specifications or final design for a next-generation Ridgeline.
Source: rss
