Boasting an array of off-road-ready features to make it more capable on the trail or cross-country, the new TrailSport trim of the 2024 Honda Ridgeline pickup truck arrives as a competitor to the Chevy Colorado Z71 and GMC Canyon AT4.
Honda describes the TrailSport as being designed for “weekend adventurers” and says the all-terrain trim will arrive along with other 2024 Honda Ridgeline trims during winter 2023 to 2024.
The 2024 Honda Ridgeline TrailSport will be equipped with steel underbody skid plates to protect the oil pan from gouges and punctures while negotiating rough ground. Standard tires for the trim are high-traction 245/60R18 General Grabber A/T Sport tires wrapped around five-spoke 18-inch wheels with a Pewter Gray finish.
Other provisions for improved off-road performance include damper valve tuning and trim-specific spring rates. Extra articulation is provided both by this tuning and the model’s stabilizer bars. Honda claims the model retains good handling and on-road manners despite its off-road verve. The i-VTM4 torque-vectoring all-wheel drive (AWD) standard on all 2024 Honda Ridgeline trims gives some extra trail capability to the TrailSport as well.
Honda also gave the TrailSport eye-catching, rugged aesthetics to set it apart from other 2024 trim levels. These include orange TrailSport grille and tailgate badges, a unique grille, door pillar, and mirror trim treatment, and an exclusive Diffused Sky Blue exterior paint color.
The trim’s cabin also gets distinctive appearance elements, ranging from TrailSport headrest logos to orange upholstery stitching and orange ambient lighting. The cockpit also has a flat floor and 60/40 rear foldaway seats to maximize room for carrying bulky camping or outdoors equipment.
All trim levels of the pickup feature a lineup of safety and convenience technologies, including but not limited to adaptive cruise control, rear-seat warnings, lane departure warning, and forward collision warning.
All four trim levels of the 2024 Honda Ridgeline, including Sport, RTL, TrailSport and Black Edition, receive several updated features for the new model year. These include a new center console with additional storage, standard Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a 9-inch color touchscreen, and styling updates, including several optional appearance packages.
American Honda sales VP Lance Woelfer says that the automaker expects the “more rugged Ridgeline will continue its strong momentum with sales up over 20 percent this year.”
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Comments
How does a minivan chassis with off road shocks rival a BOF truck with a factory lift and true 4×4???
You’ve just given me an idear: Odyssey TrailSport! 😮
I think it’s based off the Honda Pilot not a mini van , and the Ridgeline is a pretty nice small p/u .
The Pilot and Ridgeline both are based on the Odyssey (the mini-van). I have a 2008 Pilot and the AWD system is great, granted I’ve never done serious off roading, but it does great in the fluffy sand of North Carolina’s Outer Banks beaches, snow on the roads in the Blue Ridge Mountains (I’ve had no problems w/ 12” of the white stuff), and moderately muddy dirt roads in those mountains!
The Honda Ridgeline is the truck that will do 90% of what most will ever use it for, with exception of extreme off road or heavy cargo & towing.
I traded my Colorado for a Ridgeline. There is absolutely no comparison, Ridgeline wins in every category that I use the truck for, especially ride comfort. It can handle light trails, and performs great in the snow.
For pragmatists, it is the common sense choice.
My 2022 Ridgeline is the best truck I’ve ever owned, and I’ve owned all, last being a 2018 Ram 3L evodiesel big horn edition. I love my Honda truck more and more. It pulls my work trailer @ 4000 lbs. And 21 sea ray sundeck no problem at all. The trunk can hold 4 5-gallon buckets. The dual opening tailgate is simply awesome. 75 mph at 26/28mpg in a very quiet cabin. I drove all new Colorado, Tacoma and Nissan and the there was no comparison to the Honda Ridgeline. Unless you need to tow more than 5k pounds this is the truck, period. I put more in the back than I could fit in the Ram with 5-7″ bed with that trunk!
I would buy one in a heartbeat if it actually had any real towing power.
I hope the new Ridgeline isn’t plagued with transmission problems. The Honda variable cylinder management system is also problem prone. That annoying auto stop must go too.