- the honda ridgeline pickup is updated for 2020 with a new nine-speed automatic transmission and lots more standard features.
- trim levels slim down to four, now including sport, rtl, rtl-e, and black edition. this means the base price rises by $3910 to $34,995.
- the 2020 honda ridgeline will begin arriving at dealerships december 16.
more gears and more standard equipment means the honda ridgeline costs more money for 2020. the midsize pickup gets a new nine-speed automatic transmission to replace the previous six-speed unit, and also benefits from an upgraded infotainment system for lower-trim models and standard driver-assist features for all trim levels. prices go up slightly for all trims, and the base price rises by a significant $3910 because the previous base rt trim level is no longer part of the lineup.
the ridgeline now starts out at the sport trim level, which costs $34,995, $510 more than last year. it and the one-step-up rtl, which costs $37,765, an $1800 increase, both now get a larger 8.0-inch touchscreen (pictured below) with apple carplay and android auto to replace the previous model's primitive 5.0-inch screen. these two trims were also previously unavailable with the honda sensing package of driver-assist features, but now come with this suite as standard, including automatic emergency braking, lane-keep assist, and adaptive cruise control.
the midgrade rtl-t trim has been dropped, leaving the $43,115 rtl-e and $44,615 black edition at the top of the lineup for 2020. both of these trims come standard with all-wheel drive, while it's a $2150–2240 option on the two lower trims.
the new transmission doesn't benefit the ridgeline's epa fuel-economy ratings much, as the only bump is to the city rating for awd models, which goes up by 1 mpg. ratings for the fwd model are unchanged, at 22 combined, 19 city, and 26 highway, and the awd model actually loses 1 mpg in its highway rating with the nine-speed, going from 25 mpg to 24 mpg for 2020. it is possible that the nine-speed will improve acceleration, although we'll have to test a 2020 ridgeline for ourselves to find out.
honda also says that the 2020 ridgeline's rear doors open wider than before, and the tailgate can now be locked remotely. 2020 models will go on sale starting december 16.