Tag Archives: Trucks

Honda Ridgeline Jumps On The Electric Pickup Truck Bandwagon

The pickup truck is shaping up to be one of the largest growth segments in the world of electric vehicles and with Ford recently unveiling the F-150 Lightning, we suspect other legacy automakers will soon follow suit.

Seemingly inspired by the growth in demand for electric pickup trucks, designer Rene Garcia has imagined what an electric version of the Honda Ridgeline could look like. While the Japanese automaker has not indicated in any way that it is working on such a model, Garcia’s creation certainly has a lot going for it.

While the truck retains the same name as the ICE-powered Ridgeline, it looks completely different. Underpinning it is a chassis housing the batteries in the floor and with electric motors at both the front and rear, the pickup truck could deliver up some very respectable performance.

Read Also: Honda Hopes Rugged New Ridgeline And Upcoming Passport Will Cash In On The Tougher SUV And Truck Trend

The exterior design of the electric Ridgeline could be best described as ‘radical.’ The front end lacks a traditional grille and features intriguing LED headlights and turn signals. Two orange tow hooks and a winch are also visible, as is a prominent skid plate. The hood is also quite unique and has cutouts that allow you to see the strut towers.

Elsewhere, the electric pickup features rear suicide doors. Thus, since it lacks B-pillars, both doors can be opened up providing occupants with uninterrupted access to the cabin.

Speaking of the cabin, it is just as wild as the exterior and features a curved screen that stretches the width of the dashboard in a similar way to the screens of the Honda e. There is also a yoke-style steering wheel, wooden accents, ambient lighting, a digital rear-view mirror, and seats clad in brown leather with wooden backs.

Note: This is an independent design study from Rene Garcia and is not related to or endorsed by Honda

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Pickup Truck Left Dangling Above Idaho Gorge In Terrifying Accident

Two people have been extremely lucky to survive a frightening incident in southern Idaho that left their pickup truck dangling above a gorge.

The incident occurred on Malad Gorge Bridge on I-84 earlier in the week when the driver of a 2004 Ford F-350 pickup truck towing a caravan lost control. Witness say the truck and caravan hit the right shoulder barrier then ricocheted into the left barrier, causing the truck to tip over the guardrail. The safety chain attached between the truck and the caravan is all that stopped the Ford from falling 80 to 100 feet into the gorge below.

Read Also: Owner Of Brand New Ferrari F8 Tributo Crashes Just Six Hours After Getting The Keys

Autoblog reports that truck driver Rod Drury pulled up to the scene shortly after the crash and after being joined by an Idaho state trooper, they anchored more chains from the pickup to Drury’s big rig to stop it from falling.

A team of emergency responders were quickly dispatched to the scene, including the Magic Valley Paramedics Special Operations Rescue Team. They proceeded to rappel down to the pickup truck and attach a harness to the 67-year-old male driver and his 64-year-old wife and raise them to safety. Both were transported to a nearby hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Two small dogs were also saved from the pickup.

“This was a tremendous team effort that took a quick response and really showed the dedication and training of our community of first responders,” Capt. David Neth of the Idaho State Police District 4 in Jerome said. “This is something we train and prepare for, but when it happens and people’s lives literally hang in the balance, it takes everyone working together, and then some.”

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Rivian Launches R1S And R1T Configurators

Right on cue, Rivian has launched the configurators for the highly anticipated R1S and R1T.

While it’s not configurable, the R1T Launch Edition will be the first model out of the gate as it will arrive in June of 2021. A similar R1S Launch Edition will arrive a few months later in August.

Moving onto configurable vehicles, the entry-level R1T Explore starts at $67,500. The truck comes standard with 21-inch wheels, but customers can also opt for 20- and 22-inchers with a variety of different tires. There are also two standard paint choices as well as seven optional colors which retail for $1,500 or $2,500.

Speaking of the exterior, customers can order an Off-Road Upgrade package which costs $2,000 and adds skid plates, front tow hooks and an air compressor.  There’s also a $5,000 camp kitchen with a sink, stove and water tank.

Also Read: Rivian Confirms R1T And R1S Pricing, Both EVs Launching In Mid-2021

Moving into the cabin, there’s heated vegan leather seats with performance stitching. Buyers will also find matte black accents and recycled textile floor mats.

The R1T Adventure is more luxurious and it begins at $75,000. The truck builds on the Explore version by adding a power tonneau cover and making the Off-Road Upgrade package standard.

Bigger changes occur in the interior as drivers will find perforated vegan leather seats with heating and ventilation. Other special touches include natural-grained ash wood trim, compass yellow accents, a microfiber headliner and Chilewich floor mats.

Deliveries are slated to begin in January of 2022 and both versions will have a “large” battery pack that promises to deliver more than 300 miles (483 km) of range. If that’s not enough, customers can opt for a so-called Max battery which costs $10,000 and increases the range to more than 400 miles (644 km).

The R1S is largely identical, but it eschews the Max battery pack and offers seating for up to seven people. The SUV also costs slightly more as the Explore variant retails for $70,000 while the Adventure goes for $77,500.

You can check out the configurator for the R1T here and RS1 here.

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NEW TRUCK PREVIEW: 2021 Honda Ridgeline

The 2021 Honda Ridgeline will debut early next year with a pronounced redesign. It will showcase the pickup truck’s road and off-road versatility while retaining the tradition of its renowned for unibody design.

The Ridgeline will continue to feature an extra-wide stance on an extra-wide standard bed. The manufacturer claims it’s the only truck that can flat-carry four-foot-wide items between its wheel wells.

The 2021 Honda Ridgeline

The 2021 Honda Ridgeline will have a bold new redesign.

All 2021 Honda Ridgeline trims will include a 3.5-liter, direct-injected V6 engine producing 280 horsepower and a nine-speed automatic transmission. All-wheel drive is standard of RTL-E and Black Editions. It’s optional on Sport and RTL trims.

With its unibody construction and independent rear suspension, the Ridgeline also comes standard with a washable, lockable in-bed trunk. It offers an additional 7.3 cu.-ft. of secure storage space under the bed floor.

The 2021 Honda Ridgeline also features a new sheet metal front with roof pillars forward. Design changes further include: a hood sporting a pronounced power bulge and front fenders that emphasize the squared-off nose.

Honda Ridgeline: New Safety Features

A more upright grille, flanked by LED headlights updated for better illumination, and a new bumper are among front exterior improvements. A reshaped rear bumper and new twin exhausts add further changes.

New aggressive sidewall and shoulder designs will give the Ridgeline a broader, more planted stance.

The Honda Performance Development (HPD) package is also new. An upgraded grille treatment, black fender flares, aggressive bronze-colored wheels, and special HPD graphics on the bed walls.

Interior upgrades: a Display Audio System and new upholstery with contrast stitching. The Sport, RTL and RTL-E trims have a new dash, steering wheel and center console accents.

The new Ridgeline has a 1,580-pound payload capacity and a 5,000-pound towing capacity. The tailgate can handle dynamic loads of up to 300 pounds, supporting long payloads such as motorcycles and ATVs.

Inside the bed are eight standard tie-down cleats rated at 350-pounds each, for securing loads. The bed is constructed of glass fiber-reinforced SMC composite. It resists dents and scratches without the need for a separate bed liner.

The Ridgeline comes standard with the Honda Sensing featuring a collision mitigation braking system, forward collision warning, lane-keeping assist road departure mitigation, lane departure warning and adaptive cruise control.

Additional specifications and prices will be announced closer to the truck’s expected consumer debut in early 2021.

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This Customized Chevy HHR Pickup Channels The El Camino

The 2000’s were rife with retro-inspired models including the Chrysler PT Cruiser and reborn Mini Cooper.

Chevrolet also got in on the fun as they introduced the SSR and HHR. While the latter wasn’t as interesting as the convertible pickup, one HHR owner decided to transform their five-door hatchback into a two-door truck.

Currently listed on Facebook Marketplace for $6,500 (£5,005 / €5,515), the model is a part HHR and part pickup. Details are limited, but the rear doors give way to a custom truck bed that follows the lines of the original model.

Also Read: Chevy Introduces HHR SS With 260 HP

This gives the truck a high quality appearance, but there are some downsides. Most notably, there’s no drop down tailgate or rear window. The latter decision likely creates sizeable blind spots, but it freed the owner to have a bald eagle graphic on the back of the passenger compartment.

The interior largely carries over, but cheap-looking bowtie badges have been added above the door sills. The bowtie design can also be found on the back wall which is covered in some rather tragic upholstery.

Since the truck is based on a 2010 HHR and is FlexFuel capable, it presumably has a 2.2- or 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine. The smaller engine is rated at 155 hp (116 kW / 157 PS), while the larger unit develops 172 hp (128 kW / 174 PS).

Regardless of what’s under the hood, the truck has 265,000 miles (426,476 km) on the odometer. That’s a lot but, if you’re in the market for an HHR-based pickup, this is one of your only options.

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Deals aplenty available on new 2019 trucks

Consumers considering buying a pickup should consider new 2019 trucks nearly two nearly years old.

The reason: The COVID-19 pandemic stalled production of 2020 models for manufacturers and resulted in the temporary closing of “brick-and-mortar” dealerships. Sales suffered and deals are prevalent.

 

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The 2019 Nissan Titan Pro4X is improved but has plenty of competition.

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The Nissan Titan Pro4X is improved but has plenty of competition. It’s also readily available among new 2019 trucks nearly two years old.

Within two months of the economic downturn, inventory for 2019 trucks and cars increased nearly exponentially.

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According to iSeeCars.com, the online automotive search engine and research website based in Woburn, Mass., there’s a 10.8 percent industry average of new 2019 vehicles still in inventory.

The 2019 Nissan Titan, 2019 Ford Ranger and 2019 Ram Pickup Classic are all on a dubious list of vehicles with the most 2019 inventory remaining.

2019 trucks available with good deals

The Nissan Titan is fourth on the list with 43.7 percent of its 2019 inventory remaining. The Ford Ranger is fifth in the top-10 with 41.9 percent of its 2019 inventory left, followed by the Ram Pickup Classic seventh (39.4 percent).

“These cars provide opportunities for buyers to get a good deal on a new vehicle and are likely to come with generous incentives,” the website’s analysts wrote.

iSeeCars.com analyzed its national inventory of more than 1 million new cars for sale to determine which models have the inventory the remaining 2019 models.

“A surplus of vehicles from the 2019 model year might remain on dealer lots because a car’s popularity is declining because car buyers want to wait for an upcoming redesign, or because dealers simply have too much inventory,” said Phong Ly, the iSeeCars.com CEO.

The top-20 vehicles on the list all have at least 20 percent of 2019 inventory available. Of course, not all of the list’s vehicles are available in every state.

Here’s the list of the top-20 vehicles in the United States with the largest percentage of new vehicles remaining in inventory from 2019.

1. Dodge Grand Caravan, 66.3 percent; 2. Chrysler 300 (50.9); 3. Dodge Journey (45.8); 4. Nissan Titan (43.7); 5. Ford Ranger (41.9); 6. Audi Q7 (40.9); 7. Ram Pickup 1500 Classic (39.4); 8. Volkswagen Atlas (37.1); 9. Alfa Romeo Giulia (32.8); 10. Chevrolet Impala, 31.8.

11. Dodge Challenger (30.2); 12. Nissan Sentra (27.1); 13. Volkswagen Golf GTI (27.1); 14. Ford Mustang (23.1); 15. Mitsubishi Outlander (22.7); 16. Honda Civic (Coupe) (22.7); 17. Nissan Kicks (22.5); 18. Dodge Charger (21.6); 19. Honda Passport (21.2); 20. Nissan Maxima (20.5).

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Chevrolet Colorado ‘Kymera’ Feels Right At Home Tackling The Wilderness

Say hello to ‘Kymera,’ an insane off-roader built by a shop out of South Carolina dubbed Fab Fours.

Recently featured in an episode of Ridiculous Rides, Kymera started out life as a 2015 Chevrolet Colorado, not that you’d be able to tell from its crazed outward appearance. In fact, it looks more like a Trophy Truck than a Colorado.

For starters, Kymera is no longer front-engined; instead, the engine sits where the bed once was. This isn’t any regular engine either, but a 5.9-liter Cummins diesel V8 that’s been fitted with a pair of turbochargers, so it now delivers 650 hp and spews out plums of black smoke whenever you touch the accelerator pedal.

Read Also: Chevrolet Colorado To Get Small Styling Update, Three New Packages For 2021MY

It’s not just the engine that makes this Colorado special.The vehicle features all-new suspension, including absolutely massive Fox shocks and springs, and also utilizes military-spec axles. What’s more, it has a rear-wheel steering system that means it is very maneuverable, despite its size.

While Kymera certainly turns heads on the roads, that’s not where it is at home. Instead, the truck is best suited to climbing up rocks along difficult off-road trails or bashing through the desert. It is the ultimate toy car and we’re sure would be an absolute ball to drive. Given how big the Fox shocks are, we imagine it rides over small rocks like a Rolls-Royce rides on the pavement. In the unlikely event that the truck does get stuck, it has a 12,000 lbs winch up front to help pull it free.

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