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Former Honda exterior design lead Don Herner discussed the first-generation Ridgeline’s development in an interview with YouTuber Jack Bontatibus. Herner said the project began as an internal “Advanced Capabilities Vehicle,” with engineering choices and unusual practical features shaping the 2006-model-year pickup.
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 an “Advanced Capabilities Vehicle,” rather than treating it as a conventional truck—an approach that helps explain the Ridgeline’s unibody construction and distinctive design when it arrived for the 2006 model year.
In the interview, Herner said the Ridgeline’s beginnings were informal: he and other designers started sketching when there was little else happening. A marketing executive later saw the sketches and promoted the idea as the basis for a production vehicle. Herner said Honda’s engineering constraints also shaped the project. “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,” he said, describing the internal project name as “Advanced Capabilities Vehicle.”
Herner recalled that designers initially tried oversized wheels and tires, including 32-inch and 35-inch options, but engineering favored smaller sizes to make the most of the power reaching the wheels. The first-generation model 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, along with a 5,000-pound towing capacity and 1,550-pound payload capacity.
The pickup also included features aimed at practicality and durability. Its cargo box was made of fiberglass, and Herner said simulations tested how much weight the bed could take before the rear suspension collapsed. The dual-action tailgate mechanism extended almost the length of the bed, according to his account, to support the weight of people standing on it. Other details included fold-up rear seats, a storage space between the dashboard and center console, and a CD loader concealed behind the head unit.
How the Original Defied Truck Norms
Herner’s account offers a design-side explanation for why the original Ridgeline differed from familiar pickup formulas. Rather than start with a traditional body-on-frame truck and adapt it, Honda built the vehicle around a modified version of the then-current Odyssey platform. Its integrated cab and bed and unibody structure were central to a pickup designed around Honda’s engineering capabilities and practical-use goals.
The history matters to buyers and automotive readers because several features from that first model remain part of the Ridgeline’s identity. The current generation retains unibody construction and the dual-action tailgate, even though its styling is more conventional. Herner’s recollections also show how product names, packaging decisions and manufacturing realities can shape a vehicle before it reaches showrooms.
Honda Ridgeline 2006-2014 bed extender
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The Ridgeline’s Unusual Launch
The first-generation Ridgeline arrived in 2005 as a 2006 model and was Honda’s first production vehicle with a pickup bed. The source report describes it as the largest Honda production vehicle at the time; its size required changes to assembly lines. The tailgate also carried the “Honda” name in the company’s typeface, a departure that reportedly required personal approval from the company president because it did not fit established corporate practice in Japan.
The vehicle’s development drew on Honda’s existing platform and engineering rather than the conventional pickup template. That distinction helped establish a separate place for the Ridgeline in the truck market, although the source report notes that some buyers did not understand the first generation’s approach. The current Ridgeline has more conventional styling while keeping its unibody layout and several practical features.
“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, in an interview with YouTuber Jack Bontatibus
Honda Ridgeline 2006-2014 all-weather floor mats
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What the Interview Does Not Establish
The account is a designer’s recollection, presented through an interview, and the source report does not provide Honda documents or independent confirmation for each anecdote. It does not specify the interview’s publication date, nor does it establish whether the proposed Nike collaboration advanced beyond an idea. Herner said Honda pursued a collaboration because Nike had an “Advanced Capability Gear” line at the time, but the reported material offers no further details about its outcome.
The source report also speculates that a future Ridgeline may look more like a truck, while expressing hope that it retains the model’s distinctive qualities. It provides no confirmed launch date, design details or Honda announcement for a next-generation vehicle. Any future styling or product plans remain unconfirmed in this material.
Honda Ridgeline truck bed cargo net
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No New Ridgeline Plans Confirmed
The immediate development is the publication of Herner’s account of the original model’s design and engineering story. The source material does not identify a follow-up interview, a Honda response or a product announcement tied to the discussion. Readers seeking more detail can consult the full interview with Jack Bontatibus.
For the next Ridgeline, the source report offers speculation rather than a confirmed timetable or plan. Until Honda announces a successor or provides official details, the current model’s future design and features remain unknown.
Honda Ridgeline tailgate assist kit
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Key Questions
Who is Don Herner?
Don Herner was the exterior design lead for the first-generation Honda Ridgeline. The source report says he also worked on the first-generation Acura RDX and later worked at Fisker.
What did Honda call the Ridgeline project internally?
Herner said Honda called it the “Advanced Capabilities Vehicle.” He said it did not begin as a conventional truck project.
When did the first Ridgeline arrive?
The first-generation Ridgeline arrived in 2005 as a 2006 model, according to the source report.
What features from the original remain associated with the Ridgeline?
The current-generation Ridgeline retains unibody construction and the dual-action tailgate, according to the report. It also says the current model has more conventional styling than the first generation.
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