The new half-ton Honda Ridgeline Sport is peppered with an array of exclusive features, including black honeycomb grille with black surround, leather-wrapped steering wheel with audio controls, 18-inch black aluminum alloy wheels, black headlight and brake light housings, fog lights, and rear privacy glass. It’s a sleek look that compliments the sporty vibe of this capable utility vehicle with car-like ride and handling behaviors. Ridgeline’s 5-foot long steel reinforced composite cargo bed has eight tie-down spots as well as four lights for illuminating the cargo bed and the 8.5 cubic foot, lockable trunk. The four-door pickup with a closed-box frame and unit-body construction has a 1,100-pound payload rating.

Power derives from a 3.5-liter V6 with variable valve timing that produces 250 horsepower at 5700 rpm and 247 pounds-feet of torque at 4300 rpm. The engine mates to a 5-speed electronically controlled automatic transmission with grade logic control for maintaining the optimum gear when the pickup is traveling uphill or going downhill. Brake pedal commands are channeled to 12.6-inch front and 13.1-inch rear four wheel anti-lock disc brakes with electronic brake distribution and brake assist. Interior attributes include a sliding front center armrest with lower slide-out tray as well as 60/40 rear seats with underneath storage. Ridgeline Sport’s estimated mpg is 15 city and 21 highway, and the Sport model carries an MSRP of $30,095.