A Honda body-on-frame truck? That possibility has my attention, especially with a new Ridgeline on the way. Reports from Japan point to a Honda-badged Mitsubishi pickup for overseas buyers. The obvious question for American truck shoppers is whether it offers a glimpse of what comes next here.
Right now, that connection is speculation. Honda has confirmed a new Ridgeline, but it has not announced that the truck will use a separate frame or share its platform with Mitsubishi. Here is what we know, and why I think the question is worth asking.
What the Honda body-on-frame truck report says
Automotive News reports, citing Yomiuri and Nikkei, that Honda could sell a rebadged Mitsubishi Triton in Southeast Asia starting in 2028. The Triton is built in Thailand. Honda told Automotive News that no such decision had been announced, while Mitsubishi declined to discuss specifics of its ongoing collaboration talks.
The report also says other regions could be considered. However, it does not identify the United States or connect the proposed truck to the Ridgeline. A supply agreement for one market does not automatically establish a product plan for another.
There is a historical wrinkle, too. Automotive News notes Honda sold the Isuzu-supplied Tourmaster pickup in Thailand in the 1990s. Calling this Honda’s first body-on-frame pickup would overlook that earlier truck.
A Mitsubishi chassis would be a different approach
Mitsubishi’s current-generation Triton, introduced in 2023, uses a ladder frame with double-wishbone front suspension and leaf springs at the rear. That is a different starting point from the current Ridgeline’s unibody construction and independent rear suspension.
The Triton lineup includes a 2.4-liter diesel engine and manual or automatic transmissions, depending on the market and configuration. Its available Super Select 4WD-II system includes a low range. Those are Mitsubishi specifications, not announced specifications for a future Honda. We do not yet know how much a Honda version would change.
For me, the interesting part is what an existing pickup platform could let Honda offer overseas. A separate-frame truck with low-range four-wheel drive would give buyers a different proposition from today’s Ridgeline. Whether that proposition makes sense for Honda’s American customers is a separate question.
Honda has confirmed the Ridgeline production pause
Honda’s July 23, 2026 announcement is the firm information U.S. buyers should focus on. The company confirmed a third-generation Ridgeline arriving within two years and said production of the current 2026 model would pause later in 2026. That does not provide an exact restart date or establish that production has already stopped.
Honda says the next truck will be designed in California, engineered in Ohio and manufactured in Alabama. It promises a more rugged design and increased capability, but the release does not identify its construction, powertrain or exact model year.
We previously covered the expected Ridgeline production pause. Honda’s July announcement provides a newer, official update: a third generation is coming. Buyers should use that confirmation rather than treating earlier expectations about the truck’s future as settled details.
Could this be a preview of the next Ridgeline?
I can see why a Honda body-on-frame truck sparks the question. However, Honda’s public comments also give us reasons to keep our expectations in check. In an August interview with Car and Driver, Honda executive Lance Woelfer praised the existing approach: “It’s been a tremendous success in the current format; it’s been with a unibody,” he said. He did not directly confirm the next truck’s underpinnings.
Separately, Road & Track reported that Honda called suggestions of body-on-frame vehicles from a possible Nissan partnership “purely speculative.” That response concerned a different report, not the October Mitsubishi story. It still illustrates why a partnership discussion should not be mistaken for a confirmed truck program.
My take: a more rugged Ridgeline does not have to abandon everything that makes it useful. The current truck offers an in-bed trunk and dual-action tailgate, features worth considering alongside any future off-road hardware. A frame alone would not tell us how well a replacement serves those buyers.
So, is this a preview of the next Ridgeline? It is an interesting possibility to discuss, but the available evidence does not establish that link. I want to see what Honda actually announces before calling its U.S. pickup a Mitsubishi-based truck.
