Combining the capabilities of a truck with the excitement of a side by side.
Do you dream of a vehicle with all the features of a light truck but the added excitement of an open-air side by side? Honda is here to help. The company presented the Rugged Open Air Vehicle concept at SEMA. It is a glimpse at the “ultimate offroad Honda four-wheeled vehicle”. We just call it cool.
You might see some familiar cues up front. The Ridgeline body and suspension are modified to accommodate the concept. Honda has not revealed the engine’s power source, but we believe it to be the same 3.5-liter V6 as the production truck. This lightweight design’s lightweight body would make it fast with 280 horses (208kilowatts). Pioneer 1000 doors, a Pioneer steering wheel and Pioneer 1000 doors are other carryover features. Even the modified bed and tailgate were inspired by the iconic sideby-side.
Although the cabin is not very common, it has some interesting features. The Pioneer 1000 waterproof material was used to reskin the seats taken from the Honda Civic Type R. The RAM mounts on the dash are designed to hold smartphones. The exposed instrument panel is protected from the elements by durable paint-on finishes. Honda R&D Americas in Ohio designed and manufactured the Rugged concept, but you won’t see it in production anytime soon.
At SEMA, the Rugged Open Air concept will join a few other Honda and Acura concepts. You’ll find many vehicles on the Honda stand, including an overland-inspired Ridgeline and an Insight hybrid with Honda Accessories, a -inspired RDX with 345 horsepower (257 kilowatts) and many more.