GF: The biggest challenge with developing any new product is to deliver a competitive vehicle that satisfies the tremendous pressures from a business perspective. There was never any significant internal debate over the styling of the Ridgeline. Once the concept direction was finalized and models were created, the team focused on molding the final product into its actual production form. The team was granted complete design autonomy at the Honda R&D Americas Inc center in Ohio. To answer your question more specifically, we had very stringent restraints on weight and staying on budget from a cost standpoint. However, these issues are not specific to the development of this vehicle. One of the early arguments we had from an internal cultural standpoint was departing from many of the Honda design traditions. One simple example is the windshield wiper stalk which deviated from the traditional design approach at Honda. However, I felt this was a necessary attribute to enable the execution of a column shift lever which we felt was essential aspect of a truck. It provides a functional balance between usability and packaging space in the center console. Another big issue I went to the mat on was displaying the “H-O-N-D-A” badge on the tailgate. Again, this was a minor element in the grander scheme of issues – but demonstrates one of the countless details that we went to great lengths to execute carefully. However, it is a common characteristic most all trucks in the market. This went completely against the grain of the corporate branding rules. I ended up directly negotiating this with Mr. Yoshino himself (HM President during the early Ridgeline Development).

Previous | Next