I'd like to agree with
@eurban and think that Honda is in the game here. The truck market is hot, and this is Honda's only pickup truck.
The number one complaint against the G2 was that it looked too much like the Pilot (and, gasp!, the Odyssey). Honda has now fixed that. It's a big step in the right direction.
The second biggest complaint was the lack of "off-road"-iness, specifically the FWD orientation, lack of a low range and poor ground clearance. They've begun to tackle that complaint with aggressive marketing suggesting that the G2 is more offroad-worthy than many believe, and perhaps the lower first gear in the ZF9 will partially address the lack of low range. Extra ground clearance will be a bigger hurdle, and will hit Honda where it hurts, in MPG ratings. One way around this is to offer the aftermarket better ways to improve GC. Perhaps the new vents to the front wheels will allow larger wheel wells to accommodate larger tires. This would be an easy upgrade for most owners to get an extra inch of GC.
We will have to wait for the G3 for bigger and better chassis and powertrain improvements, such as the latest iVTM-4, 10-spd, perhaps easier lift-ability, etc.
Honda can't compete with the others mid-sizers on all-out towing and off-road capabilities, but they can compete by upgrading every few years, staying in sync with Pilot, et al., something the others can't afford to do.
