The Ridgeline is a slow seller, but Honda isn’t ready to give up their only truck bed-bearing model just yet.

The 2012 model will be getting a slight facelift along with a lower-cost sport (pictured above) model. The four-door pickup hasn’t managed to take hold since 2006 when it was first released.

Those slow sales fed speculation that the truck might disappear from showroom floors altogether, but it doesn’t seem to be the case. American Honda’s Truck Planner, Sage Marie, directly addressed the issue in an official statement, saying the truck is “here to stay.”

Tetsu Iwamura, President and Chief Executive Officer of American Honda confirmed that statement in an interview with AutoBlog.com at the Tokyo Motor Show.

“We’re fully aware of the importance of that model and we’re trying to make that model grow much more. At this moment, there is no intention to stop the Ridgeline,” he said before confirming that Honda is conducting research into improving North American appeal for the truck.

[Source: AutoBlog]

Ford is revising their forecast for F-150 Ecoboost sales, estimating that the turbocharged 6-cylinder pickup will comprise 45 percent of F-150 sales, versus original estimates of 40 percent. Ford now estimates that the Ecoboost will sell 100,000 units this year.

The F-150 remains the best selling vehicle in the United States, and Ford was caught off guard by the Ecoboost’s popularity. A V6 option has only been available within the last two years, as the segment was dominated by V8 engines. Unstable fuel prices and a general trend towards environmentally conscious purchase choices are credited with helping Ford introduce a V6 powered F-150 in a favorable light.

[Source: Wall Street Journal]

General Motors will idle its Fort Wayne, Indiana plant for one week in November to help bring pickup truck production in line with slowing demand.

The plant will be idled for the week of November 7th, and no Chevrolet Silverado or GMC Sierra pickups will be produced at that time. GM has reported a 108 day supply of full-size pickups for the month of August, while an 80-day supply is considered a normal figure. GM said that sales of the Silverado and Sierra are up 7 and 18 percent respectively.

[Source: Automotive News]

We all had a good laugh at BMW‘s M3 Pickup Truck but it looks like someone out there actually thought it was a good idea. Found on Craigslist this custom BMW E30 that has received quite the makeover, transforming the classic BMW to a functional pickup and painted in a gaudy yellow with an equally gaudy matching yellow and black interior. The bad boy is located in Tulsa, Oklahoma and the owner is looking for just $1,900 for it. $1,900! What a steal.

There are of course very few details surrounding this one-of-a-kind project, other than that it’s a 1985 BMW 325e with an automatic transmission and that it “needs a little work.” Knowing that everyone’s definition of “a little work” is probably different, we’re guessing it probably needs “a lot of work”. The seller did state that it needs new brakes, the windows aren’t working, there’s a few rust bubbles, a cracked windshield and the interior could use a little “sorting out.” Yeah, like sorting the bumblebee theme right on out of there.

But hey, at least the owner was honest and said he had big plans for the car but has too many projects right now. We’re curious as to what other projects would take precedent over this magnificent creation. We’re hoping some crazy drifter picks it up, shoves in a V8 and goes sideways in it.

[Source: Craigslist via Jalopnik]

For parents, babysitter nightmares don’t come any worse than this: a 23-year old woman was arrested after leaving an 8-month old baby in the back of a Dodge Ram and driving around in the back.

Keyona Davis, from—where else?—Florida, was stopped by police after witnesses spotted her sitting in the back of the truck, with the stroller and the baby inside. The driver, a Mr. White, was cited for reckless driving, but Davis got off a bit harsher—felony child neglect, to add to a rap sheet of previous charges. She is being held in jail on a $5,000 bond, and will not be getting a recommendation from the baby’s family.

Click the jump to see the police dashboard camera, which caught the vehicle in the act. To be fair, she also sat in the back of the truck with the baby and the stroller, which makes it safe! And a note to aspiring babysitters: the Subaru Brat was taken out of production for a reason.

[Source: The Smoking Gun]

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The first half of 2011 is officially over, and the Ford F-Series and Toyota Camry are still the top selling truck and car in America. While the F-Series has traditionally been the best selling vehicle in America since time immemorial, the Camry has often traded places with the Ford Taurus and Honda Accord, and our sales tally also lumps in sales of the Solara coupe as well, similar to the Corolla and Matrix, which are grouped together for second place in the passenger car standings.

The Chevrolet Silverado and Dodge Ram take second and third place in the truck standings, while the Corolla/Matrix, Nissan Altima, Ford Fusion round out the car category.

Other strong performers include the Hyundai Elantra and Sonata and the Volkswagen Jetta. All three are relative newcomers to the top of the sales charts, but have managed to gain significant market share amid recent re-designs.

[Source: The Truth About Cars]

The V6 powered version of the Ford F-150 outsold the V8 variant for the first time in the vehicle’s history, signalling a dramatic shift in consumer tastes that has left Ford rushing to meet demand for the new V6 engines.

Ford’s gamble with offering two V6s – a 3.7L version, and a 3.5L Ecoboost positioned as a V8 alternative – has clearly paid off. Ford didn’t release specific data broken down by engine choice, but a report by the Cleveland Plain Dealer suggests that V6s are becoming the engine of choice for truck buyers, amid rising gas prices and other negative economic factors.

The Brook Park plant in Cleveland has resorted to cutting their summer vacation short to meet demand for the engines. Ford charges a $1,750 premium for Ecoboost engines, while the base 3.7L V6 is fitted as standard equipment.

[Source: Cleveland.com]

Mazda is very excited to show off its Freestyle Cab version of its BT-50 pickup at the upcoming Australian International Motor Show that will be held in Melbourne on July 1st-10th. The BT-50 receives Mazda’s now infamous Freestyle door configuration that was first revealed on the RX-8. By utilizing the unique door configuration, the BT-50 Freestyle gives a way to comfortably seat four while retaining a large carrying capacity.

Improvements have also been made from the current BT-50 offering by utilizing the Freestyle door configuration. In the rear, seat cushions have been lengthened by just over twp inches, giving way to better thigh support and better fitment for child seats. The seatback height has also been increased by slightly over five inches.

Most importantly, the BT-50 Freestyle benefits from a larger carrying capacity. Mazda has been able to increase the overall cargo volume by 51.3-cubic feet, a 9.4-cubic feet increase from the currently existing model.

Unfortunately for the North American market, Mazda still has no plans of bringing the BT-50 Freestyle to North America.

GALLERY: Mazda BT-50 Freestyle

The Holden Commodore Ute has had more false starts in the United States than Elizabeth Taylor has had marriages, but rising gas prices might give General Motors an impetus to import the Ute as a pickup alternative at a time when high gas prices are making large trucks economically unfeasible.

Mark Reuss, GM’s head of North American operations, said that the Ute may be an important product if fuel prices compel pickup buyers to downsize from full-size trucks to more efficient but equally versatile vehicles. ’I've lived in Australia and I’ve seen where fuel prices are $5 a gallon  and lots of tradesmen will use a ute with a tray on the back to do lots of different things, and they don’t need the bandwidth of a big pick-up truck,’ he told Australia’s Drive.

Reuss also said that no decision would come until the next generation Commodore in 2014, and that the pickup truck market in the States was still strong enough to continue with current offerings. General Motors planned to offer the Ute as a Pontiac vehicle, but those plans were shuttered in the wake of the 2009 recession.

[Source: Drive.com.au]

The last V6-powered Ford F-150 was sold to the public in 2008, and only 11% of sales were made up of the smaller-engined trucks. Three years later, and Ford’s gamble to offer not one but two V6s in America’s best-selling vehicle seems to be paying dividends, with 35% of F-150′s sold coming with either the base 3.7L V6 or the 3.5L  Ecoboost turbo engine.

Part of it can be attributed to the rising gas prices felt throughout the year. The 3.7L F-150 is classified as the most fuel-efficient full-size truck, with a 17/23mpg EPA rating. Ford also claims that the Ecoboost is selling like hotcakes, but didn’t give any data to back up the claim. With the V6s selling strong, there may be a shift to smaller engines in trucks, now that the mental barrier of requiring a V8 in a pickup seems to be dismantled among consumers.

[Source: KickingTires]