Honda reaffirms Ridgeline will stick around

The Detroit News reports that the Honda Ridgeline isn't going anywhere any time soon. Sage Marie, manager of truck product planning at Honda, has said that the rumors of the vehicle's demise have been greatly exaggerated, and he says that the Ridgeline serves a key role in the company's product line. Marie also said that the truck will continue on into the foreseeable future. That's despite the fact that the model has seen its sales implode over the past few months. According to The Detroit News, Honda only managed to sell 6,500 Ridgeline models through the first nine months of this year.

Last year, the company sold 12,700 units during the same period.

While some of that drop can be attributed to production delays tied to the earthquake and tsunami disasters in Japan earlier this year, it's difficult to discern how much of the blame lies on a tired product or the continued improvement of fuel economy numbers on full-size trucks. Marie confirms that 2012 will see new aesthetic updates added to the Ridgeline along with the addition of the new Sport model pictured above.