Temple of VTEC Rumors and News - Honda Rugged Open Air Vehicle Concept Debuts at 2018 SEMA Show

Rugged Open Air Vehicle Concept merges light-truck and side-by-side vehicles into ultimate open-air off-road Honda

Oct 30, 2018 - TORRANCE, Calif.
Headlining a star-studded lineup of vehicles, the Honda Rugged Open Air Vehicle concept took its bow today in the glittering environs of Las Vegas at the 2018 SEMA show. Combining elements of two production Honda vehicles from different genres, the Rugged Open Air Vehicle concept is based on Honda's Ridgeline pickup and its Pioneer 1000 side-by-side to create the ultimate open-air off-road Honda adventure vehicle.

Designed and developed by Honda R&D Americas, the Rugged Open Air Vehicle concept is a physical thought exercise of what the ultimate off-road Honda four-wheeled vehicle could look like. The vehicle combines the utility of the Honda Ridgeline with the off-road ruggedness and extreme styling of the Honda Pioneer 1000 side-by-side. While the Rugged Open Air Vehicle is a concept, it nonetheless uses existing Honda components, such as modified Ridgeline body and suspension, along with production Pioneer doors and custom designed bed and tailgate panels modeled after the Pioneer. The Ridgeline-based interior has been modified for a life exposed to the outdoors and features a Pioneer 1000 steering wheel adapted to the Ridgeline steering column, along with Civic Type R seats reskinned in waterproof Pioneer 1000 material, smartphone holders from RAM Mounts, and durable paint-on surfaces to protect the exposed instrument panel from the elements.

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About Honda
Honda offers a full line of reliable, fuel-efficient and fun-to-drive vehicles with advanced safety technologies sold through over 1,000 independent U.S. Honda dealers. The Honda lineup includes the Fit, Civic, Insight, Accord and Clarity series passenger cars, along with the HR-V, CR-V and Pilot sport utility vehicles, the Ridgeline pickup and the Odyssey minivan.

Honda has been producing automobiles in America for more than 35 years and currently operates 19 major manufacturing facilities in North America. In 2017, more than 90 percent of all Honda brand vehicles sold in the U.S. were made in North America, using domestic and globally sourced parts.