You can also count on a variation of the new Honda Ridgeline's frame. Instead of the traditional ladder steel frame, on which the three main elements of a truck are built - nose, cab and bed - Honda took a unibody frame and welded a steel frame onto it, making cab and bed one piece and creating separate sections for the front and rear suspension. Honda claims that the resulting truck frame reduces body twist significantly, an important improvement when it comes to ride quality, load capacity and towing. There used to be a time when all SUVs did that kind of stuff.
Times have changed, however, and now it is just as important that your SUV drive like a dreamboat. Chances are good that when the 2006 Acura RD-X hits the streets, Acura will boast it as a small SUV with a car-like ride and a blue-collar pedigree when it comes to towing, dirt driving and hauling. Dream, indeed. But then again, maybe it's more of a nightmare -- if your name is Infiniti.
|
