Honda is presenting the Rugged Open Air Vehicle concept at this year’s Specialty Equipment Manufacturers Association (SEMA) show in Las Vegas, and the working study is very much a physical thought exercise of what an ultimate off-road Honda four-wheeled vehicle could look like.
The one-off features design cues derived from two production Honda vehicles from different genres, in this case the Ridgeline pick-up and the Pioneer 1000 side-by-side, combining the utility of the former with the extreme styling of the latter.
The brainchild of Honda R&D Americas, the vehicle utilises a modified Ridgeline body and suspension, adding on production Pioneer doors and a custom-designed bed along with tailgate panels modeled after that found on the Pioneer.
The interior is based on that found on the Ridgeline, but necessary modifications have been carried out to cater for exposed running conditions. A Pioneer 1000 steering wheel finds its way on, adapted for use with the Ridgeline-based steering column, ad well as Civic Type R seats reskinned in waterproof Pioneer 1000 material.
Elsewhere, durable paint-on surfaces to help protect the exposed instrument panel from the elements, and mod cons include smartphone holders from RAM Mounts. The study’s powertrain and transmission weren’t detailed, but the 3.5 litre direct-injected i-VTEC V6 mill and six-speed automatic transmission from the production Ridgeline should be lurking underneath the edgy surface-work.
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