Detroit Auto Show :Toyota Reveals New Honda Ridgeline, Calls it the A-BAT Concept Hybrid Truck

This is it -- whatever "it" is. Actually "it" is Toyota's newest concept they'll be bringing to the Detroit Auto Show in two weeks, the A-BAT Concept Pickup Truck. And A-BAT is more than just a winged rat, it's an acronym for "Advanced Breakthrough Aero Truck." That's a name that has us kinda scratching our heads. How did Toyota name a concept vehicle a "breakthrough" when it looks like the love child of some sort of menage-a-truck involving the Honda Ridgeline, the Chevy Avalanche and the Toyota Prius. Yeah, you heard us -- the Toyota Prius -- you know, for that tint of green.

But despite what appears to our eyes as the obvious Ridgeline-esque styling, Toyota claims the look of this unibody-platformed concept truck is unique -- based on "the 'trapezoid' silhouette from the side profile of the Toyota Prius." But don't think for a moment this concept is all car and no truck. The A-BAT's able to shed the five-person crew-cab-like set-up with a tiny four-foot bed and transform itself into a two-seat "El Camino" configuration with a full eight-foot bed. The transformation's accomplished by dropping both the liftgate and the "midgate" ( that sound you hear is Chevrolet's legal team opening up their briefcases in unison) on either end of the mini-bed.

But wait, there's more -- as we alluded to earlier, this concept's got some green going on under the hood by way of a hybrid synergy drive. So if Toyota ever builds this new-fangled El Cam, you can head to Home Depot to buy lumber for the deck of your cookie-cutter McMansion and make a statement about saving the environment all at once. But we do give Toyota some credit for aggressively going after a market they've targeted.

© Source: jalopnik
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2008 Honda Ridgeline

Honda's full-size pickup is based on a unibody structure for car-like ride and handling abilities. It offers lighter-duty all-wheel drive instead of the traditional pickup's two-speed transfer case and four-wheel-drive Low range gearing, but can still tow up to 5000 pounds and carry 1500 pounds in its bed.

The five-passenger crew cab Ridgeline comes with four doors and a five-foot cargo bed. It features a split-fold-and-tumble rear seat with hidden under-seat storage, a two-way tailgate that can open either from the top or the right side, and a unique lockable and weather-protected 8.5 cubic foot trunk that's integrated into the cargo bed.

The standard engine is a 247-horsepower 3.5-liter V-6 engine teamed up with a five-speed automatic transmission. The standard Variable Torque Management system routes engine power to the wheels with the most traction, as conditions demand. Stability control, side and curtain airbags, and anti-lock brakes are standard. The Ridgeline is offered in RT, RTX, RTS, and RTL editions. The RT includes air conditioning, power windows and door locks, cruise control, a CD player, a power sliding rear window, and keyless entry. The Ridgeline RTX features the same gear plus a standard trailer hitch and four- and seven-pin trailer wiring, plus alloy wheels, a unique grille, and body-color door handles.

Moving upscale, the Ridgeline RTS adds alloy wheels, a seven-speaker 160-watt audio system with subwoofer and six-disc, in-dash audio system with steering wheel-mounted controls, dual-zone automatic climate control, and an eight-way power driver's seat.

© Source: thecarconnection
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