Our spy photographers got another look at the 2016 Honda Ridgeline as this prototype towed a trailer during testing. Compared to our last 2016 Honda Ridgeline spy photos, these images provide a much more detailed look at the shape of the new pickup truck.

As official teaser photos had revealed, the 2016 Honda Ridgeline will have an aerodynamically sculpted silhouette, with its windshield and roofline gracefully curved to help reduce drag, and thus improve highway fuel efficiency. These photos also show that the Ridgeline will have a low nose with an angled front grille, and despite the camouflage we can spot the triple-bar chrome grille resembling that seen on the 2016 Honda Pilot crossover.

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This 2016 Honda Ridgeline also shows one of the pickup truck's more intriguing features. The tailgate is split in the center, which as we saw in teaser sketches appears to allow owners to lower only one side of the tailgate if necessary for loading or unloading cargo. It also appears that a character line will run from the truck's front fenders to the rear fenders. Testing alongside this Ridgeline mule are 2015 Chevrolet Colorado and 2015 Ford F-150 pickups, perhaps as benchmarks.

The 2016 Honda Ridgeline is expected, like its predecessor, to be offered only as a four-door crew cab. It will likely lift its powertrains from the 2016 Honda Pilot crossover, meaning buyers will get a 3.5-liter V-6 engine rated for around 280 hp and 262 lb-ft of torque. Both six- and nine-speed automatic transmissions are likely to be offered. The last Ridgeline was available only with four-wheel drive, and we expect that trend to continue for the new model.

Look for the 2016 Honda Ridgeline to make its official debut before the end of this year.