Honda’s Pickup Truck Is Beating Ford at Its Own Game

 Forget game theory, futurists, and cash-flow models: When it comes to product strategy in today’s auto industry, things need not be so complicated.Just make some trucks, and Americans will buy them—lots of them.It helps, of course, if you make a very good truck. Honda did just that when it rolled out a thoroughly redesigned version of its Ridgeline pickup in June 2016. Trailing a string of strong reviews, the carlike pickup has been hugely popular among people who buy trucks, and even among those who don’t. “This is a very capable truck that meets the needs of a vast majority of buyers,” says Jeff Conrad, general manager of American Honda Motor Co. “For somebody who doesn’t care about towing 8,000 pounds ... it’s perfect.”