Honda Ridgeline pickup to make a comeback at Super Bowl

Editor's note: The 2006 Honda Ridgeline didn't share underpinnings with the Odyssey minivan. That sentence has been removed.

Honda will return to the Super Bowl with a spot showcasing the new 2017 Ridgeline pickup.

The ad, which will be the Ridgeline’s TV debut, is slated to run in the third quarter. The Ridgeline will make its world debut at the Detroit auto show in January.

Honda last ran a Super Bowl ad in 2014. Its safety-themed “Hugfest” spot starred Bruce Willis.

In addition to Honda, Hyundai, Acura and Kia have confirmed that they will run Super Bowl 50 ads.

“The big game is the largest and most coveted stage to show the world that Honda is back in a big way with an all-new Ridgeline truck,” said Jeff Conrad, general manager of Honda Division, in a statement.

The new Ridgeline will be produced at Honda’s auto and engine plant in Lincoln, Ala. It's expected to reach dealerships in the first half of 2016.

The Ridgeline, Honda’s first foray into the North American pickup market, went on sale in early 2005. Monthly U.S. sales peaked at 6,589 in December 2005, and it was named North American Truck of the Year in 2006, partly because of its clever layout and innovative cargo stowage system.

Production of the first generation in Lincoln ended in 2014. Through November, Honda sold 518 of the outgoing Ridgelines.

Richard Truett contributed to this report.