A new sketch hints at what will be the reborn Honda Ridgeline midsize pickup.

While Honda plans to pull the plug on its edgy little Ridgeline pickup at the end of the 2014 model-year, the maker isn’t walking away from what some analysts believe could become a newly resurgent market segment.

A sketch released by the Japanese maker offers a hint of what the next-generation Honda Ridgeline will look like, an accompanying release suggesting the next-gen pickup “will come to market in less than two years.”

As with the soon-to-disappear version of the Ridgeline, the next model is being developed in the U.S., its prime market. Work is being split between the Honda R&D Americas operations in Los Angeles and Ohio.

“The next generation Ridgeline will build on Honda’s role in creating new value with a new take on advancing form and function in the truck segment,” said Michael Accavitti, senior vice president of automobile operations for American Honda Motor Co., Inc. “With a clear path forward, Ridgeline will play an even more important role in our future product portfolio and strengthen an already class-leading lineup of light trucks.”

The original Honda Ridgeline.

When it debuted in autumn 2005, the Honda Ridgeline made quite a splash.  The vehicle was distinctive on several counts, including its car-based platform, a break from the traditional truck-based approach used for pickups.  It also featured a strikingly edgy body design that differed sharply from the generally boxy shapes of its competitors. It also offered a number of functional touches, such as storage bins built into the box wall.

(Full-size Ram 1500 Diesel takes Motor Trend Truck of the Year. Click Here for the full story.)

Taking such kudos as the 2006 North American Truck of the Year and Motor Trend Truck of the Year awards, initial sales were strong, but have since faded sharply – which also reflects the general decline in the midsize truck segment.  However, volume has shown a surprising resurgence this year, demand increasing 29% since the beginning of January.

That could reflect the overall upturn in pickup sales – though the real growth has been in the full-size segment where Honda doesn’t compete.  But there’s an ongoing debate over whether the midsize truck segment might also be in for a revival.  Toyota and Nissan, the two remaining players in that niche, certainly hope so. But so does General Motors which recently revealed its new Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon models — both of which could benefit from a strong upsurge in midsize truck demand.

(Click Here to check out the new GM small pickups.)

There’s a long-standing industry axiom that new product can help boost sales in almost any market segment, so Honda will help test that assumption when it brings back the Ridgeline.