The premium brother of the Honda CR-V is now official, with Acura taking the veils off the all-new RDX at the 2018 New York Auto Show. Little has changed from a visual standpoint compared to the near-production prototype presented in Detroit, and in comparison to the CR-V, the RDX rides on an “exclusive platform.”
A compact luxury crossover SUV that signals “the beginning of a new era for Acura,” the third-generation RDX bids farewell to yesterday’s V6. Under the sculpted hood, you’ll find a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder with Dual VTC, VTEC, and four valves per cylinder. Peak output is rated at 272 horsepower, with torque coming on strong at 280 pound-feet (380 Nm).
The drivetrain is furthered by the segment-first 10-speed automatic transmission with closely-spaced ratios and a 62-percent wider ratio range than the previous cog swapper. Developed to take full advantage of the low-end torque, the gearbox promises “quick and seamless” shifts. And yes, it comes with paddle shifters too!
On the dynamic front, up to 70 percent of the torque can be distributed to the rear wheels and up to 100 percent of that torque to either the right-rear or left-rear wheel. This is made possible by the newest version of Super Handling All-Wheel-Drive with Torque Vectoring. Just to be clear, the torque-vectoring SH-AWD system was developed to improve the driving experience on the street, not off-road.
For customers who want even more sportiness from the RDX, the A-Spec adds distinctive detailing both inside and out. 20-inch Shark Gray alloy wheels, gloss-black accents, and an available red-and-black interior are featured, plus large-diameter exhaust finishers, unique gauge cluster, and real aluminum ornamentation.
"This RDX is our most extensive redesign in more than a decade, a truly ground up reimagining of the RDX around our Precision Crafted Performance brand direction,” declared Henio Arcangeli, Jr., senior vice president of the Automobile Divison of American Honda Motor Co., Inc.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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