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2022 Acura MDX Introduces All-New SUV Platform, MDX Type S Gets Turbo V6 Engine

We don’t think much of Acura, right? The thing is, Honda’s luxury division is trying to reinvent itself with more dynamic styling, sportier options, better materials, and technological highlights such as the Precision Cockpit instrument cluster of the MDX. The fourth-generation MDX, that is, which will arrive at U.S. dealers early next year with a 3.5-liter V6 and a 10-speed automatic transmission as standard.
2022 Acura MDX "Prototype" SUV 36 photos
Photo: Acura
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Pictured here in “prototype” specification, the 2022 model features “an all-new light truck platform built for athletic handling, refined ride comfort, and exceptional cabin quietness.” Don’t get your hopes up, though; this is a unibody rather a ladder-frame chassis like you may find under the body panels of the Ranger and F-150.

Acura makes a case for double-wishbone front suspension, which is rather uncommon for a sport utility vehicle if you think about it. The engineering decision can be explained by the soon-to-be-revealed MDX Type S, the performance-oriented version that will level up to a 3.0-liter turbocharged V6 with 355 horsepower.

The MDX Type S – due next summer as a 2022 model – is also going to feature the fourth generation of the SH-AWD system. Dynamic torque vectoring, Brembo brake calipers, an NSX-inspired Drive Mode dial for the Intelligent Dynamics System, and “the most rigid Acura SUV body to date” are a few other highlights.

A little longer and wider than the outgoing generation, the all-new utility vehicle can be optioned with open-pore wood, polished aluminum, soft-touch leather, French stitching, and all that jazz. Sport seats, three-row seating, and an ultra-wide panoramic moonroof are in the pipeline, along with 27 ambient lighting schemes.

Even the audiophile in you is treated to “more than 1,000 watts of power” by the Signature Edition ELS STUDIO 3D premium audio system. 22 channels and 25 speakers are offered, along with tuning by eight-time Grammy winner Elliot Scheiner. The music producer and audio engineer has worked with a wide range of artist, including the likes of B.B. King, Foo Fighters, Fleetwood Mac, and Beck.

No pricing details are available for the time being, but Acura is much obliged to confirm where the all-new MDX will be made. East Liberty in Ohio is where both variants will roll off the line, and the V6 engine options will be produced in Anna, Ohio where Acura also puts together the twin-turbo V6 powerplant of the NSX supercar. As for the 10-speed auto, that will be sourced from Tallapoosa, Georgia.

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About the author: Mircea Panait
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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.
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