Acura took the covers off its 2019 Acura RDX at the New York International Auto Show and, with available A-Spec, is a sporty crossover ready to sell big.
In order to stay relevant Acura needed to make sure its RDX and MDX were hits, being Acura’s biggest sellers. With more power, a chassis focused on driving engagement and a host of standard features, the 2019 Acura RDX should sell slightly better month over month when it hits their showrooms.
The biggest news about the RDX has to be their engine. It’s deju vu when it comes to forced induction because this isn’t the first time Acura’s gone turbo. When the car debuted back in 2007, the 2.3T derived K-series in that RDX put out a generous 240 HP and 260 lb-ft. Now, in 2018, Acura has a home run in its engine arsenal with the Civic Type R’s 2.0T. The RDX makes a whopping 272 HP and 280 lb-ft.
Paired with that stellar engine and probably why they dialed the power down a bit is a class-exclusive 10-speed automatic.
The 2018 Acura RDX managed 20 City mpg and 28 Highway mpg so expect those numbers to either stay the same or go up a hair if the test cycle stays out of the turbo.
Acura’s says the body and chassis architecture is all new incorporating more than 50 percent high strength steel which should aid in body rigidity, handling, and cabin noise.
Making sure Acura’s SH-AWD is being used to its potential, there’s a variable ratio dual-pinion electric power steering unit, sport-tuned Macpherson strut front suspension, and five-link independent rear suspension. Adaptive dampers are available.
Combine all of the above and the 2019 Acura RDX should be one of the sportiest small crossovers out there.
Inside the big stories are exclusive new sport seats that should carry over to other Acura cars and SUVs.
And this is the first time Acura is debuting its Intuitive True Touchpad Interface. Acura does away with a dial, mouse or buttons when controlling its infotainment system and instead uses a touchpad that you can press down to select. The jury’s still out on how people will actually use it but Acura claims that it’s “immediately intuitive.”
Finally, Acura debuted its A-Spec variant of the RDX which adds bigger wheels, wider tires, a lower front fascia, a blacked out grille and A-Spec badges. Inside, A-spec means sportier looking seats, contrast stitching on the steering wheel, real aluminum accents all around and an exclusive A-spec finish on the gauge cluster.
If you really want to stand out in a subtle way, the A-spec is the way to go.
No word if there’ll be a Type S variant. If so, we can only guess that would mean a bump in power, a better intake and exhaust as well as a sport-tuned suspension. Acura probably won’t stuff their upcoming Turbo V6 in this one.
The RDX might not be the king of the hill for crossovers but it is definitely going to be one of the sportiest. I’ll be looking forward to one of the giant comparisons that’ll sure drop sometime this year.
Crossovers are even hotter and now the RDX is ready to be a front-runner.
