One year after showing off a concept of the design direction for its future electric vehicles during Monterey car week, Acura is back with the production intent version of its first EV, the ZDX. The ZDX is one of two products of the partnership between Honda and General Motors that will also yield the Honda Prologue with both vehicles manufactured by GM on its Ultium electric architecture.
As expected, the overall themes from last year’s Precision EV concept have been retained but toned down for production. Nonetheless, the nose is a more aggressive version of the look found on other current Acura vehicles with the precision performance design language. The so-called chicane daytime running lamps flow through the front light clusters and the diamond pentagon grille is now present in a solid form with an LED strip running around most of the perimeter.
The usual diamond pattern of the grille is now debossed in the solid panel. That panel also has a more forward leaning shark-nose profile that is less extreme than the concept but more aggressive than any Acura to date. The “coke-bottle” flanks are less pronounced than the concept but still present and the rear lamps have been made a bit taller than before. The floating roof look of the concept has been retained largely unchanged.
Another aspect of the current Acura design language is visible in the profile with the A-pillars set back, giving a long-hood look that generally implies a premium performance vibe. To anyone that has looked at the Cadillac Lyriq in profile, this appearance will be familiar since the underpinnings of the ZDX and most of its key specifications are shared with that model.
The base ZDX A-Spec gets a single-motor, rear wheel drive configuration with 340-hp while the Type S gets two motors and 500-hp, precisely the same as the Lyriq. The 102-kWh battery pack and 121.8-inch wheelbase are also common to the Cadillac as is the 190-kW peak DC charging speed and the 3.500-lb tow rating. Effectively, this is a Lyriq with a different top hat but there’s nothing really wrong with that since the Lyriq is a very good car to drive and with Acura engineers applying their own vehicle dynamics touches, the ZDX could be quite interesting.
In addition to the bodywork being uniquely Acura, the interior is a totally different experience from the Cadillac. Unlike the more modern, high-tech look of the Cadillac, the ZDX looks much more like a contemporary Acura inside and there’s nothing wrong with that. Instead of the Lyriq’s 33-inch display that spans 2/3 of the dashboard, the Acura has an 11-inch instrument cluster display and separate 11.3-inch center touchscreen. It also has a volume knob and a pair of knobs for adjusting the dual zone temperature controls along with a row of buttons for frequently used controls.
The infotainment system is the first implementation of Android Automotive in an Acura following the new Honda Accord getting a similar system. The Lyriq has the same operating system and Google Automotive Services including Maps, Assistant and the Play store, but Acura has its own distinct interface. Unlike GM which is dropping support for smartphone projection including Apple Carplay and Android Auto, Acura is keeping those features on the ZDX. The overall look is clean and appears functional, just as it should be in a driver’s car. A major improvement over the Cadillac is the manual release on the glovebox door, unlike the virtual control buried in the touchscreen of the Lyriq.
Earlier this year, Acura announced that it would be switching its premium audio systems from ELS Studio to Bang & Olufsen and the ZDX is the first model to get this system. The configuration in the ZDX gets 18 speakers plus a subwoofer and 14-channel amplifier.
Another tech feature new to Acura is AcuraWatch 360+ hands-free cruise. The system is a rebranded version of GM’s Super Cruise which is already on the Lyriq and offers hands-off, eyes-on driver assist on 400,000 miles of pre-mapped roads in North America.
Acura isn’t yet confirming where the ZDX will be built beyond acknowledging it will be in North America. However, earlier reports have indicated that the two EVs GM is building would come from Spring Hill, Tenn. and Ramos Arizpe, Mexico. Given the ZDX’s shared components and dimensions with the Lyriq, it seems highly probable that it will be built alongside the Cadillac at the Tennessee factory.
That production is likely to begin in the next few months if Acura is to meet its target of first deliveries in early 2024. At this point, Acura is only saying that the starting price will be in the $60,000 range, similar to the Cadillac which starts at $58,950 for 2024. The range hasn’t been certified yet, but Acura is projecting 325 miles for the RWD A-Spec and 315 miles for the AWD Type S.
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