The next-generation Acura MDX now offers front-wheel and all-wheel drive.
Few models have been more important to Acura than its original crossover, the MDX, and the Honda luxury division clearly expects more big things from the three-row CUV it has launched at this year’s New York Auto Show.
Based on an entirely new platform, the next-generation MDX will take aim at a broader audience by adding a front-drive model for the first time, along with the familiar all-wheel-drive version of the crossover. That could expand the appeal of the MDX in Sunbelt markets where it hasn’t been a strong factor until now.
“Building on the award-winning dynamic performance of the previous model, the third-generation MDX adds new levels of luxury comfort, family functionality and fuel efficiency to once again set the luxury SUV benchmark,” declared Jeff Conrad, vice president and general manager of Acura Sales.
Set to go on sale this coming summer, Acura promises the 2014 MDX will offer a more versatile and luxurious cabin, better fuel economy and what Honda engineers describe as “enhanced dynamic performance,” which means it’s supposed to be easier and more fun to drive.
The 2014 MDX adds new levels of luxury comfort, family functionality and fuel efficiency.
One new wrinkle for 2014, Honda also plans a less expensive version of the Acura MDX without the all-wheel-drive system that seems to have become mandatory in this segment, but is probably unnecessary in key markets such as Florida and Southern California. Deleting the all-wheel-drive system also makes the MDX more fuel efficient.
The 2014 Acura MDX is built around an all-new direct-injected 24-valve 3.5-liter V-6 capable of producing 290 horsepower and 267 foot-pounds of torque. It also employs a six-speed automatic transmission with sport mode and sequential paddle shifters.
To satisfy the preferences of multiple drivers in any family, the 2014 MDX features an all-new Integrated Dynamic System with three modes: Sport, Normal and Comfort. IDS adjusts steering effort, throttle response, and Acura’s torque-vectoring Super Handling All-Wheel-Drive, or SH-AWD system. It also controls an active noise system to suit the tastes of the driver.
The 2014 MDX body applies more than 55% advanced lightweight materials – including high strength steel, aluminum and magnesium – resulting in a vehicle that is both more rigid and lightweight, with total vehicle weight reduced 275 pounds from the previous model.
The original MDX was Acura's first ute.
The 2014 Acura MDX measures 193.6 inches in overall length, 77.2 inches in overall width, 67.6 inches in overall height, and it rides on a 111-inch wheelbase, which is 2.75 inches longer than the previous model.
The new MDX features what Acura designers describe as an “Executive Aero Sculpture” exterior – which they note was refined in a new wind tunnel in Ohio.
But what might be more apparent is the downsizing of the controversial chrome grille – which critics derided as the “beak” – on the new model.
Inside the MDX there is a 10-way power adjustable and heated driver’s seat and an eight-way power and heated passenger seat, with more front-seat storage space in a new center console that can accommodate a purse, laptop case, or a pair of iPads.
The MDX’s luxury interior furnishings include premium leather-trimmed interior, silver-plated accents, LED overhead and cabin accent lighting, along with new optional luxury features, such as Smart Entry, second-row sunshades, remote engine start, and auto-linked air conditioning and climate-controlled seats.
In addition, the 2014 MDX also features LED headlights, more powerful Acura/ELS Studio premium audio system, and the next-generation AcuraLink connectivity system with AcuraLink Real-Time Traffic as well as a cloud-based connected car system with an assortment of media, convenience, information and security features via an embedded cellular system and compatible web-enabled smartphones.
The 2014 Acura MDX will be the latest in a series of critical rollouts designed to revitalize the long-lagging Japanese luxury brand. It will reach showrooms in the wake of the Honda luxury brand’s launch of both the entry ILX model and its all-new flagship, the Acura RLX.