• Highs and Lows
  
  Highs:
  
  Quicker and better handling than the nonhybrid, luxurious accommodations.Lows:
  
  Kid-size 3rd row, numb power steering, fuel economy stuck in the 20s.Specifications
  
  VEHICLE TYPE: front-engine, front- and rear-motors, all-wheel-drive, 6-passenger, 4-door hatchback
  
  
  PRICE AS TESTED: $58,975 (base price: $52,935)
  ENGINE TYPE: SOHC 24-valve 3.0-liter V-6, 257 hp, 218 lb-ft; 1 permanent-magnet synchronous AC front motor, 47 hp, 109 lb-ft; 2 permanent-magnet synchronous AC rear motors, 36 hp (each), 54 lb-ft (each); combined output, 321 hp, 289 lb-ft; 1.3-kWh lithium-ion battery packTRANSMISSION: 7-speed dual-clutch automatic with manual shifting mode
  
  
  DIMENSIONS:
  Wheelbase: 111.0 in
  Length: 196.2 in
  Width: 77.7 in Height: 67.4 in
  Passenger volume: 132 cu ft
  Cargo volume: 15 cu ft
  Curb weight: 4466 lb
  C/D TEST RESULTS:
  Zero to 60 mph: 5.7 sec
  Zero to 100 mph: 15.5 sec
  Zero to 130 mph: 32.1 sec
  Rolling start, 5-60 mph: 6.1 sec
  Top gear, 30-50 mph: 3.6 sec
  Top gear, 50-70 mph: 4.0 sec
  Standing ¼-mile: 14.5 sec @ 97 mph
  Top speed (governor limited): 133 mph
  Braking, 70-0 mph: 188 ft
  Roadholding, 300-ft-dia skidpad: 0.87 gFUEL ECONOMY:
  EPA combined/city/highway: 27/26/27 mpg
  C/D observed: 22 mpg
  C/D observed 75-mph highway driving: 25 mpg
  C/D observed highway range: 480 mi

Instrumented Test

2017 Acura MDX Sport Hybrid

In this SUV, Sport Hybrid is not a misnomer.

• May 2017
• By DON SHERMAN
• Photography By CHRIS DOANE AUTOMOTIVE

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Nearly two decades after the Honda Insight introduced hybrids to America, the technology is still rare among crossovers. That could be because blending crossover and hybrid genes usually begets mediocrity. In exchange for a few more mpg, you get a heavier, lazier family hauler that’s no fun to drive. Credit Acura for upending that paradigm. The MDX Sport Hybrid SH-AWD tested here imbues Acura’s recently facelifted 3-row crossover with hybrid components similar to those from the NSX supercar, and the result is a breakthrough vehicle, one that actually deserves the Sport in its name.


A transversely mounted 3.0-liter V-6 rated at 257 horsepower powers this MDX’s front wheels through a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic. A 47-hp electric motor/generator geared to the transaxle assists by cranking the engine, providing supplemental thrust, and charging the 1.3-kWh lithium-ion battery pack located under the front seats. What Acura calls a Twin Motor Unit (TMU) lives between the rear wheels, kicking in another 72 horsepower on demand. Identical in most respects to the double-motor package that energizes the Acura NSX supercar’s front wheels, the TMU serves as a smart differential. During gentle launches, each motor drives one rear wheel while the engine naps. To augment cornering vigor, 1 motor powers the outside rear wheel while the other slows the inside, a clever version of torque vectoring. During those differential moments, the impeding motor sends electrical current to the battery pack. The lack of a driveshaft between the axles leaves ample room under the floor for a 72-cell battery pack and a power-control unit. The former is cooled by cabin air, the latter by circulating liquid. Thanks to careful packaging, the hybrid’s 15-cube cargo hold matches that of the front-drive, gas-only MDX, and there is only 1 cubic foot less of passenger volume.

VIEW PHOTOS

This MDX Sport Hybrid tops both the conventional MDX and the Toyota Highlander hybrid in acceleration. It hustles to 60 mph from rest in 5.7 seconds, through the quarter-mile in 14.5 seconds, and to 100 mph in 15.5 seconds, beating the Highlander by 1.3, 0.9, and 1.7 seconds. The gaps between the hybrid and nonhybrid Acuras are narrower. While the Volvo XC90 T8 plug-in is quicker at low and medium velocities, the MDX hybrid takes the lead beyond 110 mph. (We haven’t recently tested the only other three-row hybrid crossover, the Infiniti QX60.)
Although it carries an additional 244 pounds compared with its nonhybrid sibling, the MDX hybrid stopped from 70 mph in the same 188 feet. While that’s reasonable for a 3-row crossover, it’s 5 feet longer than the Toyota and 12 feet longer than the Volvo. At least this hybrid’s brake pedal remains high and firm until the 3rd or 4th hard stop, when hints of fade intervene.

Cornering is where the MDX hybrid showed the biggest advantage over competitors. No doubt thanks to the electric torque vectoring and the handling-oriented suspension tuning, the MDX hybrid circled our skidpad at 0.87 g versus the Toyota’s 0.77 g, the Volvo’s 0.81 g, and the nonhybrid MDX’s 0.83 g. (The Toyota, the Volvo, and the nonhybrid MDX were inhibited by stability-control-system intervention.) Also to its credit, the Acura hybrid’s body roll and understeer characteristics approach those of a sports sedan. The electronically controlled variable dampers manage wheel and body motion without spoiling ride quality.

VIEW PHOTOS

Complementing this MDX’s admirable performance stats is its total lack of hybrid antics. The gasoline engine and the electric motors join forces so willingly that the only clue something special is afoot is when the tachometer needle is resting on its 0-rpm peg and you’re moving. With a light touch on the accelerator, you can creep up to about 40 mph on pure electric propulsion. As high as 55 mph, the engine winks off during deceleration to save gas, restarting seamlessly. And during braking, where blending friction and regenerative deceleration challenges many hybrids, there’s no clue that this Acura is anything other than a conventional SUV.


With a starting price of $52,935 for the base Technology package model, the hybrid costs only $1500 more than an equivalent regular MDX with four-wheel drive (and $3500 more than a front-drive model). Aside from the improvements in acceleration and cornering ability, this choice also pencils out in terms of fuel efficiency. The MDX Sport Hybrid earned an EPA city rating of 26 mpg, topping the nonhybrid by 7 mpg, and a highway rating of 27 mpg, a gain of 1 mpg. By the EPA’s calculations, the difference in fuel costs for a year’s worth of driving is $350. That means the hybrid pays for its premium in 4.3 years of ownership (based on national-average fuel costs and 15,000 miles of driving per year).


Exterior acknowledgement of this MDX’s green lean is limited to a discreet hybrid badge on each front fender. Inside, a sporting theme prevails. The throttle, brake, and dead pedal are topped with bright metal plates, there are paddle shifters behind the grippy steering wheel, and the driver is offered a choice of four operating modes. In normal driving, second-gear starts save fuel. In Sport+, the shift schedule is more aggressive and the engine runs continually to fortify response.

VIEW PHOTOS

Although impressive overall, this crossover misses the mark in a few areas. The electrically assisted power steering is too light and totally lacking in feedback. The front seat bolsters aren’t firm enough to support the driver’s thighs at the high cornering rates possible here. And we long for a summer-tire option (in lieu of the standard all-season rubber) to amplify this hybrid’s handling edge.


The 3rd-row seats are kid space due to their restricted access avenues and low bottom cushions that jack adult knees high in the air. Folding the rear-seat backrests boosts cargo volume from 15 to 38 cubic feet; sacrificing the 2nd row swells the hold to 68 cubic feet, not counting a handy underfloor bin at the extreme rear.

VIEW PHOTOS

Our Advance package test car cost $58,975—$6040 more than the base Technology package MDX Sport Hybrid. Those prices include equipment that costs extra in competing SUVs. Both editions are equipped with 20-inch wheels and high-performance all-season tires, navigation, 3-zone automated climate control, a sunroof, adaptive cruise control with automatic emergency braking, lane-keeping assist, rain-sensing wipers, remote start, a premium sound system, and an array of traffic monitors. The Advance package adds 2nd-row captain’s chairs, surround-view cameras, parking sensors, perforated and heated leather upholstery, real ash wood trim, USB ports for 3rd-row users, front-seat ventilation, second-row sunshades, and other luxury touches.


What’s most encouraging about the new MDX hybrid is how it borrows technology from a $156,940 supercar to improve the efficiency and overall satisfaction of a mainstream crossover. We can only hope that other makers follow Acura’s fruitful path.

Review: 2017 Acura MDX Sport Hybrid is a smooth 3-row marvel

Video of the seating configurations and dual-screen cockpit in the Advance package of the 2017 Acura MDX Sport Hybrid, which is one of the smoothest hybrid systems we've tested.

Robert Dufferrduffer@chicagotribune.com?subject=R...ow%20marvel%22 Chicago Tribune


The last time I remember being impressed with Acura was my dad's Acura Legend in the late '80s. Recently, the ILX felt like a gussied up Honda Civic and the RDX drifted into that great homogenous pool known as the compact crossover. But the 2017 MDX Sport Hybrid earns the esteem — and premium — accorded to Honda's luxury brand.

Though the RDX had its best-selling year in 2016, the MDX led the brand and affirmed Acura's claim as the best-selling luxury three-row crossover, making it the most important car in the lineup. The Sport Hybrid makes the MDX even better.

The MDX was known for having a smooth and quiet ride, and the hybrid seems even more chill. It's the smoothest hybrid we've driven, with no noticeable transition of power from all-electric mode at low speed and light acceleration to hybrid engine and motor power at moderate speed. If it weren't for the power flow monitor on the top screen, it might not be noticed at all.




That seamless refinement comes from the 3-electric-motor system first used in the RLX hybrid sedan and NSX supercar. Acura's 1st hybrid SUV, the MDX uses a motor built into the 7-speed dual clutch transmission to supplement the 3-liter V-6 engine to boost output to the front wheels. Between the rear wheels is a twin-motor unit that acts as a differential to give power to the rear wheels. Total horsepower jumps from 290 in the gas model to 321 horsepower in the AWD hybrid. That rear-mounted position provides better weight balance between the axles for more spirited performance and better control.

It's still a heavy car, coming in at just under 4,500 pounds (the AWD MDX is 4,215). The hybrid element of its name should be emphasized more than the sport. And there's nothing wrong with that. Both front and rear motors recapture energy when coasting to power the batteries, and the rear motor unit is automatically decoupled in certain situations, such as highway cruising, to improve efficiency.

It's all very smart, and like most smart, good things it's only noticeable upon investigation. The 1.3-kWh lithium ion battery pack is mounted under the floor near the center of the car, lowering the center of gravity by an inch while maintaining the same ground clearance as the gas model. It has virtually the same cargo volume as the regular MDX, which is unusual for a hybrid and brilliant for a family vehicle.

We averaged over 27 mpg in our week with the trimmed-out tester, which is a whopping 5 mpg (or 23 percent) more than the gas model. And it costs only $1,500 more than the AWD V-6 engine with the same packages. Averaging 15,000 miles per year with gas at $2.50/gallon, we'd recoup the hybrid upcharge in less than 5 years.

Inside, the MDX Sport Hybrid has exclusive trim in the 2 highest package options. The tester had the most expensive Advance package, with wood accents between the soft black dash and the lower cream-colored parts that match the leather seats. The Advance package includes a 6-seat configuration with the midrow captain's chairs separated by a storage console with cup holder. Buttons and levers make getting and out of the rear seats easy, but this is no place for teens or adults.The low roofline with the third row over the rear axle and its motor components means there is absolutely no headroom. At 5-foot-9 my head was against the roof even in a slouch. Slide the midrow seat back and I'm eating my knees. The regular MDX isn't much roomier. Up in the cockpit, the insistence on using a two-screen display takes away from the otherwise elegant interior finish. 2 screens are double the annoyance. The higher 1 recessed in the dash is for navigation and backup camera, while the lower 1 is a touch screen to control the top or for audio. Combining the 2 small screens into one larger screen like Volvo XC90 would really improve the center stack and overall integration.

Like Honda, Acura's advanced safety technology — known as Acurawatch, with adaptive cruise and other stuff — is better than its convenience technology, such as navigation and voice commands. The redundant steering controls are somewhat limited to the basic instrument cluster display, which is narrow. It's not as sharp as the rest of the car.

These are minor criticisms that could be easily remedied.

The MDX Sport Hybrid gives Acura a definitive edge over its immediate competitors, but also against the higher-priced German makes that are introducing more plug-in hybrids across the board. The balance of refined finishes, a soft highway ride and good fuel economy should help keep MDX on top of the 3-row luxury class and stand out like it once did.

rduffer@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @DufferRobert



2017 Acura MDX Sport Hybrid AWD at a glance

Vehicle type: 3-row hybrid crossover

Base price: $58,000

As tested: $58,000 (excluding $975 delivery)

Mpg: 26 city, 27 highway

Engine: 3-liter V-6 gas engine with 3 electric motors

Transmission: 7-speed dual clutch in AWD

Parting shot: Elegant 3-row gets better with smooth hybrid system.