wrestrepo

Interesting, since what I posted also came from the Lexus website...Still, the only Luxury car I know is rated for regular instead of premium gas.

MMike1981

ACURA's formal Press Release


Acura RDX
Shown as a prototype version of the 2013 RDX, the second generation of Acura's five-passenger crossover SUV will up the ante with a new approach to achieving both advanced performance and fuel efficiency via a new engine, transmission and all-wheel drive system.

The 2013 RDX, scheduled to launch in Spring 2012, will have as standard equipment a 3.5-liter V-6 engine that produces 273 horsepower— 33 more than the outgoing model. For even higher performance and improved fuel economy, the RDX makes use of a 6-speed automatic transmission with a new lock-up torque converter. The RDX also gets a new, lighter all-wheel-drive system that provides the required performance and safety with increased efficiency.

With anticipated EPA fuel economy ratings of 20 mpg in the city and 28 mpg on the highway, front-wheel-drive models of the 2013 RDX are expected to offer the best fuel economy of any gasoline-powered luxury SUV in its class.

The RDX exterior incorporates a sleek, more aerodynamically efficient body, evolving RDX from a sporty, compact SUV to a more formal look with a longer, sculpted hood and styling that is more elegant and sophisticated to match the Acura philosophy of timeless, beautiful design. Chassis updates include a longer wheelbase and wider track, all-new Amplitude Reactive Dampers, and a new motion adaptive(?) electronic power steering system.

Inside the 2013 RDX, new sweeping shapes, matte surface trim, and generous use of leather combine to give the RDX interior an upscale look and luxury feel that Acura customers have come to expect. Abundant use of sound deadening materials and Active Sound Control team to provide an exceptionally quiet cabin. Additional interior features, such as larger door openings, more passenger room, increased cargo volume and a power rear tailgate make the RDX interior even more accommodating and flexible.

As with the ILX, the 2013 RDX will receive a host of new technologies including Pandora internet radio interface, SMS text message feature, a smart entry keyless access system, pushbutton start, and a three view rear camera. An available Technology Package will provide a full complement of relevant technologies, including AcuraLink® Satellite Communication System, Acura Navigation System with Voice Recognition™, AcuraLink Real-Time Traffic with Traffic Rerouting™, and AcuraLink Real-Time Weather™ with radar image maps. New for 2013, the even more advanced navigation system utilizes a hard disk drive (HDD) with 60 gigabytes of storage capacity – including 15 gigabytes that can be allocated for music storage.

Acura anticipates that the RDX will achieve top ratings in both NHTSA and IIHS crash safety testing.

Production of the new RDX will move to the East Liberty, Ohio plant of Honda of America Mfg., Inc.— home to one of the four top assembly lines in North America in the J.D. Power and Associates' 2011 Initial Quality Study (IQS). The first generation RDX has been built at the Marysville, Ohio auto plant, an IQS award winner for both of its assembly lines.

- I bolded some interesting and some not so interesting (but new additions), looks like the tech pack will be standard fare

Additionally, what I dont care for, is that the DASH of the RDX is basically a carbon-copy of the ILX (or vice versa). If Acura holds true to the ILX, thats a kick in the balls to the RDX when the ILX appears to be SIGNIFICANTLY cheaper.

jason330i

good stuff mike.

no additonal details regarding VCM for the v6.

still crossing my fingers that this will be the first acura requiring regular gas.

pickler

Considering its the Accord v6 engine it might take regular. However the extra 2 horses is making me think premium gas. Just like the sonata turbo which requires regular but gives more power with premium (according to manual). However I don't see any problems with using regular with j35z2, regular worked fine with my friend's mdx And it has 230,000km now. On the turbo RDX it's a different story though.

BLEXV6

Not true, My TL has great rims and the new TL has even better rims.

BLEXV6

Cause the Venza is cheap cheap cheap to The interior, with poorly fitting dash parts, cant say anything about the CX-9

BLEXV6

I Know that, thats why I said in Canada. Now that the Americans like smaller cars they are bringing the new CSX to you in the form of the ILX.

MMike1981

subjective, own a 2012 TL and they are terrible, still.

MMike1981

right...in canada, which makes the regular gas comment as applied to the states irrelevant.

MMike1981

http://www.motortrend.com/auto_shows...013_acura_rdx/

..some new info...

The mature look may trick bystanders into mistaking the RDX for the larger MDX; in reality, the second-generation model hasn't grown that much. Acura has limited the amount of dimensional data it's disclosing at this point, but has revealed the 2013 RDX's wheelbase has increased by about 1.4 inches, while overall length has grown an inch to 183.5 inches. The Acura crossover is a bit larger than the new 2012 Honda CR-V, with which it shares its architecture. Compared to Honda's crossover, the RDX is about 5.2 inches longer, 2.1 inches wider, and 1.4 inches taller.

One area where the RDX certainly has grown is in terms of powertrain. The frisky turbo-four has been replaced by a DOHC 3.5-liter V-6 shared with the TSX and base TL sedan. In this guise, Acura says the engine produces about 273 hp, about 33 ponies more than the old turbocharged four-cylinder. A six-speed automatic finally makes its way to the RDX lineup, and plays a sizable part in improving fuel economy. Acura says front-wheel-drive models are expected to return EPA test numbers of 20/28 mpg city/highway, while all-wheel-drive models are estimated to achieve 19/27 mpg. If so, those are sizable improvements over the last RDX, which achieved 19/24 mpg and 17/22 mpg in front- and all-wheel drive forms, respectively.

ostrich

I think that Acura really has got it right with the 2013 RDX. I know, the RDX enthusiasts are all going to throw things at me now, but this latest model is so much more appealing to the masses than the current model (OK, some will call it bland, but I think it is just right for the average family). The gas mileage is good for an SUV too!!! Acura will sell tons of them! Good job, Acura!

Rocket_man

No offense to current owners, but this is a big improvement. I agree, it will sell well. And I'm also guessing most with be FWD.

mrgold35

Have they said anything about a base, tech, and advance models for the RDX? The only piece of the puzzle I'm missing are the cooled seats. I would consider the 2013 or 2014 RDX if cooled seats were offered.

wrestrepo

I thought I saw it somewhere hat they were an option

MMike1981

having seen a few production model shots...I would say that I am not so much a fan of the bulbous wheel well flares - Acuras look chubby, not carved. I also think the RDX design is dated/plain (what Acura wants anyway).

I will say, tho, that having seen many new CRV's on the road - it is a sizable/formidable vehicle and quite a looker for an ordinary every day CUV, not the milk box on wheels look from the previous gens. The RDX, being larger in almost every dimension, I would say that the best thing going for it will be its road presence, definitely not the design.

Advance Pkg - 19 inch wheels, SHAWD, controllable dampers/drivetrain, unique trim bits. cmon acura.

MMike1981

Acura's Formal (updated - 2/8) Press Release

http://www.honda.com/newsandviews/ar...spx?id=6497-en

TSX69

TypeSblkura

iTrader: (1)

MMike1981

http://www.acura.com/future/RDX#5

back seat...(no rear hvac confirmed...WTFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF) at least not on the model pictured...also FYI Acura.com changed over the future cars to the production RDX/ILX.

MMike1981

also looks like the matte/silver console/dash trim is going to take a beating, hopefully it holds up better than the silver plastic shit in the current gen. really wish the RDX could get the nice deep marble trim and real aluminum surfaces from the MDX/TL as a choice.

Joe Las Vegas

With the SH-AWD gone, this thing is nothing more than another crossover.
Turbo 4 is where every other car company is going, and they put a V6 in it, power increase is negligible and it causes it to have a longer hood and a longer wheelbase for nothing, they should have just refined and tuned the turbo 4 for more hp and better mpg, if hondata can do it why can't Honda?
A dual cluch 6 speed trans would have made it great with a retuned turbo 4, sh-awd, and a refreshed fascia, then it would have been the only performance oriented crossover out there.
A used 09 is still the best choice.

jason330i

yeah, it doesn't look like there are rear vents. the new crv doesn't appear to have one too. bummer.

mrgold35

Maybe the 2013 RDX still has the deep center storage console? My wife loves the deep storage for her purse. It would of been nice feature to have a cooled glove box or cooled center console storage.

wrestrepo

I remember thinking that the big center console was a great feature, but once I started using it I realized that it wasn't so practical, particularly the fact that it hinges on he passenger's side making it difficult for him/her to access it

pickler

Looks boring now at least in gray. Reminds me of vena or Lexus rx from front.

jcl78

I love how they keep saying "33 more HP than the old 4" uh, no. The 2.3T is knowingly underrated (it is more like 270HP / 290TQ)

Mark my words, the new RDX will be slower than the outgoing RDX.

pickler

i don't know if it will technicaly be slower, because the new RDX will likely be 200lbs lighter (@3800lbs) and armed with a 6 speed auto. The tsx has similar specs but with a 5at and it does 0-60 in same time as the cur gen RDX. BUT it will definately 'feel' slower due to lack of low end torque and the turbo rush. But if the new RDX is the same weight at around 4000lbs then it's a different story.

theART

Looks good enough, I'll switch from my '08 to 2013, tired of downshifting to get the turbo 4 going, uneven acceleration it's super annoying. And gas mileage blows my average is 17mpg in last 8000 miles.

corduroygt

What makes you think that it'll be lighter than the current 4000lb RDX? Lack of SH-AWD isn't that much of a weight difference, and it's countered by the V6 and the increased size of the RDX. I think it'll weigh about the same.

pickler

that would be worst for you in the v6 because of lack of midrange power, you have to rev that thing to 5000rpm to feel the power, (according to most auto magazine journalists and personal experience). have a look at the dyno graphs i posted on the 4th page of this thread. I have no problems with the K23 merging in 4th gear from 35-70mph in good timing. It is not just honda's v6 engines that have higher engine speed torque, it's a characteristic of most small displacement (4/6-cyl) naturally aspirated engines. Audi for example has discontinued its 3.2L V6 engines in the A4 in favor of the 2L turbo because of more useful torque which leads to a stronger driving feel when you test drive it. NOT to mention the improvement in MPG as well, specially in around town driving. I'm currently getting 21mpg 60% city with winter gas, not bad for a 4000lbs suv.

unlike the cur generation RDX, The new RDX is based on the honda CRV. The CRV EX-L 4WD weighs @3545lbs with navigation. The J35 will only be 100lbs heavier than the K24 in the CRV. Therefore 3545+100(v6)+100(other lux items)= ~3745lbs for 4WD RDX. subtract 124lbs for CRV 4WD system and you have a 2WD weighing at approximately 3600lbs.
current gen rdx is about +3900lbs. 300lbs should make some difference of at least 1-3mpg in highway cruising. The 6speed auto has taller final drive ratio allowing lower revs at highway speeds leading to much much better MPG as well, BUT ONLY on the highway. Its extra displacement will hurt city MPG in my opinion.

corduroygt

This is incorrect. The 2013 RDX is 5.2 inches longer and 2.1 inches wider, and has 2.6 inches more between its wheels than the 2013 Honda CR-V. So it's not really based on the CRV at all.

docboy

Any ideas what the cargo capacity of the 2013 RDX will be?

pickler

sheetmetal dimensions have nothing to do with the body structure. It is based on the CRV, please go and do some research.

It will likely be
in cu-ft: 37.2 / 70.9 or greater

corduroygt

Different wheelbase and width mean it's not the same "body structure", simple as that.

The 2013 is as much based on the CR-V as the 2007-2012 is...it's high commonality but with different dimensions and a different engine. I'd bet you anything that it's not going to be lighter than the current one, at least when comparing FWD versions.

It's not just a coincidence that the 2007 CR-V was a new model that happened to be released right alongside with the RDX. Same thing is happening now, new CR-V means new RDX. They do share some components, just like they always did. Now they also share the AWD system...

jcl78

Although I will reiterate, I believe the first gen RDX will be faster than the 2nd gen even at sea level, I KNOW it will be faster at altitude.

The 2013 AWD will end up weighing in at right around 38xx - 39xx pounds, with the very linear power curve of the bloated V6. 6-speed won't help with accel, only MPG.

That isn't the real issue here though, is it. The fact is, we are now comparing apples to oranges.

First gen RDX = SH-AWD sharp cornering, punchy acceleration, firm but compliant "sporty" ride.

Second gen RDX = Soft family commuter.

Looks like 33 more horsepower on paper (2.3T is underrated, so not an accurate comparo) not to mention less torque.

2013 RDX will be a great Lexus rx fighter though, so soft and compliant, with no "drama" from the engine.

corduroygt

Just realized that Acura wouldn't be able to declare the 2013 RDX as the most fuel efficient in its class if Audi brought the Q5 in FWD only trim...Comparing AWD cars, the Q5 2.0T is 20/27 where the RDX is 19/27 mpg.

MMike1981

S mode, paddles, trac off and new dampers..i dont think it will give quite the ride of the first gen, but I also dont think it will bore to death either. The more time i spend behind the wheel of our 2012 V6 TL w/6 speeds, its smooth and powerful and seems to perform quite nice. Hopefully that carries over to the RDX. However, having said all that, theres no way the 2013 will retain the balls of the 1st gen.

pickler

i don't know current honda vehicles don't have soft compliant ride. The civic/accord/crv are all more firm in ride quality compared to corolla/camry/venza. Same with acura compared to lexus, but yes it will definately be more comfortable compared to 1st gen. Sales for RDX have halfed since the announcement for the 2013 rdx, and im guessing the dealerships should brace themselves for great sales on the '13 models. The new civic broke a record, up +330% here in Canada for January compared to last year. Looks like honda is on the way up.

MMike1981

enter the 2013 RX

http://www.leftlanenews.com/lexus-rx.html

hmm, maybe acuras beak is becoming less terrible

XIS

I think that RX looks pretty nice. Specially the F model. Wonder if they will release the RX270 here?
If this and the RDX are anywhere near each other in price, the Lexus will stomp a mud-hole in the RDX sales.