fiatlux

Aren't these features taken straight out of the Lyriq? Were there any new Acura-only features?

Tony Pac

Nice! Will watch it.

TFS!

Tony Pac

Some quick links by Jon River. His videos or interviews never disappoint! Always on point!

mvl

The sales rep who sold me my Hybrid MDX (1300 miles away) just called me and said their ZDX demo is coming later in April and that they are expecting 12 ZDX units allocation this year.

fiatlux

I wonder if this means GM has fixed whatever production issues that have been plaguing them. They just released their Q1 sales figures and they reported 5800 Lyriq deliveries, an increase of 500% YoY and a 50% increase QoQ. It'll be really interesting to see how sales of the Lyriq and Prologue compare to the ZDX.

mvl

Acura told one of the auto journalists a month ago that they are confident that ZDX production will meet demand.

mvl

This guy did a detailed interior/exterior walkthrough video from the NY auto show. Looks like he was not subject to the official press driving impression embargo as he seems to be a regular auto show attendee.

sonyfever

Lyriq production is in good shape now. Two Bay Area Cadillac dealerships each have 60+ Lyriq for sale in recent months, so I think the slow rollout of ZDX is not production related, probably build quality or SW. Blazer is also filling Chevy dealership lots quickly, so maybe Prologue and ZDX will end up rolling into the market around the same time.

Tony Pac

Watched it last night good video!

sonyfever

Finally, ZDX first-drive event took place in Vegas. We shall see the reviews soon.

sonyfever

Glad to see Honda doing a BMW UDE-like tour to demo Prologue/ZDX at six EV hotspots. Somehow the tour is not promoted publicly, maybe targeting towards dealership personnel?

sonyfever

Meanwhile, the ETA of preorder has been delayed by another month and deep into July. Where is that early 2024 launch?

TSX69

[url]https://www.yahoo.com/tech/2024-acura-zdx-type-every-133000440.html

2024 Acura ZDX Type S From Every Angle

Logan Carter
Thu, April 25, 2024 at 9:30 AM EDT·4 min readPhoto: Logan K. Carter

The 1st Acura ZDX was a radically styled coupe-style crossover that didn’t sell particularly well. The new ZDX is a much larger, more practical 2-row electric crossover with styling that’s still bold, but arguably less funky than the original ZDX. Acura invited me to drive its newest offering in the gorgeous oceanside mountains of Santa Barbara, California.

The ZDX definitely looks like an Acura, with a faux pentagon grille that’s bordered by a thin strip of LED lights that houses a giant Acura pendant. Its aggressive-looking “chicane” headlight design further identifies it as an Acura, but this big crossover is still based on General Motors’ Ultium EV platform like the Honda Prologue, Chevrolet’s troubled Blazer EV, and Cadillac Lyriq. The only exterior clue about the shared platform is its stretched wheelbase, which is one of my favorite aspects of the car.

Styling is subjective, so I’ve compiled some interesting angles in and around the new ZDX to share. My driving impressions are embargoed for another week, so in the meantime enjoy the different angles of the ZDX.

Take The Chicane To The Pentagon

Photo: Logan K. Carter

Acura’s 2 trademark front-end design elements, the chicane daytime running light design leads directly to the ZDX Type S’ illuminated pentagonal “grille”

What The Frunk?

Photo: Logan K. Carter

Peeking under the creased hood of the ZDX Type S reveals a big slice of plastic and some sound deadening material that looks like sheepskin near the wheel arch.

Who’s Got You Smiling Like That?

Photo: Logan K. Carter

The ZDX’s rear tail lights look like my squinty eyes when I smile real hard. Am I alone in seeing that?

Bring Out Your Dead

Photo: Logan K. Carter

Something about the side profile gives the ZDX a bit of a resemblance to a sporty hearse.

Acura? I Hardly Know Ya

Photo: Logan K. Carter

Despite the Acura emblem on the steering wheel, the ZDX shares its architecture with General Motors’ Ultium vehicles like Blazer EV and Cadillac Lyriq. The interior design is fine, with lots of buttons, and ample space and storage.

Why’s It Gotta Be White?

Photo: Logan K. Carter

The ZDX Type S’ white leather seats look great, but you can already see a suspicious brown stain on the side bolster near the seat controls. I SWEAR IT WAS THERE BEFORE I GOT INTO THE CAR.

Trunktastic

Photo: Logan K. Carter

The ZDX has a sizeable trunk with a gaping maw of an aperture to load stuff into. It should prove to be quite practical.

Wheeley Nice

Photo: Logan K. Carter

The ZDX Type S comes fitted with these massive 22-inch wheels thoroughly secured to the vehicle with six lug nuts.

It’s Grille-ing Time

Photo: Logan K. Carter

Since the ZDX is a BEV that doesn’t require as much ventillation as an internal combustion vehicle, it doesn’t need a traditional grille. Acura created a faux grille using LEDs around the perimeter, the big Acura logo in the middle, and embossed an angular design into the faux grille that all works quite well.

Smells Like B&O

Photo: Logan K. Carter

The ZDX has a Bang & Olufsen stereo, but only the upper speaker grille is metal and displays the B & O branding. The entirety of the door below the arm rest is hard, scratchy GM plastics that were already marred by clumsy journalists’ feet by the time I got into it.

Booty So Big, Lord Have Mercy

Photo: Logan K. Carter

This is the most interesting aspect of the ZDX’s styling in my opinion. This is a close-up of the d-pillar and the character line that runs down the side of the body and creates a shelf at the rear. It’s kind of giving me a subtle nod to the 2002 Renault Megane’s derrière and I’m here for it.

Is That A Speaker?

Photo: Logan K. Carter

This speaker on the a-pillar confused me. I don’t think I’ve ever just seen a dark hole in the a-pillar of a car before. I feel like it’s a perfect spot for a spider to live, so if you have a pet spider then this might be the car for you.

Buttons! Sweet, Merciful Buttons!

Photo: Logan K. Carter

Thankfully, the ZDX Type S has plenty of physical controls for adjusting the climate. Unfortunately, all the buttons look and feel the same and require you to visually confirm you’re hitting the right one. But still way better than banishing the controls to the dark depths of the screen!

E-Colon

Photo: Logan K. Carter

The ZDX has Honda’s “e:” badge to denote its electrified powertrain. I asked the folks at Acura if it’s meant to be spoken in the name of the car and they said no. It’s not the ZDX E-Colon.

Don’t Emboss Me Around

Photo: Logan K. Carter

Again, the white leather seats in my test car were very comfortable and supportive, and feature embossed Type S script on the front seat head restraints.

TSX69

TSX69

https://global.honda/en/stories/132-...m_stories_area

How Was the Glamorous Design, Accelerated by the Times, Born? What Led to the Creation of Acura's 1st Pioneering EV, “ZDX”?

Index

• The Acura brand, which Honda deploys in North America
• The glamorous body of Acura stands out precisely because it's an EV.
• Sporty driving experience leveraging the strengths of EVs
• The joy of driving pursued with EVs

Honda has set a goal to achieve 100% sales ratio of EVs and FCEVs globally by 2040, and is proceeding with the introduction of EVs tailored to the market characteristics of each region. The “ZDX” (pronounced Zee Dee Ecks) is the first EV under the Acura brand, scheduled for release in spring 2024 alongside Honda's “Prologue”. Together, they will vigorously accelerate North America's electrification strategy towards carbon neutrality. The ZDX is a jointly developed model with General Motors (GM), equipped with an EV platform and battery developed by GM. How did this vehicle come to be? What can we see from this, regarding Honda's EV deployment? We asked three engineers who were involved in the development.

ZDX Development Leader
John Hwang

ZDX Vehicle Performance Development Leader
Hajime Igami

ZDX Vehicle Body Design Development Leader
Joe Riggsby

The Acura brand, which Honda deploys in North America

The Acura brand, launched in 1986, emphasizes a balance between luxury and performance, characterized by glamorous forms and sporty driving. The core value of the brand is embodied in PCP (Precision Crafted Performance).

"Precision" to unify the entire brand's design with high quality. "Crafted" emphasizing strong attention to materials and arrangement. "Performance" representing Honda's characteristic sporty driving experience. These represent the philosophy of the Acura brand. Additionally, Acura offers the Type S lineup, akin to Honda's Type R, which focuses on pushing performance to the limit as a higher-grade model. Enhancing not only sports performance, but also comfort and luxury.

John Hwang, who served as the Development Leader, describes the ZDX as “embodying PCP while strengthening it in a way that is more suited to the EV era”.
John Hwang, Development Leader for the ZDX.

The glamorous body of Acura stands out precisely because it's an EV.

The development project for the ZDX started in early 2020, simultaneously with the Prologue. With development centers scattered across Japan and the United States, and given the circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic, the first two years progressed entirely remotely. Hajime Igami, who served as the Vehicle Performance Manager, reflects on the hardships of that time as follows.
Hajime Igami, Vehicle Performance Development Leader for the ZDXIgamiBefore the development of the ZDX and Prologue, when developing new models, we used to verify and set benchmarks by examining cars from competitive manufacturers. However, at that time, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, joint verification with GM's personnel overseas was not possible, leading us to rely on hypotheses for benchmark settings. It was challenging to proceed based on our own sensibilities, but it was also a thrilling and exciting challenge.
Joe Riggsby, who served as the Body Design Development Leader, also mentioned, "The time difference between the Japanese and American bases meant that we had limited time to work together, so figuring out how to efficiently advance the project was a significant challenge".
The first EV under the Acura brand, the SUV-style ZDX, serves as a guiding presence for the future direction of Acura design in the era of electrificationStanding out prominently in the ZDX, born in such an environment, is the hood, which is said to be the largest size ever deployed in the Acura series.

This part has many requirements, including functionality for opening and closing, driver protection in the event of a frontal collision, and robustness to withstand impacts without denting. Moreover, these requirements often contradict each other, making it extremely complex. Igami recalls that achieving the glamorous design typical of the Acura brand while meeting these conditions was a considerable challenge.
IgamiThe glamorous cars represented by the Acura brand are characterized by the length of the hood, which adds to their coolness. On the other hand, as the person responsible for performance aspects, there are many factors such as strength, rigidity, crash performance, and opening/closing functionality that must be reconciled. If any one of these factors fail to meet requirements, the development process cannot proceed. From the early stages of development, the team worked together as one unit, and through coordination and negotiation, we were able to achieve our goals, which was a rewarding experience.

The appealing styling of the ZDX is something that all three of us are proud of. Electrification eliminates the need for intake and exhaust systems, providing design freedom in the area that would typically house the engine in gasoline cars, allowing us to aim for even more glamorous designs.

Sporty driving experience leveraging the strengths of EVs

Moving beyond design, Hwang emphasizes “enhanced sportiness while leveraging the benefits of EVs”. He proudly highlights the abundant utilization of the advantages of motor-driven acceleration, excellent braking performance, and other aspects. In particular, the Type S, which pursues the joy of driving in EVs, is equipped with a high-power motor that produces a maximum of approximately 500 horsepower, providing the fastest and most powerful driving performance in Acura's SUV history. Igami also passionately discusses compatibilities between EVs and sportiness, stating “The fact that the battery is located under the floor of the car, resulting in a low center of gravity and high maneuverability during turns, as well as the smooth acceleration and deceleration, are unique to EVs”.

Furthermore, utilizing GM's platform improved the aerodynamic performance of the underfloor area, which was a positive aspect of this development. Additionally, the cabin area styling has been optimized to achieve a highly aerodynamic finish.

When it comes to the essence of Acura, all three of the engineers emphasized handling performance. In order to achieve the refined yet agile performance demanded by the Acura brand, the team worked together in unity. In addition, to emphasize the brand essence, attention was focused on tuning the suspension and power steering, as well as crafting the acceleration sound. These are crucial elements that determine the driving feel, and development was conducted together with GM until a satisfactory Acura taste was achieved. Many of the non-negotiable aspects that the engineers raised for the Acura brand were indeed related to the aspect of “driving”.

The joy of driving pursued with EVs

The Prologue (left) and ZDX (right), developed concurrently through collaboration with GM. Both scheduled for release in spring 2024The ZDX, Acura's first-ever EV, is set to debut in North America, where interest in the shift to EVs is growing. Alongside the Prologue, it is expected to lead Honda into a new era. We asked the three engineers about their outlook on Honda's future EV deployment.
RiggsbyIn the case of the ZDX, we prioritized embodying the core value of the Acura brand, which is PCP, in the styling. We believe it is crucial to continue incorporating the elements that Acura and Honda have been expected to deliver into the EV style while maintaining their essence
Joe Riggsby, Body Design Development Leader for the ZDXIgamiAs Riggsby mentioned, the key is how we can maintain unity and consistency. For example, in the Prologue, we use a mechanism to reproduce the sound of an engine revving up, distinctive to Honda, while in the ZDX, we tailored the acceleration sound of the motor to express the sportiness typical of Acura. We aim to deliver this level of dedication and attention to detail in the EV field in the future as well.
The PCP concept resonates in the interior as well, with the adoption of high-quality materialsHwangI am currently driving a hybrid car, and I can personally attest to the benefits of EVs, such as reduced noise and vibration in my daily driving. Through the development of the Prologue and ZDX, I have become convinced that Honda can pursue matters important to them, such as design and the joy of driving through EVs. I would be delighted if these two models could change the lifestyles of many people.

sonyfever

The ZDX 10k/36-month lease numbers I got from LeaseHackr are:

RWD/AWD/S: 51/50/49%
MF: 0.00015
Just conquest/royalty listed, no sign of launch lease incentive.

Looks like Acura did not really respond to the market, and we are in for ZDX leasing much more expensive than Q8e/iX.

mvl

Sales guy at my dealer said TypeS is coming in June. Wife and I will probably do a test drive, but doubt enough will come together to buy it. She wants me to trade in the MDX if we get it, and I have too much range anxiety to do that.

pilozm

1) Do you live in a house, where you can charge overnight? If yes, then you should be ok, as long as your daily commute is not enormous.
2) Do you and your wife do many road trips every year? If you do many trip of > 500 miles, then you will have a learning curve and will need extra planning. You will have to adjust to traveling with an EV. I think if you're a technically minded person, it would not be big deal. Also depends on where your road trips take you.

The charging speed and the charging curve of the ZDX is not the best for road trips. There are worse cars for charging specs, but there are also much better cars. Also, reliance on CCS chargers *could* be a problem if you have range anxiety. In a year or two, there will be many more chargers, and this issue should be alleviated further.
Either way, it will be fine.
Good luck.

sonyfever

Acura needs to do a better job at the ETA. My order jumped back and forth countless times, and all of a sudden the app shows it is at the dealership. Then, the link to continue the purchase does not work at all.

Adding insult to injury, the order details page show Type-S having "500hp, 1.5L, AWD" lol.

ESHBG

My neighbors just got a Lyriq and was able to check it out and sit in it, very nice car. They broke down their deal for me (leasing) and got the free charging for two years, etc. so all in it's not bad. I am looking forward to being able to compare the ZDX to it one day.

sonyfever

Unsurprisingly, the deal fell apart because the monthly payment turned out to be ~1k/month, and the dealership was not interested in talking. So I walked out, and remained uncertain when the deposit will be refunded. Never again on pre-ordering an Acura, lesson learned.

I also found out when I pressed on the HVAC knob, the LCD numbers lit up like a calculator....

Pens Fan

Not surprised, sadly Acura usually does not offer compelling leases unless they are clearing out a model run.

ZDX will be dead in the water without marketing support (sub vented leases) and they will sooner or later find that out. By then some people will have moved on.

pilozm

I don't think Acura/Honda have their hearts in their EV offerings. So they won't try too hard to provide decent deals. Of course this is a brand new car, so good deals won't come for a little while. Then, when few people buy these EVs, they will simply say that the market is not ready for EVs yet.
For me, the peak charging speed (and charging curve) is very important if one will be using the vehicle for road trips. The ZDX has a mediocre peaking charging speed in my opinion.