The Acura MDX Type S has arrived as the sub-brand’s first performance SUV.
We knew it was coming for awhile, but now the 2022 Acura MDX Type S is official. The first SUV to wear the high-performance badge debuted Thursday as a support vehicle for the upcoming Pikes Peak Hill Climb, where the Ohio-based race team aims to compete in the TLX Type S and NSX in various divisions. While the NSXs are returning to follow up earlier performances, including a Time Attack 2 class win, the sedans are new to the game this year. Backing them up, though, the MDX Type S comes to the party packing the same turbocharged six-cylinder power as its sedan sibling.
That’s no surprise, as that specific powertrain is exclusive to Type S models, at least for the moment. The 2022 Acura MDX Type S uses a 3.0-liter turbo V6, putting out 355 horsepower and 354 lb-ft of torque. By the numbers, that puts Acura’s three-row crossover in the same ball park as the the BMW X5 xDrive40i, the Audi Q7 55 TFSI and the Mercedes-Benz GLE 450 4Matic. Acura fits its Super Handling All-Wheel Drive system as standard equipment on the Type S, while you also get a 10-speed automatic transmission, Brembo front brakes and double-wishbone front suspension. The sportiest MDX of all gets a Sport+ drive mode, making Acura’s intent with this car even clearer.
Pricing information is still a long way off, but we can expect the 2022 Acura MDX Type S to dramatically undercut most of its competition. If anything, the most appropriate direct rival for the hot MDX would be the 400 horsepower Ford Explorer ST. The Ford runs in the lower-$50,000 range, and I wouldn’t expect Acura’s offering to run significantly higher than that. The TLX, for its part, starts off at $53,325 including destination. The MDX Type S will likely be at least a couple thousand more, possibly starting out around $55,000.
While we wait for the hot version to arrive, check out the standard MDX in the video below:
