Acura’s new crossover will slot in below the RDX when it arrives in the coming months.
Over the past few years, Acura has been on a tear to conquest new and younger buyers from its rivals in the premium segment. While other players in the space have small SUVs — including the Audi Q3, BMW X1 and Lexus UX among others — Acura’s smallest offering to-date has been the compact RDX. That’s about to change, as Honda’s luxury brand aims to expand its range with a new and smaller ADX crossover.
For the moment, we don’t have much concrete information about it. Acura’s Wednesday announcement just confirmed that it’s actually coming. Mike Langel, the brand’s vice president of U.S. sales, said this car will “strengthen an exceptional lineup of premium SUVs” in the North American market, which already includes the RDX, the midsize MDX and the electric ZDX, alongside the Integra liftback and TLX sedan.
Rather than focus on technical specs, Acura noted certain high-end features that the ADX will have (at least in its A-Spec trim). Those features include a Bang & Olufsen sound system, a panoramic moonroof and ventilated seats.
We can make a few educated guesses based on the rest of Acura’s SUV lineup, however. Odds are, the 2025 Acura ADX will launch in both front-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive trims, with the automaker talking up the benefits of its Super-Handling All-Wheel-Drive system. Unlike some other automakers that have a luxury model sharing platforms or powertrains with their mainstream counterparts, it’s unlikely we’ll see that happen here. The Acura RDX uses an exclusive platform to the Honda CR-V, for instance, and while it does use the K-Series engine that’s used in the Accord and the Civic Type R, it is not the same unit that you’ll find in your typical CR-V.
The 2025 Acura ADX, for its part, would effectively share the same sort of size class as, say, the Honda HR-V. That said, the HR-V solely uses a naturally aspirated 2.0-liter engine putting out just 158 horsepower and 138 lb-ft of torque (same as the base Honda Civic). I suspect Acura will use a solution with a bit more gusto, such as the 1.5-liter turbo engine that puts out 200 horsepower and 192 lb-ft of torque, mated to a continuously variable transmission. Again, that is just a guess, as we’ll have to wait and see once the company spills all the beans on what this SUV is going to be.
Whatever details we’ll see at launch, Acura did also say that the ADX will make a North American debut this fall. Beyond that, expect to see the company’s new entry-level offering actually hit showrooms and streets in the first half of 2025.
