More concept news from this month’s New York Auto Show points the way forward to what SUV could be like in the future. Or at least what they could be like if the Honda Motor Company has its way. Say hello to the Acura ZDX. Sources say that the ZDX is ” … very close to [a] production version of the Japanese firm’s forthcoming crossover that is due to go on sale in the States in the fall of 2009.” So Acura is really going to build this thing, and it’s going to be hitting showrooms within months. Although at first bringing another SUV-like ride to the streets might not be the brightest of ideas, there is a certain rational here. BMW, to name one, is rolling out their X6 crossover SUVs as we speak, which has the same ‘it’s a coupe, and it’s SUV’ looks of the ZDX, so if Honda is wrong, they’re not the only ones being wrong.
“The ZDX is truly a luxury performance coupe – plus. The emotional coupe styling coupled with a luxurious and dramatic interior and surprising versatility, allows the ZDX to define its own segment and attract an entirely new customer.” Or so says Jeff Conrad, vice president of Acura sales in his best corporate-speak.
He might have a point. The ZDX, in prototype form is smaller overall than Acura’s MDX, but larger than its RDX SUV, so it fills a blank spot on the product map. The production version of the ZDX will feature a V6 engine mated to an all-new, 6-speed automatic transmission that motivates all four-wheels through Acura’s pretty impressive yet moronically named Super Handling All-Wheel Drive (SH-AWD) system.
Source: CarScoop
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