Peeling Back the Curtain on the 2022 Acura MDX
Acura has unveiled the 2022 Acura MDX, peeling back the curtain on the latest iteration of the luxury SUV with its most dramatic redesign in 20 years. For a brand more reliant on technology, Acura’s new flagship model is daring if not somewhat fearless in its appearance.
Sporting an all-new platform and chassis, the MDX also has new sheetmetal.
Performance hasn’t taken a backseat to its outward appearance, as the 3.5-liter VTEC V6 engine, 10-speed automatic transmission, and available fourth-generation Super Handling All-Wheel Drive in the MDX will attest to. A new light-truck platform incorporating a double-wishbone front suspension, the first for the MDX, is among the highlights.
The 3.5-liter V6 makes 290 horsepower and 267 lb-ft of torque, and Acura has a listed base price of $46,900 for the base with front-wheel drive and $48,900 for an entry-level model with AWD. The highest base price for an MDX is $60,650. Those prices exclude the $1,025 destination fee.
If fuel economy is a concern for you, Acura has listed the EPA figures at 19/26/22 city/highway/combined for front-drive models and 19/25/21 for AWD units.
While it might be a stretch to call the MDX’s interior opulent, it is well-appointed, with new features and technologies. The MDX joins Acura’s RDX, the best-selling model in its segment, and the TLX sports sedan as the latest models to be designed around what Acura calls its Precision Crafted Performance DNA. The new MDX will arrive at dealers early next year. Acura’s first high-performance SUV variant, the MDX Type S, will follow in the summer of 2021.
Key additions include a digital gauge cluster, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, built-in Amazon Alexa, a removable middle-row seat, standard moonroof, 19-inch wheels, traffic-jam assist, wireless cell-phone charging, available low-speed braking control, and a boost in passenger space.
The MDX gets a double-wishbone front suspension for the first time. The rear suspension is multi-link.
When the Type S hits, it will have a turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 and standard AWD. Estimated horsepower is listed at 355 with torque at 354 lb-ft, and the Type S will get Brembo brakes and 21-inch wheels along with unique styling.
Renouncing the more rugged attributes of truck-based SUVs for comfort, space, and better mileage, the 2001 MDX was the industry’s first three-row SUV to be based on a unibody platform. The MDX earned critical praise, including the 2001 North American Truck of the Year and 2001 Motor Trend SUV of the Year awards, on its debut. America’s all-time best-selling three-row luxury SUV over two decades and three generations of advancement, the MDX has had cumulative sales exceeding 1 million units, according to MotorIntelligence.
The MDX will continue to be built in East Liberty, Ohio, with both engines being assembled in Anna, Ohio. The 10-speed automatic gets built in Tallapoosa, Georgia. The 2022 Acura MDX is slated to go on sale in February, with Type S model launching in the late summer of 2021.
[Images: Acura]
With a father who owned a dealership, I literally grew up in the business. After college, I worked for GM, Nissan and Mazda, writing articles for automotive enthusiast magazines as a side gig. I discovered you could make a living selling ad space at Four Wheeler magazine, before I moved on to selling TV for the National Hot Rod Association. After that, I started Roadhouse, a marketing, advertising and PR firm dedicated to the automotive, outdoor/apparel, and entertainment industries. Through the years, I continued writing, shooting, and editing. It keep things interesting.
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Do us all a favor and put the curtain back on, please.
Pretty underwhelmed by the power in the base engine. The 355 hp in the Type S should be adequate but at a non competitive price. The biggest complaint I had with our old Enclave was the sub 300 hp engine was really working hard at interstate speeds with four our more adults. I'm guessing the MDX will feel much the same with the base engine. No sale.