Acura Unveils Baby SUV in China; Are Its North American Odds Slim or Nil?
Honda’s Chinese subsidiary is proud of the upcoming Acura CDX compact SUV, as it’s the first Acura designed for, and built in, that expanding car market.
Based on the Honda HR-V, the CDX tries to erase all signs of its body donor’s identity. Among other things, the new model adds shapelier flanks, conventional rear door handles, Acura’s new corporate diamond grille, and taillights that align with the brand.
The turbocharged 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine in the CDX is smaller than anything Acura offers on this side of the pond; it comes hooked to an eight-speed dual clutch transmission.
The little Acura is pretty sharp, especially when compared to the HR-V, though SUV buyers in North America won’t like that it’s only available in China. However, there’s a ghost of a chance that fans’ prayers might be answered.
During the model’s development, the project’s chief drivetrain engineer, Naohisa Morishita, said it was his opinion that Acura needs the model.
“There is a market for it worldwide, not just in China,” he told Automotive News (via Motor Authority).
Representatives of Honda Motor (China) Investment Company have said the CDX was built with the Chinese market in mind, but that doesn’t guarantee that Acura won’t see possible benefits to adding the little guy to their North American lineup.
[Images: Honda Motor Company]
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So, is this the same sheetmetal design as the HR-V only differing in the nose elements and the size of the backwards baseball cap plonked on top of the rear hatch? Will it really come in that shade of pinkish grey or is it just a reflection of the background turning grey to pink? I think I'd really rather have the Buick...Encore.
Besides the grill, which IMO is the worse part of the HRV the CDX looks exactly like the Honda. I believe this WILL come to America and two it will be a huge hit. Acura loves giving customers entry level options as seem by the ILX starting at $28k, seeing the CDX AWD at $30k base isn't out of the question. The RDX and MDX continue to sell regardless of the fact that they don't hold up to Lexus or the Germans, while on the other hand the ILX and TLX have become everyone's whipping boy cars.