Shocking No One, Acura Considers Bringing the CDX Stateside

Steph Willems
by Steph Willems
shocking no one acura considers bringing the cdx stateside

If you’re not familiar with Acura’s subcompact CDX crossover, take a gander at Honda’s HR-V and think of China. Right now, that’s the only country that gets to buy the HR-V-based utility, but things could change.

Acura is reportedly mulling a trans-Pacific journey for the little CUV as it takes stock of its meager U.S. utility lineup.

According to Wards Auto, the American public’s appetite for subcompact CUVs makes the CDX a ripe candidate for U.S. showrooms. With only the RDX and MDX available to buyers, there’s plenty of room to flesh out the brand’s utility lineup.

“It’s a model that interests a lot of our people, so we have our R&D guys looking into the possibility,” said Jon Ikeda, vice president of American Honda’s Acura division, during a recent media event.

Because the model was designed with China in mind, bringing it stateside isn’t as simple as hiring a few ships. Regulatory hurdles exist, but the company feels confident it can be approved for sale should the move get the corporate green light. The plan is “on the table … it’s in discussion,” Ikeda said.

The CDX, while obviously of Honda origin, adopts a corporate “Diamond Pentagon” grille and curvier sheet metal, as well as the Civic’s turbocharged 1.5-liter four-cylinder. Power is transferred through an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission. Were it to arrive here, there would be no shortage of competition. In the premium field, Mercedes-Benz’s GLA, BMW’s X1 and Infiniti’s QX30 wait as potential rivals.

The Honda HR-V hasn’t met with universal acclaim — TTAC’s Tim Cain called it the brand “ worst current product” in a review that exposed a myriad of gripes, not the least of which was discomfort and price. Still, Honda sold over 82,000 of the little CUVs in 2016 — a figure Acura might have a hard time ignoring.

[Image: Honda Motor Company]

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  • Conundrum Three cylinder Ford Escapes, Chevy whatever it is that competes, and now the Rogue. Great, ain't it? Toyota'll be next with a de-tuned GR Corolla/Yaris powerplant. It's your life getting better and better, yes indeed. A piston costs money, you know.The Rogue and Altima used to have the zero graviy foam front seats. Comfy, but the new Rogue dumps that advance. Costs money. And that color-co-ordinated gray interior, my, ain't it luvverly? Ten years after they perfected it in the first Versa to appeal to the terminally depressed, it graduates to the Rogue.There's nothing decent to buy on the market for normal money. Not a damn thing interests me at all.
  • Inside Looking Out It looks good and is popular in SF Bay Area.
  • Inside Looking Out Ford F150 IMHO. It is a true sports car on our freeways.
  • Inside Looking Out Articles like that are nirvana for characters like EBFlex.
  • ToolGuy "Ford expects to see Pro have a $6 billion pre-tax profit this year and Blue a $7 billion pre-tax profit."• That's some serious money from commercial vehicles (the 'Pro' part)
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