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]