Why Not a Crossover? Acura Gives MDX the PMC Treatment

Depending on your interests, “PMC” might denote a brand of ammunition. For others, it’s the nerve center of Acura performance, residing in Marysville, Ohio.

For 2020, Acura, eager to draw eyes to one of its two crossovers, has slapped the abbreviation of its Performance Manufacturing Center on the MDX, then limited availability to make those drivers feel special. Will they feel special, though?

That depends on whether they’re honest with themselves.

The MDX PMC Edition, which is difficult to say, does not soak up extra horsepower before leaving the home of the NSX sports car, but it does collect fingerprints from the workers who assemble it.

Powering this limited-run model is the same 3.5-liter V6 (290 hp, 267 lb-ft) and nine-speed automatic found in stock models. Inside and out, the PMC Edition adopts the uplevel content of the MDX Advance and styling flourishes of the A-Spec model, combining this with the necessary all-wheel drive. The extra dash of special comes in the form of gloss-black trim found nearly everywhere (including the 20-inch 10-spoke wheels), Valencia Red Pearl nano pigment paint, and a numbered plaque. The interior sees a serious helping of leather, red stitching, and Alcantara.

It’s the same treatment afforded to the 2020 TLX, another vehicle Acura would like buyers to notice.

Acura plans just 330 PMC Editions for U.S. customers, while the Canadian market gets 30 of them. These hand-built vehicles are already arriving at select dealers. So, what does a lovingly crafted MDX with already available upmarket trim and design, with a few additional niceties, set you back? $63,745 after destination.

That’s roughly a $4,500 walk up from the MDX Advance. Going MDX A-Spec, minus the additional features of the Advance package, brings the bill to $56,025 after destination. Hardly a stratospheric climb, all things considered. Drivers are known to shell out more to feel special, even if the vehicle really isn’t, and Acura would be foolish to not try the PMC gambit on this model. Especially considering it’s a mainstream automaker with just two utility vehicles in its stable.

After undergoing a refresh and adding optional A-Spec clothing for 2019, MDX sales climbed 1 percent last year, reversing a four-year trend of slowly declining annual volume.

[Images: Acura]