The Acura RDX Prototype is a near-production version of the small luxury sport utility vehicle Acura plans to launch this summer. Significant features include Acura's first production turbocharged engine, the automaker's Super Handling All-Wheel Drive system and a navigation system with traffic information.
Built on an all-new platform, the production RDX will be built in Ohio. Pricing information is not currently available.
Exterior
The RDX Prototype wears Acura's five-point grille, below which sits a rectangular opening in the bumper. Ridges in the hood flow from the outer edges of the grille toward the windshield. Taken as a whole, it looks much like a scaled-down MDX SUV.
Other exterior features include dual exhaust pipes, a liftgate spoiler and high-intensity-discharge headlights. While all those features could conceivably show up as either standard or optional equipment in the production model, it's doubtful the RDX Prototype's 19-inch alloy wheels will see the light of a showroom.
Interior
Two front bucket seats and a 60/40-split, folding rear bench seat provide seating for up to five people. The driver faces a three-pod instrument cluster that has a center-mounted speedometer.
Center console storage space is growing on U.S.-market vehicles; the RDX Prototype's lockable bin can accept a laptop computer. Luxury features likely to appear in the final version include a voice-recognition navigation system with traffic information and a DVD-Audio stereo system.
Under the Hood
Acura's new turbocharged 2.3-liter four-cylinder engine generates impressive power figures: 240 horsepower and 260 pounds-feet of torque. Teamed with the engine is a five-speed-automatic transmission that can be controlled by the driver through paddles mounted behind the steering wheel. The SH-AWD system can manage torque distribution to the front and rear wheels, and between the left and right rear wheels.
Safety
The RDX Prototype has a litany of safety features, including antilock brakes, Acura's Vehicle Stability Assist electronic stability system, side-impact airbags and side curtain-type airbags. |
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