NY Auto Show: 2014 Acura MDX revealed, loses 275 pounds

By Stephen Edelstein March 27, 2013

Acura unveiled the third generation of its flagship SUV, the MDX, at the 2013 New York Auto Show. Honda’s upscale brand is pitching the MDX as a high-tech take on the sport-utility vehicle class.

We got a peak at the 2014 MDX’s styling with the MDX Prototype Acura unveiled at the Detroit Auto Show. The styling is definitely more evolution than revolution, with plenty of references to other Acuras, particularly the RDX crossover and RLX sedan. The small, inline “Jewel” LED headlights are becoming an Acura trademark.

Underneath the subtle skin, there are some major changes. The MDX gets its own version of Acura’s Super Handling All-Wheel Drive, which uses torque vectoring to push the car through corners. Acura will also sell the MDX with front-wheel drive for the first time.

The 2014 MDX will be powered by a 3.5-liter direct-injected V6 from Honda’s Earth Dreams line. It puts out an impressive 290 horsepower and 276 pound-feet of torque, and is connected to a six-speed manual transmission.

Acura says the new MDX is also light on its feet. A claimed 55 percent of the chassis is made from lightweight materials, including high strength steel, aluminum, and magnesium. The result is a 275-pound weight savings over the previous model.

To allow drivers to determine how they want to exploit that lightweight chassis, Acura gave the MDX a three-mode Integrated Dynamic System, which allows the driver to adjust the steering feel, throttle response, and even the amount of engine sound piped into the cabin.

The three modes are Sport, Normal, and Comfort. Sport may seem unnecessary in a big SUV, but neither does sending said SUV around the Nurburgring for suspension tuning. Acura did that too.

Tech features include an ELS Studio sound system, and the AcuraLink infotainment system. The latter includes phone-based apps like Spotify and Aha, all displayed on a seven-inch touchscreen.

Acura is proud of reducing the number of dashboard buttons on the MDX from 41 to nine, but given what we’ve seen with other touchscreen-based systems like Cadillac’s CUE, maybe that’s not a good thing.

The 2014 MDX goes on sale this summer. Pricing will be announced closer to the on-sale date.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

New York Auto Show

Stephen Edelstein

Contributing Editor

Stephen is a freelance automotive journalist covering all things cars. He likes anything with four wheels, from classic cars…

Cars

Best electric car charger deals: $100 off home charging stations

The handle of the Grizzl-E EV charger plugged into a vehicle.

A few years ago, electric vehicles were pretty rare or cost a fortune, but with more and more of the larger car brands getting into the game, there are a lot of excellent and even budget-friendly choices nowadays. That said, the electrical network for charging your cars might not be that widespread, so instead you'll have to rely on charging your car at home. Luckily, there are a lot of excellent car chargers at a discount, so if you've just bought an EV or want to upgrade your current charging solution, be sure to check out our favorite deals below.
Shockflo EV charger — $205, was $220

This EV charger by Shockflo is a Level 2 EV charger, which offers six times faster charging than a standard charger. It delivers 24 miles with just one hour of charging, and it can act as a mobile charger you can throw in the trunk or be mounted to a wall. It has an LCD display with useful information like charging rate, voltage, and charging time, as well as LED indicator lights that lets you know charging progress and errors.

Cars

Mercedes-Benz EQG: range, price, release date, and more

Concept image of the larger electric G-Wagon

The G-Class is going electric. We already knew that Mercedes-Benz was working on an electric, small-size G-Wagon, but it looks like the company is also working on a larger G-Class SUV, in the form of the EQG. In fact, Mercedes has gone as far as to show off a concept version of the off-roader.

While there's much we don't know about what will become the production model of the EQG, Mercedes has also shared a lot about it. Curious about whether the Mercedes-Benz EQG could be the EV for you? Here's everything we know so far.
Design
Fear not -- the EQG will retain many of the design aspects of the G-Class that you already know and love but with a modern face-lift. The EQG will keep the boxy design that gives the G-Class a classic look but with some additional modern styling, at least if the concept version is anything to go by.

Cars

Rivian R2 vs. Kia EV9: battle of affordable electric SUVs

Kia EV9 GT-Line Three Quarters

The long-awaited Rivian R2 has finally been announced, and it's an excellent option for those who want an electric SUV that doesn't completely break the bank. Sure, the R2 isn't cheap -- but it's a whole lot cheaper than most other EVs out there, especially when it comes to SUVs. But Rivian isn't the only company trying to tackle the problem of the budget electric SUV. The Kia EV9 is finally available, and it too offers a modern design and a range of helpful features.

Given the fact that the Rivian R2 and Kia EV9 are two electric SUVs in a similar price range, you might be wondering which is better for your needs. That's why we put the Rivian R2 and the Kia EV9 head-to-head.
Design
Both the Rivian R2 and the Kia EV9 are actual SUVs -- not crossovers pretending to be SUVs, like plenty of other EVs out there. The two vehicles offer big, boxy designs and plenty of interior space, making them excellent options for families or those who need that extra storage.