The 2019 Acura RDX compact luxury crossover gets a major makeover, with radically different styling, a renewed emphasis on sportiness, and a new infotainment system. We’ve already driven the RDX, but we can’t tell you what it was like just yet. What we can tell you is how much the redesigned Acura will cost when it hits showrooms later this week.
The 2019 RDX will start at $37,300, but a mandatory destination charge of $995 (included in all prices listed from here on out) bumps that up to $38,295. That’s the same price as a base-model 2018 RDX with the optional AcuraWatch suite of driver aids. The 2019 RDX comes standard with AcuraWatch, so the price effectively hasn’t changed. AcuraWatch includes autonomous emergency braking, forward collision warning, adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist, and lane departure warning with road departure mitigation.
Other standard features on the base RDX include a new generation of AcuraLink infotainment system with 10.2-inch display screen and True Touchpad Interface controller. Apple CarPlay will be included at launch, with Android Auto following at a later date. The base model also gets a power tailgate, heated front seats, and a panoramic moonroof.
The midrange Tech trim level starts at $41,495. In addition to applicable standard features from the base model, the Tech gets navigation, blind spot monitoring, parking sensors, leather seats, and a 12-speaker ELS premium audio system. An A-Spec appearance package ($44,495) adds sportier exterior and interior styling elements to the Tech model, as well as an upgraded 16-speaker ELS Studio 3D audio system.
The top 2019 RDX trim level is the Advance, which starts at $46,395. It adds adaptive suspension, head-up display, a hands-free tailgate, surround-view camera system, ventilated front seats, and a heated steering wheel and rear seats.
Every RDX trim level gets the same 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine, which produces 272 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of torque. The engine is coupled to a 10-speed automatic transmission with standard front-wheel drive or Acura’s Super Handling All-Wheel Drive (SH-AWD) for $2,000 more. SH-AWD, which was available on the first-generation RDX but not the outgoing, second-generation model, uses torque vectoring to shift power between the rear wheels in order to improve cornering performance.
The 2019 Acura RDX arrives in showrooms June 1. We’ve got a first drive review coming soon.
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