Acura

In a single stroke, Acura has invented an entirely new category of automobiles, unveiling its ZDX 4-door luxury performance coupe today at the New York International Auto Show. That’s Acura’s story, of course. In fact, the ZDX has a lot in common with BMW’s X6, from the chunky-but-windswept coupe styling to the claims of SUV-like cargo space, thanks to folding back seats and under-floor rear storage. What Acura showed was a prototype — the final model should be in showrooms by this fall — but based on what was presented here, the ZDX is equal parts bold and timid.

 

What’s bold is very bold, with the trademark Acura angles chiseled to even sharper planes, and a panoramic glass roof that sweeps down past the rear window and splits off to surround the taillights. The interior is also classic Acura, through a retro-futuristic filter. The high contrast of the hand-stitched white leather dashboard and black center console is set against curves that flow like a spaceship escape pod. It’s easy to imagine loving the ZDX’s look or hating it, or a little of both. But one universal design highlight is the rear door handles, set high in the frame and practically invisible.

 

The real problems, however, begin in the rear. The under-floor storage helps the ZDX approach sedan-like cargo capacity, but folding down the back seats (a feature not demonstrated in the prototype, but shown in a photograph during the press conference) creates a surprisingly narrow crawl space. Looking into the open hatchback, it’s hard to imagine storing anything on this raised shelf without blocking the rear window.

 

The ZDX still has no official price but will be "above the MDX," according to Acura, or potentially around $50,000. Luxury-oriented features include built-in navigation with voice recognition, and a radar-based blind spot information system, which lights up a car icon in next to the passenger-side mirror. Designed for sport sedan performance, with 9-spoke, 20-inch wheels, a V6 engine, 6-speed automatic transmission and Super Handling All-Wheel Drive (exclusive to Acura), the ZDX is striving to be all things to many people. We’ll find out just how many cylinders it hits this fall.