| Story Filed:1/9/2005 6:00 PM |
| Acura to Sell Smaller SUV in 2006 |
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Starting in calendar 2006, Acura will have a second SUV to sell, and it will be a smaller, lower-priced model. The company made the announcement at the North American International Auto Show as it revealed a concept version of the new SUV, called the RD-X.Acura officials also announced that they sold a record 53,267 sport-utility vehicles in calendar 2004—all of them the MDX. The silver-colored RD-X concept is 7 inches shorter than the current MDX, has a more chiseled look, rides on big 19-inch wheels and tires and is powered by an engine with more than 200 horsepower. Company officials wouldn’t provide further details about the powerplant except to say it will be a new design. The RD-X platform is new, too, and incorporates new safety construction.Unlike the MDX, which has three rows of seats, the RD-X comes with two rows for a maximum passenger capacity of five.Standard on the vehicle is Acura’s own all-wheel-drive system called Super Handling-AWD. Available on the 2005 Acura RL flagship sedan, it distributes torque not just between front and rear axles but between left and right rear wheels. This helps cornering precision and traction. On the RD-X, the system complements a fully independent front and rear suspension that’s intended to provide a car-like ride. The RD-X is for “urban settings,” not necessarily for rugged off-road, a company official said.The stylish RD-X interior is conceptual and includes polished rosewood flooring that company officials said won’t make it to the final production model. Front seats have a slim design and are positioned close together, as they are in rally cars. They are finished in red-tangerine leather, which matches the red-tangerine accent of the six-spoke steering wheel. But the cargo area is finished in off-white suede.A silver-colored briefcase fits neatly into a custom-sized slot in the center console, and there’s blue indirect lighting throughout the passenger compartment. The RD-X has no outside mirrors. Instead, a driver sees what’s around the vehicle via cameras.Another innovative feature on the RD-X is the lack of windshield wipers. Officials said rain is whisked off the glass by air jets positioned at the base of the windshield. In the center of the dashboard is an integrated hard drive that can be loaded with a personal music library.The production version of RD-X will be built in Marysville, Ohio, at an American Honda Motor Co. assembly plant. Acura is Honda’s luxury brand.Officials wouldn’t discuss RD-X sales projections or pricing but acknowledged the smaller SUV will be priced less than the MDX, which has a current starting manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $36,700.The MDX went on sale in 2001.For a look at Acura’s current model lineup on MSN Autos, click here. |
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The silver-colored RD-X concept is 7 inches shorter than the current MDX, has a more chiseled look and rides on big 19-inch wheels and tires.
click image to enlarge
Standard on the vehicle is Acura’s own all-wheel-drive system called Super Handling-AWD.
click image to enlarge
Trimmed in red-tangerine leather that matches the steering wheel, the slim-design front seats are positioned close together as they are in rally cars.
click image to enlarge
The cargo area is finished in off-white suede.
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