Parents waiting on final specs for Acura’s fourth-generation MDX midsize SUV can finally breathe easy. The popular kid hauler has been completely re-tooled to deliver a more exhilarating ride quality, a bolder on-road presence, enlarged interior space and some fresh new tech.
But it won’t come cheap.
The base trim of the new MDX will go on sale on February 2 to the tune of $47,925, a premium of nearly $2,400, or 5% over the outgoing model (with the $1,025 destination fee included). Opting for the top-tier package sends the price north of $61,000. A high-performance Type S variant, a first for any Acura SUV, will be even pricier (details are forthcoming).
The higher pricing strategy represents an investment in new hardware and is a bet that fans of the MDX (and those waiting around to trade in their aging third-gen model) will overlook a $50,000 price tag for brand loyalty.
The new MDX is the third in a trio of ground-up redesigns for the Acura brand with similar styling and new proportions (thanks to the new platform) that look more premium. The new TLX, redesigned for 2021, has a short front overhang and a long dash-to-axle, just like a rear-wheel-drive BMW or Mercedes-Benz. The smaller RDX crossover that debuted in 2019 follows the same cues. Both launched with higher price points.
“Acura is in the midst of re-positioning itself as a real luxury brand,” said Ed Kim, an analyst with industry research firm Auto Pacific. “Currently, and arguably since its inception, Acura has been more of a premium brand, not a luxury brand, appealing to customers on their way to a real luxury brand but unable to afford the likes of Lexus, BMW or Mercedes-Benz.”
Despite its efforts to move upmarket, Acura wants to keep its loyal customer base. “It’s really about finding the sweet spot between a higher price and the range of existing customers,” Karina Gonzalez, a spokeswoman for Acura, told Forbes Wheels. “[The more expensive] RDX has had success so we expect the same with MDX.”
The investment could be the key to unlocking the bump in prestige Acura is seeking. “All MDXs ride on an all-new platform specific to Acura with a unique double wishbone front suspension design that isn’t shared with Honda,” Kim said. “Acura is getting some powertrains unique to the brand too, like the 3.0-liter turbo V6 for Type S models.”
All four trims of the 2022 MDX are powered by a front- or all-wheel-drive 3.5-liter V6 engine that delivers 290 horsepower and 267 pound-feet of torque. The engine carries over from 2020, but the 10-speed automatic transmission is now standard.
The Type S variant will arrive in the summer of 2021 and its turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 will deliver 355 horsepower and 354 pound-feet of torque. In addition to more power it will get snazzier styling elements such as 21-inch wheels, an open diamond mesh grille, quad exhaust outlets and gloss black trim. Brembo brakes, a 1000-watt, 25-speaker sound system and massaging front seats will round out the performance-meets-luxury feel.
“It will be an incredibly compelling product and we expect it to capture a strong share of the lineup,” Gonzalez said.
While the MDX offers four trims, two that come only with its super handling all-wheel drive, most buyers opt for the MDX Technology Package.
Stepping up from the base to the Technology bundle includes 20-inch wheels, high-performance tires, premium leather upholstery, navigation with a 3D view, keyless entry to all four doors, rain sensing wipers and power-folding side mirrors. New for 2022 is 27-color ambient lighting and Acura’s ELS 12-speaker premium audio system. The price tag on the volume trim now sits at $52,625. Upgrading to AWD adds $2,000, which two out of every three buyers select, according to Gonzalez.
“Acura does want to ultimately conquest customers of true luxury brands, and higher prices are necessary steps to get the brand there,” Kim said.
For the higher price, buyers get more car, said Gonzalez. “That includes the new platform, chassis and body as well as enhanced infotainment and standard safety features, which rivals often offer a la carte, driving the base price even higher,” she said.
The 2022 MDX’s all-new platform, body and chassis give it a larger footprint. Its wheelbase now stretches 2.8-inches longer to 113.8 inches and its overall length has grown 2.2 inches to 196.2 inches. The width of the MDX is now 78.7 inches, a 1-inch increase over the third-generation model.
The larger dimensions translate to more passenger and cargo space on the inside, a key improvement for families carting kids and things.
Compared with the outgoing MDX, the 2022 model now offers 139 cubic-feet of passenger space, representing a boost of 6.4-cubic-feet. The often-tight cargo area behind the third row is now 16.3 cubic-feet, up from 14.8. A dropping floor panel expands available space to 18.1 cubic-feet. (Bonus: the floor panel is reversible and has carpet on one side and a hard, wipeable surface on the other for containing water, mud or dirt.) With all the seats folded down, the entire stowage expands to 71.4 cubic-feet, a 3-cubic-foot lift over the 2020 model.
The second row of the MDX now has a multi-functioning middle row that offers three positions: middle seat in place for a three-passenger bench experience, middle seatback folded down for captain’s chairs divided by an arm rest and cupholders and middle seat removed to open a wider pass through to the third row (helpful for older kids to easily access the rear when car seats are installed).
The interior also will feature dual 12.3-inch screens, equal to best-in-class, that serves as a customizable instrument cluster and a full-HD center display. Acura says its True Touchpad interface in the MDX is improved and more accurate. Physical knobs are still used for power, volume and tuning. A pop-up socket in the center console has a USB-C and USB-A charging port, and wireless charging is offered adjacent to the touchpad, which is useful for connecting sans-cords to the now standard wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Amazon Alexa also is included.
Other fun family-friendly features include CabinControl, which lets drivers change settings like audio, climate and navigation via a smartphone app, and CabinTalk, which is a loudspeaker for front-row occupants to get attention from way-back riders. The 2022 MDX’s loaded tech portfolio also includes AcuraLink telematics with a 4GLTE cellular, a WiFi hotspot, and over-the-air update capability.
Also centrally-located in the cockpit is a control knob for Snow, Comfort, Normal, Sport and Individual drive mode settings. The new MDX’s double wishbone suspension offers a tighter, more rigid ride quality, but sometimes feeling every bump in the road is not ideal for carting kids. The pre-set drive modes will let parents strike the right balance between sport sedan and utility vehicle.
All trims of the MDX come with an expanded version of AcuraWatch, the brand’s suite of driver-assistance safety tech. It includes updated road departure mitigation, which alerts drivers via wheel vibration when the vehicle veers too close to the lane markers, as well as Traffic Jam Assist, a new system that combines low-speed adaptive cruise control and lane keeping assistance.
Other new tech includes traffic sign recognition, pedestrian detection, driver attention monitor and a front and rear automatic braking system called Low Speed Braking Control that senses objects in parking situation and warns the driver to hit the brakes.
Through November of 2020, the MDX topped sales of 41,770, the second highest in Acura lineup next to its smaller RDX sibling, according to MotorIntelligence. In the midsize segment, sales of BMW’s X5 are a tad higher at 42,000, while Lexus’ RX, a longtime favorite, remains No. 1 with sales of 86,910 during the same period. Kia’s value-oriented Telluride, new to the scene and growing in popularity, is holding strong with sales of 65,305.
According to Acura data, over the span of its two-decade life, MDX sales peaked in 2014 at 65,700 units. Sales of MDX will likely close out 2020 down 30% from that figure. New on the market is the Genesis GV80, also eyeing the premium luxury segment.
The MDX is skipping the 2021 model year altogether and moving right into 2022 for the start of it fourth generation. The 2020 model will conclude the third generation.
The all-new MDX will be built at the company’s plant in East Liberty, Ohio. Both the 3.5-liter V6 and new Type S-exclusive 3.0-liter Turbo V6 engines will be produced at the company’s Anna, Ohio, engine plant, which also manufactures the NSX supercar’s twin-turbocharged hybrid V6 power unit. Acura’s 10-speed automatic transmission is built exclusively at the company’s Tallapoosa, Georgia, transmission plant.
