MARKHAM: The recent unveiling of the Acura MDX Prototype previews the fourth-generation of the class-defining Acura MDX.
On sale early next year, the new MDX will assume the flagship role in the Acura lineup as the most premium, performance-focused and technologically sophisticated SUV in Acura history.
Twenty years after the launch of the first-generation model, the bold new design and sumptuously appointed interior of the new MDX will be bolstered by an arsenal of new Acura technologies, an all-new performance-focused platform with MDX’s first-ever double-wishbone front suspension, and the first application of the Type S high-performance moniker to an Acura SUV.
“As market demand for SUVs continues to increase, competition is getting stronger, and customer expectations are heightened, in response, we have significantly upped our game with this next generation MDX,” explains Emile Korkor, AVP Acura Canada.
Exterior Design
Enveloped in a striking matte finish, the MDX Prototype, shown in both Liquid Carbon and Performance Red, makes a bold statement with its more dynamic and muscular design.
The upright grille and long, sculpted hood convey power and presence and are anchored to an even lower and wider body with bulging shoulders and a greenhouse set further back, enabling a 6-inch increase in dash-to-axle dimension.
Signature elements of Acura’s next-generation design language are elegantly integrated with the new more premium and athletic form of MDX, including a threedimensional Diamond Pentagon grille flanked by four-element JewelEye® LED headlights, underscored by Chicane™ LED daytime running lights, inspired by the Acura ARX-05 race car.
The front fascia has been sculpted to highlight the wide grille, integrating fog light housings underside vents that further emphasize the new MDX’s wider track.
Next Level Interior
Befitting its new flagship status, the MDX Prototype presages the production model’s more premium and sophisticated cabin design, with a cleaner, more upright instrument panel taking on a wide structural motif. Highgrade, authentic materials trim the interior including open-pore wood with infused metallic flake, polished aluminum and soft-touch Milano leather.
An elegant mix of Ebony and Light Orchid leather graces the instrument panel and steering wheel with French-stitched detailing. Next-generation Acura sport seats offer a more sculpted form with curvilinear quilting in all three rows, gradient perforation, and highcontrast stitching and piping.
The MDX’s wider body design enables first-class seating with more legroom in all three rows, and notably more headroom for front and third-row occupants. An ultra-wide panoramic moonroof opens the cabin up to provide natural light to all three rows.
Advanced Technology
Featuring a myriad of leading-edge Acura technologies, the MDX Prototype debuts Acura’s all-digital Precision Cockpit™, replacing physical gauges with a customizable 12.3-inch driver’s meter. The new MDX also gains the latest generation of Acura’s intuitive and driver-focused True Touchpad Interface™, featuring an ultra-wide, 12.3-inch, full-HD center display (Acura’s largest implementation yet), Acura-exclusive touchpad with “absolute positioning” and a new CPU for improved performance.
Elevated safety technologies include the latest generation of Acura’s Advanced Compatibility Engineering™ (ACE™) Body Structure, with enhanced occupant and pedestrian collision protection capabilities, bolstered by an expanded suite of AcuraWatch™ safety and driver-assistive technologies, including enhanced Road Departure Mitigation, new Traffic Jam Assist and new Low-Speed Braking Control.
Acura’s next-generation front passenger airbag technology, first seen on the new 2021 TLX and offering improved occupant protection in a wider variety of frontal collision scenarios, will be standard on all new MDX models.
Performance at its Core
The fourth-generation MDX debuts an all-new light truck platform built for athletic handling, refined ride comfort and exceptional cabin quietness. Further aiding handling and all-weather performance is Acura’s available fourth-generation Super Handling All-Wheel Drive™ (SH-AWD®), the only dynamic torque vectoring technology in MDX’s competitive class, extracting maximum grip and cornering precision from the all-new chassis. Superior stopping performance is enabled with Brembo® four-piston brake calipers, finished in a striking Ivory paint, at all four corners.
Powering the fourth-generation MDX will be one of two new powertrains. Standard power will come from Acura’s 3.5-litre DOHC V6 with VTEC® valvetrain, connected to an incredibly responsive and refined 10-speed automatic transmission.
Twenty Years of MDX
Debuting in 2000 as the North American Truck of the Year, the original 2001 Acura MDX was the industry’s first three-row crossover SUV, defining an entirely new category of vehicles that now dominate the segment. Over the past 20 years, across three generations of development, MDX has established itself as Acura’s best-selling model of all time, having earned more than 100,000 Canadian customers in the past two decades1. The fourth-generation MDX will join its three predecessors as designed, developed and produced in North America.