CarBrandLogos archive · Acura · 2006

AcuraRDX

A compact SUV that spent a decade arguing with itself about engines.

Photo: Mr.choppers · CC BY-SA 4.0

The story

A defining chapter in Acura history.

Explore the ideas, engineering and context that shaped the Acura RDX, then continue into its specifications and place in the marque's lineage.

Origins

The RDX arrived for 2007 with an unusual specification for a compact luxury crossover: a turbocharged four-cylinder rather than a six, paired with Acura's torque-vectoring Super Handling All-Wheel Drive. It drove keenly and reviewers liked it, but American buyers of the period associated turbocharged fours with economy cars, and sales did not follow.

2007 Acura RDX -- NHTSA · U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration · Public domain

Design and engineering

Acura reversed course for the second generation in 2013, fitting a naturally aspirated V6 and a simpler all-wheel-drive system, smoothing the ride and softening the character. Volume improved considerably. The third generation in 2019 reversed course again, returning to a turbocharged 2.0-litre four and bringing back SH-AWD, this time to a market that had caught up with the idea.

2010-2012 Acura RDX -- 03-21-2012 · IFCAR · Public domain

In production

Through all of it the format stayed the same - a five-door SUV on Honda's compact platform - and the RDX became one of the brand's steadiest sellers, running through to 2026.

2013 Acura RDX -- 06-24-2012 1 · IFCAR · Public domain

At a glance