Acura presents Ultium model ZDX
Honda’s Acura brand has unveiled its first all-electric model. Like the Honda Prologue, the Acura ZDX uses General Motors’ Ultium platform and is due to be delivered to customers from early 2024.
Acura presented the electric SUV as the Precision EV Concept a year ago. The production model will be called the ZDX A-Spec or ZDX Type S. Both variants will be equipped with a 102 kWh battery, which can be charged with up to 190 kW. So it is presumably the 400-volt version of GM’s Ultium platform.
The difference between the A-Spec and Type S is in the powertrain and orientation: the ZDX A-Spec comes with around 254 kW of rear-wheel drive and an EPA range of 325 miles (523 kilometres) at prices starting at about 60,000 dollars. A dual-motor all-wheel drive is also planned for the ZDX A-Spec, which should allow for a range of around 315 miles (507 kilometres).
The sporty top model is the ZDX Type S with an all-wheel drive system producing around 373 kW, which is expected to start at prices starting around 70,000 dollars and offers about 288 miles (463 kilometres) of EPA range. The Type S is also expected to be Acura’s most powerful SUV to date, distinguishing itself from the A-Spec by, among other things, an air suspension with specially tuned dampers and sporty Brembo brakes on the front axle.
“As Acura moves into an exhilarating, electrified future, we will continue to push the forward-thinking design and proportions of our products as we take full advantage of the increased styling and packaging freedom EVs offer,” says Acura Executive Creative Director Dave Marek.
The ZDX’s design is rather conventional. At the front, Acura designers have adopted the brand’s signature LED daytime running lights and the pentagonal grille of the internal combustion models. The front section, which is relatively long for an electric SUV, is also more reminiscent of an internal combustion vehicle – but this is also the case with the GM models based on the Ultium platform presented so far.
Inside, the driver-focused cockpit is said to feature “high-end materials, premium features and expansive intuitive technologies”, according to Acura. The ZDX will be the first Acura model with an integrated Google system. The Google Assistant acts as a voice assistant; navigation, including charge planning, is done via Google Maps. There are eleven-inch screens for both the driver and the infotainment. “Through ZDX’s Google built-in system, Google Maps can be displayed on either screen providing sophisticated route planning with recommended charging stations to optimize travel time. Google Maps also can estimate the charging time4 required to reach the destination and can initiate preconditioning of the EV battery when the destination is a DC Fast charging station,” the statement says.
The Acura ZDX is 5.02 metres long, 1.96 metres wide and 1.64 metres high. Acura gives the wheelbase as 3.09 metres; the kerb weight is not mentioned. Towing capacity for both the A-Spec and Type S is 1,587 kilograms (original specification 3,500 pounds). This makes the Acura slightly longer than its sister model, the Honda Prologue, which is only 4.88 metres long, with the same wheelbase.
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