What is it?
2007 Acura RDX
What's special about it?
You saw the concept version of Acura's compact RDX sport-utility at this year's Detroit show, and now you can see it in final production form in New York. There's little difference between the two.
But now we know the 2007 Acura RDX will definitely be available this summer. Pricing still isn't firm, but we're told it will cost anywhere from $30,000 to $37,000, depending on how you equip it. Acura hopes to sell 40,000 RDXs a year.
The company is sticking with the turbocharged 2.3-liter, four-cylinder power plant from the concept version. It's Honda's first turbocharged production engine, rated for 240 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 260 pound-feet of torque, which should be adequate motivation for an SUV that weighs just under 2 tons.
A five-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters sends power to all four wheels via Acura's Super Handling All-Wheel Drive (SH-AWD) system. Acura estimates RDX fuel economy at 19 mpg city/24 mpg highway, which is merely average for a small car-based SUV.
Handling is meant to be sporty. The suspension is a fully independent front strut/rear multilink design, and 18-inch wheels with high-performance 235/55R18 tires are standard. "We benchmarked it against the BMW X3," Chief RDX Engineer Gary Evert told us, "but we wanted it to have a feeling of the TSX as well. We wanted it to be nimble and tossable."
Acura also ensured the RDX could stand up to light-duty off-roading, but driving in snow or gravel is about as hard-core as you'll want to get. "I always wanted it to be basically an on-road SUV because I don't think SUVs are going in a rugged direction," Evert told us.
Inside the five-passenger RDX, there's standard leather-upholstered sport seats in front, as well as dual-zone automatic climate control, a 350-watt stereo with an MP3 player jack, XM Satellite Radio, front-seat side airbags and full-length side curtain bags with a rollover sensor.
Add the optional Technology package and you'll get a navigation system with real-time traffic updates, a 410-watt ELS 5.1 surround-sound audio system, Bluetooth and an upgraded, GPS-linked climate control system with a solar sensor.
What's Edmunds' take?
After years of buying in bulk, luxury SUV buyers are looking at smaller, more athletic packages. The 2007 Acura RDX will hit the market before the compact entries from Audi and Mercedes, and we expect it to be an easy sell.
Erin Riches.
Insideline.com
For full Vehicle Information: http://www.acura.com/
