Acura has a head turner in the all-new 2010 Acura ZDX. The ZDX, a provocative blend between a sports coupe and a crossover utility vehicle, begs to be different.
Acura is proud to point out that the ZDX breaks new ground by being the first vehicle it styled from start to finish in its new Acura Design Studio in Torrance, Calif.
Doing so allowed exterior and interior designers to work closely throughout the entire process and they stayed spot-on with the original sketch from Acura's first woman designer, Michelle Christensen.
Beneath the curious armor, ZDX is essentially an MDX. However, ZDX puts much emphasis on sporty styling and less emphasis on utility and people-hauling ability.
Exterior highlights include a dramatic sloping roofline, hidden rear-door handles, bulging fender flares and standard 19- inch wheels. ZDX looks more coupelike than most anything else with four doors.
As you might expect, ZDX doesn't have as much cargo volume as most crossovers do. And there isn't much head or legroom for rear seat passengers. Most adult rear seat passengers will need to slouch or tilt their head to avoid contact with the headliner.
So I would say the ZDX is not what you'd want if you typically run around with more than one passenger. However, ZDX is perfect if you're looking to get noticed or you like a refined cabin loaded with luxurious amenities and fascinating technology.
The ZDX interior features Acura's first hand-stitched leather dashboard, door panels and sculpted center console. The rich leather appointments are pleasing to the eyes and provide an enjoyable aroma. I also like the ambient lighting and standard power panoramic multipanel glass roof that lets in natural light when desired.
Acura offers the all-new 2010 ZDX in three trim levels. The base model is well equipped and carries a price tag of $45,495. The other two trim levels are the ZDX with the technology package ($49,995) and the ZDX with the advance package ($56,045).
All three ZDX trim levels are powered by a 300-horsepower 3.7-liter V-6 engine mated to an all-new six-speed automatic transmission. Another standard feature across the line is Acura's exclusive superhandling all-wheel drive (SH-AWD) system.
The SH-AWD system provides excellent handling attributes as well as superb all-season capability. No, it's not sports car like, but it's pleasing and enjoyable.
The V-6 engine is adequate. It won't rip up the pavement or throw you back into the seat, but it does provide good acceleration. The transmission is smooth and can be operated manually with steering-wheelmounted paddle shifters.
Other standard features in the ZDX include dual-zone climate control, heated power front seats and a power lift gate. The ZDX with technology package adds keyless operation, a 435-watt premium sound system, perforated Milano premium leather seats, a navigation system with real-time traffic and weather and a backup camera.
The ZDX with advance package adds everything in the technology package plus the integrated dynamics system, heated and cooled front seats, blind spot information system, adaptive cruise control, collision mitigation braking system and premium brushed tricot headliner material.
My tester was a ZDX with the advance package and I was disappointed that the navigation system wasn't touch screen. However, I did enjoy the traffic and weather alerts.
My ZDX tester drove exceptionally smooth and handled well, too, due to the integrated dynamics system. With IDS, the driver can select comfort or sport and the suspension dampeners are automatically adjusted via a magnetorheological fluid whose viscosity is changed by applying varying amounts of electrical current.
Other features I liked were the adaptive cruise control and the collision mitigation braking system, which uses the radar sensors in the front to detect an impending frontal collision. CMBS will apply the brakes if necessary to avoid a frontal impact.
The blind spot monitoring system is almost a requirement with ZDX's huge "C" pillars, but unfortunately you have to opt for the advance package to get blind spot monitoring. I think Acura should have included blind spot monitoring on all ZDX models.
The ZDX is a delight to drive and looks different than anything else on the road. It's quite refined and offers loads of luxury and techno goodies. ZDX blurs the line between luxury and utility.
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