08 Acura Mdx Tech Package Navi Bluetooth 3rd Row Sunroof Wood Grain Steering on 2040-cars

Auto blog

A smoother operator | 2017 Acura MDX Sport Hybrid First Drive

There's a lot to unpack when trying to understand the 2017 Acura MDX Sport Hybrid. Acura is billing it as a three-row crossover infused with NSX technology via a sport-oriented hybrid drivetrain. So it's a hybrid crossover, sure. But it doesn't comport itself like a traditional crossover, nor is it a conventional hybrid. What it is, underneath, is an intentionally subtle blend of impressive technologies doing their best to appear transparent – and it's too subtle, I fear, to be appreciated by those who'd like it the most. This is a lot of foreshadowing, but if you're not familiar with the MDX Sport Hybrid's powertrain, let's fill you in. The MDX Sport Hybrid uses the same basic system as the 2014 RLX Sport Hybrid, with some newer NSX battery tech sprinkled in, packaged neatly into the refreshed third-generation MDX platform. The system improves handling and efficiency – but more important, it smoothes out the harshness of shifts and engine stop-starts. We do need to examine the system in some detail to understand how all this affects the MDX as a whole, so let's go toe to tail. Up front is a transversely-mounted 3.0-liter V6 making 257 horsepower and 218 pound-feet of torque, as well as featuring i-VTEC and cylinder deactivation. It's slightly smaller than the 3.5-liter V6 found in the conventional MDX and many other Honda and Acura products. Attached alongside is a Honda-produced 7-speed dual-clutch transmission that has a 47 hp, 109 lb-ft electric motor-generator stuffed inside. Amidships are the battery pack and the electronics to control it, and stretching aft from there are large cables feeding power to a pair of electric motors that reside in single housing, one for each wheel. Together, they produce electron witchcraft and torque-delivery wizardry – and add 72 hp and 108 lb-ft of torque to the mix. The total system output is 321 hp and 289 lb-ft of torque – a gain of 31 hp and 22 lb-ft over the conventional MDX SH-AWD. Beyond the raw numbers, there's the remarkable subjective benefit of the Sport Hybrid's drivetrain. Engine start-stop events are quiet and smooth, nearly imperceptible when under way – in stark contrast to the too-perceptible shudder of competing engines kicking on. The electric motors (mainly the one residing in the transmission) add in power to make up for the lull during a shift, making shifts up or down seamless, as well as providing regenerative capacity.

2016 Acura RDX priced from $35,270*

Acura launched a revised version of its RDX crossover at the Chicago Auto Show in February. And now that it's about to hit dealers across the country, the Japanese luxury marque has released pricing for the updated model: $35,270, *not including $920 for destination. That new price represents modest and entirely reasonable $175 increase over the 2015 RDX. For that extra sum, buyers will get a slightly more powerful version of the 3.5-liter V6 (increased by 6 horsepower and a single pound-foot of torque) with cylinder deactivation, new engine mounts and a nine-speed automatic transmission instead of the previous six-speed, netting a slight improvement in fuel economy. The available all-wheel-drive system is now more rearward-biased, the styling has been subtly enhanced with new lighting and trim, and the interior trim and equipment have been updated as well. The 2016 RDX is set to reach dealerships nationwide this Thursday, April 16. Related Video: Ready for Liftoff: 2016 Acura RDX Launching with More Performance, Luxury Appointments and Advanced Safety Technology than Ever Before Apr 15, 2015 - TORRANCE, Calif. In a major commitment to advance what is already one of its most successful models, Acura is launching a more powerful, fuel efficient and luxuriously appointed 2016 RDX luxury SUV at dealerships nationwide tomorrow with a Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) starting at $35,270 – an increase of just $175 over the 2015 model, despite the additional performance, features and capability. Coming off an all-time record sales year in 2014, the refreshed 5-passenger RDX now packs an even stronger punch in the compact luxury SUV class for 2016 with a more powerful 3.5-liter i-VTEC® V-6 engine, ride and handling refinements, an expanded list of available AcuraWatch™ safety and driver-assistive technologies, restyled exterior and interior elements and a host of new luxury features and technologies, including standard Jewel Eye™ LED projector headlamps and LED taillights. A new line-topping Advance grade ties the improvements and new features together in one comprehensive package. "The new RDX is another great example of how we are continuing to advance our Acura lineup with a focus on prestige, performance and dynamic proportion," said Michael Accavitti, senior vice president and general manager of Acura.

Honda insiders push for Acura NSX Type R sans hybrid tech

With 500 horsepower on tap from a sophisticated hybrid powertrain, there's plenty to love about the new Acura NSX. If the more performance-oriented elements within the Japanese automaker get their way, it could get even better. Speaking with one of the NSX project's chief engineers Nick Robinson at the launch of the new supercar, Autocar reports that there's an effort underway to develop an NSX Type R. Following a much-loved formula, the more extreme variant would pack even more power than the existing version, unburdened by excess weight. A big part of the targeted weight savings would come from ditching some of the heavier components from the hybrid system. The electric motor at the rear could stay to serve as alternator, starter motor, and flywheel. But the electric motors at the front would go, helping to shed a few hundred pounds. Throw in some lightweight materials and we'd be looking at a considerable weight reduction. It could even integrate some active aerodynamic elements that were excluded from the NSX on the road to production. Though the project may still be a ways off from getting the green light, but Robinson and some of his colleagues are working on prototypes ostensibly to make the case. He and his brother James (a powertrain engineer at Honda) will be driving a pair of NSXs at Pikes Peak this year – one that's as close to showroom stock as the regulations will allow, but the other will be closer to what they have in mind for a Type R. It'll ditch the hybrid system and put an electric compressor in its place to eliminate any turbo lag and produce even more power than the existing model. Now if they can only get the go-ahead from the higher-ups at Honda. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2014 Honda NSX Concept-GT News Source: Autocar Green Acura Honda Coupe Hybrid Performance Supercars honda nsx acura nsx type r