NAIAS 2018 | Episode 14 : Acura

Acura debuted a prototype of the new RDX SUV — although it looked very much like a full production car to us.  The evolutionary design is a nice improvement on the old model starting up front with a new grille.  The much maligned “beak” look that Acura was using is now happily a thing of the past.  The new, black grille is framed in chrome with a central Acura logo.  The textured surface looks like a “starburst” around the logo.  The bodyside has several strong features lines diving in different directions and an interesting stylized “X” shape in the D-Pillar.  The hood has one of the more unusual shapes that we have seen recently.  There are two strongly raised feature lines that curve outwards from the corners of the grille, then sweep suddenly inwards to the trailing edge of the hood.  It looks a bit like a shallow bowl, but it works and overall we like the RDX a lot.  A perfect fit for Acura.

The interior is typical Acura and quite pleasing, but the infotainment screen looks like an iPad emerging from the instrument panel.  We thought that designers had moved beyond the “add on screen” look by now…