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| Acura RD-X Concept (Photo: Acura Canada) |
Talk about bad timing on my part. Just when my family was about to grow by 33%, which means kiddie #2, my Acura 1.7EL was no longer big enough and I needed something more spacious. It was my fourth brand-new Acura in 9 years. But there was no use in heading on down to my local Acura dealer again, because another sedan wouldn't help me much. And the MDX was, well, way out of my budget. I had to do what the salesmen at Acura probably dread, for the moment at least, to see their regular customers buy across the street.
I'm probably not the only person who had to shop elsewhere. However, Acura is about to solve that by soon launching a practical small five-door SUV called the RDX.
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| Acura RD-X Concept (Photo: Acura Canada) |
The RD-X Concept you see here was on display at the Detroit Auto Show last January. It features Acura's Super Handling All-Wheel-Drive (SH-AWD) that we first saw on the RL sedan, which distributes torque between the front wheels as well as the rear wheels. This system combines superior handling and all-wheel-drive stability, and such security is welcome in a family-oriented vehicle.
The show car also hosts four-wheel independent suspension, Brembo disc brakes all around, and 255/50R19 tires wrapped around 19-inch alloy wheels. Now, exactly how much of this high-performance hardware will turn up in the production RDX is unknown
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| Acura RD-X Concept (Photo: Acura Canada) |
right now, but I imagine less expensive disc brakes and 17-inch wheels will be sufficient. Let's hope the SH-AWD setup is retained.
Visually, the front end looks like a cross between the EL and the MDX, with creased sheetmetal and Acura's trademark grille. The rear bears no resemblance to any other products in the lineup, and has a muscular stance with its bulging rear fenders that give it the look of a cat ready to pounce. The Concept vehicle's lateral rear-facing cameras will be replaced by conventional mirrors.
