The 2024 Acura ZDX is what comes out of a room when you put the competent Honda and the luxury-obsessed General Motors teams together in one. It marks the start of Acura’s SUV electrification game, but it’s nothing like a rookie, thanks to getting a hand from an excelling automaker in the EV space, GM. Although ZDX is not a new name on the block, the all-electric 2024 ZDX looks nothing like its embalmed predecessor. For obvious reasons, it might even draw more comparisons with the Cadillac Lyriq than the discontinued gas-powered crossover.
However, it has its own identity, some impressive selling points, and a bit of refinement down the line could put it in the running for the best in the luxury EV bullring. Here’s what we think about the 2024 Acura ZDX.
Old Name, New Face
Acura introduced the ZDX nameplate in 2009 with a futuristic 2010 model. In 2013, the automaker had to kill, or as it turned out, suspend the name due to low sales. This year, the ZDX is resuming with a floating roof styling and almost no resemblance to the discontinued fastback ZDX.
At the front, a faux grille mimics Acura’s signature pentagon grille design, except that it has borders that light up. The EV has the signature Acura headlights, also found on the MDX, RDX, Integra, and TLX. On the side, it looks almost indistinguishable from the Acura MDX, as the only differences are the floating roof effect and the charge port cover. The rear end also has striking similarities to the MDX. From nose to tail, the two-row EV measures 197.7 inches, making it nearly as long as the three-row MDX (198.4 inches).
Goodbye Smoke Show
The last Acura before this rebirth had a 3.7-liter V6, but the 2024 Acura ZDX trims start with the single-motor, 358 hp A-Spec. While this base trim has a Rear-Wheel Drive configuration, buyers can opt for the A-Spec dual motor, All-Wheel Drive configuration, which delivers 490 hp and 437 lb. ft of torque. The talk of the town trim is the Type S. It comes standard with two motors and AWD configuration, but there are more perks. The Type S is sportier and has Brembo brakes, performance wheels and tires, and adaptive air suspension to increase and lower ground clearance. What’s more? It is compatible with the AcuraWatch 360+, which offers additional driver-assist features. With the Type S configuration, the EV churns out 500hp and 544 lb. ft of torque.
The 2024 ZDX will utilize GM’s Ultium battery technology and the same 102.0-kWh battery park the Cadillac Lyriq uses. With this capacity, the A-spec single and dual motor configurations get 313 and 304 miles of driving range, respectively. However, opting for the Type S means getting only 278 miles of driving range.
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An Inviting Corner
Since the ZDX is an Acura, luxury is a given. But while the ZDX’s exterior might draw comparisons with other Acuras, the cabin has a unique identity. It welcomes the driver and passengers into a generous space with standard leather-trimmed seats. The 12-way power-adjustable (16-way on Type S models) front seats are heated and ventilated. A beautiful dashboard is ahead, adorned by the floating infotainment screen and the heated, flat-bottom steering wheel (also leather-wrapped). The cabin has a proper mix of physical and digital controls, with two knobs, some steering-mounted controls, and lots of features accessible via the infotainment screen.
It might be surprising that while the 2024 ZDX (with two rows) has similar exterior proportions to the MDX (with three rows), it has just about the same legroom in the first (41.4 inches) and second rows (39.4 inches) as the MDX (41.6 and 38.5, respectively). Although this means the ZDX has 29.7 inches of cargo space, which is 11.6 inches more than what the MDX offers without collapsing any row. The A-Spec models have customizable LED cabin lighting on the door handle and instrument panel to improve the mood. In the Type S, the cabin lighting is available in even more places, including the console and footwell. You can also power your small electronic devices on the go with a 110V outlet in the rear, only on the Type S.
“The ZDX will be the first Acura to launch with an 18-speaker BANG & OLUFSEN® Sound System, which sounds amazing”. Watch Kyle Campbell from the Honda Product Planning Division introduce the Honda Prologue and Acura ZDX at the 2024 New York Auto Show.
Techy
Alongside the looks and cabin, the ZDX’s tech will likely impress anyone. The dashboard features two HD screens—an 11-inch digital instrument cluster and an 11.3-inch touchscreen display. Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are both available, and it is the first time any Acura has Google built-in. The ZDX is also compatible with the Acura EV app, which you can install on your smartphone to allow remote commands, battery charging updates, etc.
The standard safety and driver-assist features include adaptive cruise control, reverse automatic braking, automatic emergency braking, blind zone monitoring, and more. Automatic parking and hands-free cruise are only available on the Type S model. This model also has a rear tailgate camera that sends a feed to the digital rearview mirror.
Pricing
The 2024 Acura ZDX offers two trims, the entry-level A-Spec and the Type S. However, the A-Spec can either have an RWD or AWD configuration. The A-Spec RWD starts at $64,500, the AWD version starts at $68,500, and the Type S starts at $73,500. With that starting price, the 2024 Acura ZDX costs about $5k more than the entry-level 2024 Cadillac Lyriq. Also, the ZDX Type S costs about $10k more than the highest Cadillac Lyriq trim, the Sport.
While the ZDX’s price may not raise concerns on its own, comparing it to the cost of the Cadillac Lyriq, which shares the same battery technology, is arguably more luxurious, and is from a brand already successful in the EV sector may give intending buyers a second thought. However, we recommend the A-Spec AWD trim for those going with the new ZDX. The Type S offers a bit more, but we are not convinced they are worth the extra $5000. Kyle Campbell says the “ZDX is set to go on sale sometime later this spring.”
Gabriel Olakunori
Gabriel likes to argue (blindly) that SUVs are a part of nature, but he seems to have a point whenever you walk in the snow, through the bone-dry desert, splendid park-like boulevard, plains, and rocky roads. He has over five years of experience writing across a broad spectrum of topics, with quite a number in the automotive industry. If he is not at the desk w̶r̶i̶t̶i̶n̶g̶ having fun, he is at the wheel d̶r̶i̶v̶i̶n̶g̶ having fun. Both activities take him to the same destination: Utopia. He loves SUVs simply because they are all-inclusive, but he cannot turn down an offer to drive or write about any vehicle.
