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2019 Acura RDX named 'Best Luxury Compact SUV for Families'

What's the "Best Luxury Compact SUV for Families"? According to experts at U.S. News and World Report, it's the 2019 Acura RDX, boasting loads of comfort, room, and power for those town-and-country jaunts. The all-new Acura RDX provides next-level driving enjoyment and all-weather confidence with its 272-hp turbocharged VTEC engine and available Acura Super-Handling All Wheel Drive technology. U.S. News and World Report also named this vehicle "2019 Best Luxury Compact SUV for the Money."

"This RDX is our most extensive redesign in more than a decade, a truly ground-up reimagining of the RDX around our Precision Crafted Performance brand direction," said Henio Arcangeli, Jr., senior vice president of the Automobile Division of American Honda Motor Co., when the vehicle first debuted.

The production 2019 RDX carries forward all of the design cues that debuted with the Prototype RDX in January 2018. Acura designers worked from the foundations of the Acura Precision Concept, adapting its low and wide stance, sleek presence, and "wheels-out proportions" to a five-passenger SUV.

The 2019 RDX showcases Acura's signature Diamond Pentagon Grille flanked by all-new Jewel Eye headlights that boast seven LED light elements, up from the previous five. Below, wide air intakes include NSX-inspired air curtains that feed air efficiently around the front wheels and down the body side. Prominent hood bulges are visible from inside the cabin, signaling the performance character of the third-generation RDX.

Sharp character lines accentuate the front and rear fenders, with an aggressive "dropping" character line running the length of the RDX. A pen stroke of chrome (gloss-black on A-Spec) highlights the upper greenhouse and lower rocker. At the rear, the design of the 2019 RDX is capped off with a distinctive "dragon tail" LED light signature of the taillights.

The 2019 RDX sits atop an all-new body and chassis architecture designed to deliver a sophisticated and engaging driving experience. It starts with a 2.6-in.-longer wheelbase, which aids both ride comfort and cabin space. The cargo area behind the rear seats has expanded 3.4-cubic ft with an additional 1.7 cubic-ft of underfloor storage in compartments. The new platform provides for a fully flat rear floor, enabling first-class seating comfort in all three rear seating positions.

The RDX's body structure is composed of over 50 percent high-strength steel. It utilizes a new double-ring rear frame design and new two-piece ultra-high-strength steel front door rings, which significantly increase body rigidity, handling precision, and cabin quietness.

The body structure is mated to an all-new chassis design with variable ratio dual-pinion electric power steering, a sport-tuned Macpherson strut front suspension, an all-new five-link independent rear suspension, and available adaptive dampers.

The RDX delivers a premium, family-friendly cabin experience with spacious seating for five, class-leading second-row legroom, and a larger cargo area with underfloor storage, along with leading-edge connectivity that includes standard Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility and a new 16-speaker Acura/ELS Studio 3D Premium Audio system.

On the safety front, the 2019 RDX has received the highest possible safety ratings of a TOP SAFETY PICK+ from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and a 5-star Overall Vehicle Score from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The RDX features AcuraWatch advanced safety and driver-assistive technology as standard equipment on all models, along with Acura's Advanced Compatibility Engineering (ACE) body structure and eight airbags, including new driver and front-passenger knee airbags.

The new RDX takes power from a direct-injected and turbocharged 2.0-liter, 16-valve powerplant with DOHC VTEC valvetrain and Dual Variable Timing Cam (Dual VTC). Peak output is 272 hp and 280 lb-ft of torque. Compared to the previous model's V6, peak torque is up 28 lb-ft and available across a wider section of the power band, from 1,600 to 4,500 rpm (previously 252 lb-ft at 4,900 rpm) with low-RPM torque boosted by as much as 40 percent for quicker acceleration and sharper throttle response. The turbocharged engine is paired with a 10-speed automatic transmission (10AT) -- the first and only 10AT in the class.

With Acura's Super Handling All-Wheel Drive (SH-AWD), up to 70 percent of torque can be distributed to the rear wheels, and up to 100 percent of that torque can be distributed to either the right-rear or left-rear wheel, creating incredible control and agility. The 2019 RDX is the first model to utilize this new generation of Acura SH-AWD.

The 2019 RDX's tech-forward and spacious new cabin features Acura's latest thinking for a more premium, personal, and connected driving experience.

Exceptional seating comfort is provided by next-gen Acura sport seats, designed exclusively for RDX and future Acura products. The new, more intricately sculpted sport seats feature a lightweight ultra-high-strength steel frame, with improved lateral support and up to 16-way power adjustability. In all grades, the RDX provides both the driver and front-seat passenger the same levels of seating adjustability and comfort. A new ultra-wide panoramic moonroof is standard on all grades.

Designed from a clean sheet and deployed for the first time in the automotive world in the third-gen RDX, Acura's True Touchpad Interface features a 10.2-in. full-HD center display mounted high atop the center console, close to the driver's natural line of sight, a center console-mounted touchpad with a slightly concave surface, and an all-new, Android-based operating system.

Another Acura first is a new natural language voice recognition system, which allows for more intuitive voice control of major features and functions, including commands for the available embedded Acura Navigation System. Also new is an available 10.5-in. full-color interactive Head-Up Display.

Feeling like a family of sporty superheroes? There's an option for that.

The new RDX A-Spec, the first-ever Acura SUV with A-Spec treatment, adds distinctive sport appearance upgrades inside and out. Shark Gray 20-in. alloy wheels with low-profile 255/45R20 tires create a more athletic stance and are complemented by a unique lower front fascia and gloss-black accents for the front grille, Jewel Eye headlights, side sills, upper window sash, and taillights. LED fog lights, large-diameter dual-exhaust finishers, and A-Spec badging on the front quarter panels and tailgate complete the exterior package.

Inside, the RDX A-Spec features exclusive sports seats wrapped in either black or red leather with black premium Ultrasuede inserts and contrasting stitching. Real aluminum decorates the center-console, doors, and instrument panel, with additional soft-touch Ultrasuede on the dash. The A-Spec's stitched leather sport steering wheel features gloss black trim, metal-plated paddle shifters, and A-Spec badging. A unique driver's gauge cluster gets an A-Spec exclusive satin silver finish with red-illuminated nighttime readouts.

The third-gen RDX is the first RDX to be designed and developed in America. Styling design of the RDX was conducted by the Acura Design Studio in Los Angeles, CA, with development undertaken by the company's North American R&D team based in Raymond, OH. The new RDX is manufactured in East Liberty, OH, with its 2.0-liter turbo engine produced in the company's Anna, OH, engine plant and its 10-speed automatic transmission manufactured at the company's Tallapoosa, GA, plant.

The all-new 2019 Acura RDX has an MSRP starting at $37,400 (excluding $995 destination and handling). Learn more here.

Source: Acura/Honda North America

Published April 2019

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