2009 Acura ZDX

The ZDX was the answer given by Acura to the increasing market share of the SUV-coupe segment.

While the concept-car was praised for its beauty and style, the series model was struck by the 2008 world global financial crisis. The ZDX was nearly identical to the concept vehicle, with only a few changes to the headlights and bumpers. It was based on the successful model Acura MDX/Honda Pilot, but with sales under 10.000 units, it was a big loss for the Japanese car-maker.

From the beginning, the car-maker stated that the ZDX was a luxury four-door sport-coupe vehicle, even though it was based on an SUV platform. Its target was clearly the BMW X6 customers, but it was hard to beat the German offer with only one engine option on the table. The angular headlights, the air-intakes in the front bumper, and the sloped roof were just a few of the lines that made the ZDX a special vehicle.

Inside, Acura offered room for five adults and a decently sized trunk. With the heated and ventilated seats fitted as standard, the ZDX tried to fulfill its promise as a premium car-maker. The instrument cluster featured a four dial system and a small display. The designers placed the infotainment screen in an independent cluster on top of the center stack, but the system was controlled via a rotary knob and not by a touch-screen system.

Honda installed only one engine option for the ZDX, the 3.6-liter gasoline engine. It was mated to a newly developed 6-speed automatic gearbox. Power went to all corners via an SH-AWD system, which ensured that the most torque was sent to the wheel with the best traction.