Acura Is getting serious about filling the gaps in its line-up. It confirmed plans for two new crossovers, as well as an “adventure-ready” SUV. The trio will also bring the debut of a new two-motor hybrid system.
The Acura Hybrid Concept revealed last May will influence the designs of the new utility vehicles.
Long stuck in the also-ran category, Acura is finally set to make a run at the leaders in the luxury market, notably including Lexus, with an assortment of new utility vehicles.
Over the next three years, the brand today revealed, it will launch three new utility vehicles, including a flagship seven-seater, as well as a complete makeover of the RDX that will become the first Acura model to offer parent Honda’s latest two-motor hybrid system.
“Acura is entering the most popular segments in the market while maintaining a leading position in gateway segments with Integra and ADX, to solidify a strong and sustainable future,” Gary Robinson, vice president of auto strategy at American Honda, said in a statement released this week.
What’s New
The Acura Nexera is another concept hinting at future designs and technology.
Acura is determined to reposition itself among top-tier luxury brands and that means filling in some big gaps in its line-up.
The most significant addition will be the Acura XL which will make its debut during the third quarter of 2029. It will be positioned above the brand’s current flagship, the seven-seat MDX. The automaker is confident enough to tool up for an annual production rate of 40,000.
Two other new models will join the Acura line-up before then, including a complete remake of the RDX, the mid-market CUV that will briefly go out of production as the 2026 model year draws to a close.
Notably, while Acura – like parent Honda – is getting out of the EV market for the near to mid-term, it will expand hybrid availability as the three new models come to market.
A new flagship
The MDX is currently Acura’s flagship utility vehicle.
While the current MDX has long sat at the top of the Acura line-up, it’s never quite matched the premium level of refinement, power and features offered by competing luxury brands, such as Lexus, as well as BMW and Mercedes-Benz.
“There’s high demand from consumers for larger people movers,” one Acura retailer who asked not to be identified told trade publication Automotive News. “That’s a segment that’s profitable for dealers and for OEMs.”
The Acura XL not only will be larger than the MDX but offer an optional eighth seat. “Additionally, a new V6 hybrid powertrain is in development,” the automaker said in a statement. “This new powertrain will deliver sporty performance, improved towing capabilities and environmental efficiencies.”
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Adventure-Ready
The new off-road model will share platforms with the Honda Passport.
Along with the XL, Acura plans to add an “adventure-ready” new utility vehicle. It’s expected to be based on the same platform as the current Honda Passport, and similar in size – allowing it to target buyers who want some serious off-road capabilities at a time when a record number of Americans can be found out on the trails. That’s given a boost not only to the Passport but other models such as the Ford Bronco, Lexus LX and Mercedes-Benz GL.
The new model will deliver the capability customers need for their outdoor adventures along with modern and premium styling,” said the company statement, “and the comfort and technology customers expect from an Acura.”
Though the name of the new Acura hasn’t been revealed yet it’s expected to reach market sometime in 2028.
All-new RDX
The current RDX won’t make it to the 2027 model year.
While it was pitched as “the most premium RDX we’ve ever made,” Acura’s current compact crossover failed to deliver the sort of numbers the automaker had anticipated. That led Honda’s luxury arm to end production in April while it began work on an all-new version set to return to life, Lazarus-like, in 2028.
It will be “the first Acura model to feature the company’s award-winning two-motor hybrid technology,” the company hinted. The system is already in use with several Honda models.
Acura last year dropped the only all-electric model in its line-up, the ZDX, and, like its mainstream sibling Honda, it has no plans to get back into that market for some time. A manufacturing network spread out across Ohio that was to become an “EV Hub” is being repurposed, with an emphasis on future Honda and Acura hybrids.
A big bet on the future
Acura has, in the past, teased the return of the Legend badge. For now, however, that seems unlikely. But it did bring back the Integra in the 2023 model year.
The very first of the Japanese luxury brands, first introduced in 1986 with the once-popular Integra and Legend models, Acura has settled into the luxury backwater over the years. The company appears determined to climb out of that ditch.
“We are making a big commitment to Acura by delivering products and services that meet the needs of our customers at all life stages, which will create a sustainable long-term direction for the brand,” said Eiji Fujimura, president & CEO of American Honda.
The new product offensive, he said, will more sharply focus Acura while “increasing our speed to market to ensure that our products are highly competitive and meet the latest market conditions.”
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