The electrified future of Acura begins with the rebirth of the ZDX name. This name is set for the first electric SUV from this brand, scheduled for 2024.

The first use of the ZDX name came in 2010 with a vehicle that offered fastback styling, making it much sportier than it needed to be. The upcoming Acura SUV does things in a much more traditional manner to give us a luxury SUV with the right build. The traditional build is only the starting point for this new EV from Acura.

A Concept Model Inspired the New Electric Vehicle

The 2022 Monterey Car Week brought us an Acura concept model that serves as the inspiration for the new electrified SUV. The Precision EV Concept gives us the styling elements desired for this new Acura model. We might not see everything from the concept model brought to the production version of the ZDX, but some items could be present for this new car. The concept brought styling elements including a floating roof, smooth body sides, and a light-up grille. Other items might not be ready for production when this new Acura arrives. These items include a narrow yoke-style steering wheel and a transparent infotainment system.

Will This be an EV with a GM Touch?

Yes, Honda struck a deal with GM to utilize the Ultium battery platform for some of the early EV models coming from Honda and Acura. The new Acura ZDX will utilize this platform and enjoy the benefits of electrification on the road. This new Acura should be built alongside the upcoming Cadillac Lyriq SUV at the Springhill, Tennessee assembly plant. This means we should see the same power for the ZDX as the Lyriq, but the rest of the SUV should be pure Acura.

How Much Power will the ZDX Offer?

The clues for the power offered for this new SUV come straight from the GM model its based on. We should see this new electric SUV with a rear-mounted electric motor that delivers 340 horsepower in the base trim. We could see an upgraded AWD variant that might wear the Type S badge that could bring up to 500 horsepower for the drive. This should be more than enough power to make this SUV one of the most engaging and impressive new electric models and the first from the Acura brand.

Will the Driving Range be Enough When this Electric Acura Arrives?

Using the GM Ultium battery platform, the new Acura ZDX should have the same 102-kWh battery pack as the Lyriq. This battery offers enough power and driving rang to allow the Cadillac SUV the driving range of 312 miles on a full charge. With the development of better batteries, it might not be long before a 300-mile driving range isn’t enough to keep our interest in an electric vehicle. This will be the first electric Acura and it might not have the driving range required to go as far as we want on a single charge.

The ZDX Won’t be as Futuristic as the Precision EV

The concept interior of the Precision EV Concept is extremely futuristic, offering a look that pretty much deletes all knobs, controls, and screens from the mix. This concept also showed up with a small yoke-style steering wheel. When the new Acura SUV arrives, we expect to see a much more traditional layout. This SUV should have a two-row seating package with traditional screens and a round steering wheel. It’s possible the futuristic upgrades might be offered later on, but not yet.

Expected Connectivity in this New Electric SUV

Even though we should see traditional screens and controls in the Acura ZDX when it arrives, we aren’t sure what system the infotainment screen will use. Will this new SUV have the current Acura interface or a version of GM’s new Google-based system? We expect this luxury SUV to have the benefits of wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as part of the standard packaging. The signature ELS audio system is also part of the package offered for this new vehicle. It should be pretty easy for you to enjoy the cabin area offered in this new Acura electric SUV.

Why is Acura Just Now Getting Into the EV Game?

Honda doesn’t have the best track record with electric and hybrid vehicles. Honda came to the market with the original Insight before the Toyota Prius was ever offered, but the Prius was the hybrid model we chose to take home. More recently, the Honda Clarity EV showed up with subpar driving range and mostly a Honda Civic build. This didn’t do much to entice us to drive this Insight EV and might be why the Honda and Acura brands have been slow to the EV market.

A Partner Was Required

Another reason for the slow movement forward into the electric vehicle market for Honda was the lack of development. Every automaker has its weaknesses and Honda hadn’t pushed forward with EV battery technology as hard as other brands. The new GM partnership helps them get into the EV market while developing battery technology for future models once the GM partnership is over. Honda is also working with Sony to develop a new electric vehicle. Sony showed it s serious about being part of the electric vehicle market with a branded model at the Consumer Electronics Show.

More to Come About the new Acura ZDX

We don’t have a lot of information regarding the new Acura ZDX that arrives for the 2024 model year, but as we get closer to the release date we will have more information for you. Could this new electric SUV be the right vehicle for you to drive or will you look at another EV to be the on you want to take home. We know more about this Acura than most new models because of the GM battery platform, but the actual features and styling are still a bit of a mystery.