First Drive: 2010 Acura ZDX

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FTD SUV

Acura's so-called coupé SUV offers more form than function

By John LeBlanc PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. – You probably don’t “need” the new 2010 Acura ZDX, an SUV that’s had most of its utility removed because of its coupé (Acura’s word, not mine) styling. Like its chief rival, BMW’s X6 Sports Activity Coupe, the ZDX coupé SUV is all about promoting your non-utilitarian lifestyle. The kind you can afford when you don’t have kids, cargo, or anything to tow. With a useless rear seat, towing capacity no more than a Honda CR-V (680 kg), and less cargo space (1,580 litres) than a subcompact Honda Fit, the ZDX’s appeal will always be rare. But that seems to be okay with Acura. Company officials are almost giddy when they admit the vehicle isn’t very rationale (i.e. not another four-door sedan.) “[ZDX] is all about extending our brand beyond our traditional customer base,” said Jerry Chenkin, executive vice president of parent Honda Canada. If you haven’t already put 2+2 together, the ZDX adds up to yet another vehicle tailored for “empty nesters” (Acura’s words, not mine.) You know the type: couples that now have time for antiquing, strolling, going out for dinner, and dirty weekends touring Niagara wineries. Just don’t expect to go unnoticed engaging in said adult activities. Compared to the plethora of forgettable looking Acura sedans, it’s hard to ignore the ZDX’s—um—distinctive form. Essentially an Acura MDX without a third row—and over one-third less cargo space with the seats folded—the new ZDX is the first Acura designed from scratch under the brand’s so-called Keen Edge design language, first seen on the Acura Sports Concept at the 2007 Detroit auto show. Its most prominent design stroke is a glass roof that flows all the way back to taillights bracketed by those bootyliscious fenders, giving the ZDX what Acura designers call a “forward thrust.” Built in Honda’s Alliston, Ont. plant, the ZDX has been on sale now for almost a year. Not that you’ve seen any on the road. Few car buyers so far have been attracted to the ZDX’s bon vivant style. Its $55,990 base is $4,000 more than the more useful Acura MDX three-row SUV. While that’s still a chunk of change from what BMW wants ($65,600) for its X6 xDrive35i, to move existing 2010 ZDXs, Acura will pay you $12,000 to take one off its hands. In typical Acura fashion, though, the ZDX comes standard with a lot of stuff (panoramic glass roof; hand-stitched leather interior; power tailgate; high powered audio system; etc.) other (i.e. German) luxury brands surcharge for. The only upgrade is a $3,600 Technology Package. It adds a navigation system, a more potent sound system, and rear view camera. Like any coupé, Acura admits, rear seat accommodation in the ZDX is a compromise. They aren’t kidding. There are three rear seatbelts in the ZDX. However, anyone over the age of eight won’t be none too happy sitting on the ZDX’s middle squab. And it’s excruciating to get in and out of back there. More than 120 mm shorter in length than the MDX, rear headroom has been reduced by more than 75 mm in the Zed. Seated in back, the roof line wraps around your head like an ill-fitting hockey helmet. While the door opening requires yoga training to work around its low-cut opening. The BMW X6 may only have two rear seats, but at least sitting back there doesn’t feel like punishment. Of course, if you need more then occasional rear seating and additional cargo space, Acura salespeople can point you in the direction of the larger, three-row MDX. Despite its size, at least the ZDX doesn’t disappoint those who like to drive. I had the chance to test its big brother MDX during my time with the Acura coupé SUV. And its remarkable how much more sporting the ZDX feels from the driver’s seat. As a coupé—albeit an SUV—the ZDX delivers on its premise promise of a more sporting driving experience. ZDX pilots enjoy an excellent driving position. The steering wheel tilts and telescopes generously. The driver’s instrumentation is clear and easy-to-decipher. The seats adjust a million ways and offer support and comfort. And unlike the strum und drang you get in German brands, all ZDXs get hand-stitched leather on the dash, door panels and centre console from cows that seemingly spent their last remaining days in tubs of skin softener. The ZDX sports the same, new 300 hp, 3.7-litre V6, six-speed automatic gearbox (with steering wheel mounted paddle shifters) and torque vectoring all-wheel-drive system found in the 2010 MDX. Naught to 100 km/h is under 7.0 seconds. Relatively flat cornering characteristics inspire confidence. And the ZDX’s steering has some feel in it. Plus there’s always Acura’s Super Handling–All Wheel Drive. It varies the torque distribution first between front and rear axles, and then between the left and right rear wheels. Its size and weight mean you won’t be applying stickers on your ZDX and entering it in your local Sunday morning slalom. But as a comfortable, long distance, mile-muncher-for-two, the 2010 Acura ZDX succeeds. Of course, the ZDX’s success will always be limited. Acura—eventually—hopes to sell about ten MDXs for every sample of its coupé SUV. But if your lifestyle matches the ZDX’s charms, it’s a stylish, comfortable, and luxurious way to see treat yourself when the children have finally left home. 2010 Acura ZDX WHAT I LIKED: Look-at-me styling; feature-laden; mile munching road manners. WHAT I DIDNT: Useless rear seat; can’t tow; Fit has more cargo room BASE PRICE/AS-TESTED: $55,990/$59,590 ENGINE: 3.7 L V6 POWER/TORQUE: 300 hp/270 lb.-ft. FUEL CONSUMPTION L/100 km: 12.7 city, 8.8 hwy COMPETITION: BMW X6

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