Acura ZDX to Show at Monterey Car Week

Matthew Guy
by Matthew Guy

Styling for the upcoming Acura ZDX was hewn at the brand’s design studio in SoCal, making the annual soirée at Monterey a logical location for its unveiling.


And if you’re wondering why our hero shot is so grainy, it’s because we brightened the image for ya in order to see more detail.


Anyone blessed with the gift of sight will recognize key Acura design cues, including an illuminated take on its so-called Diamond Pentagon grille. Many brands have added lighting strips across the nose of newly introduced vehicles lately – both EVs and ICE vehicles – leading us to affirm our belief that mid-‘80s Mercury was simply ahead of its time (and lighting technology).


It is suggested both the ZDX and ZDX Type S performance variants go on sale early next calendar year as a 2024 model, serving as Acura’s foray into the all-electric arena. It is being co-developed with GM utilizing Ultium technology. Acura plans to then launch additional EV models starting in 2026 based on the company’s own global e:Architecture. Does this decision kneecap the Prologue/ZDX by marking a best-before date before it even goes on sale? We’ll let you be the judge on that.

The ZDX is also being used as a vehicle (pun intended) for a new collab with Bang & Olufsen, which most readers will recall as a Danish luxury audio brand. Plans are afoot to broaden the availability of Bang & Olufsen premium audio across the entire Acura lineup in the coming years, presumably usurping the present-day Panasonic ELS Studio 3D systems, which provide some of the best in-car audio experiences this jaundiced writer has ever heard. Perhaps the B&O crew will be involved with some EV audio chicanery in which Panasonic couldn’t (or wouldn’t) play.


Look for the 2024 ZDX to debut on August 17 during the insufferably pretentious Monterey Car Week. 


[Images: Acura]


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Matthew Guy
Matthew Guy

Matthew buys, sells, fixes, & races cars. As a human index of auto & auction knowledge, he is fond of making money and offering loud opinions.

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  • 28-Cars-Later 28-Cars-Later on Aug 04, 2023

    Didn't this model already go on sale years ago and fail?

    • Sgeffe Sgeffe on Aug 07, 2023

      What's the definition of insanity?! 😂


  • Spectator Spectator on Aug 09, 2023


    I have no faith in the ZDX round 2. New MDX doesn’t have touchscreen at $70k and sits on lots even with near 10% off msrp. If the same team did the ZDX I’m sure it’ll be similarly gimped and cancelled after 2 years. Hope I’m wrong, having owned 4 Acuras it’s sad to see them today.

  • Teddyc73 Oh look dull grey with black wheels. How original.
  • Teddyc73 "Matte paint looks good on this car." No it doesn't. It doesn't look good on any car. From the Nissan Versa I rented all the up to this monstrosity. This paint trend needs to die before out roads are awash with grey vehicles with black wheels. Why are people such lemmings lacking in individuality? Come on people, embrace color.
  • Flashindapan Will I miss the Malibu, no. Will I miss one less midsize sedan that’s comfortable, reliable and reasonably priced, yes.
  • Theflyersfan I used to love the 7-series. One of those aspirational luxury cars. And then I parked right next to one of the new ones just over the weekend. And that love went away. Honestly, if this is what the Chinese market thinks is luxury, let them have it. Because, and I'll be reserved here, this is one butt-ugly, mutha f'n, unholy trainwreck of a design. There has to be an excellent car under all of the grotesque and overdone bodywork. What were they thinking? Luxury is a feeling. It's the soft leather seats. It's the solid door thunk. It's groundbreaking engineering (that hopefully holds up.) It's a presence that oozes "I have arrived," not screaming "LOOK AT ME EVERYONE!!!" The latter is the yahoo who just won $1,000,000 off of a scratch-off and blows it on extra chrome and a dozen light bars on a new F150. It isn't six feet of screens, a dozen suspension settings that don't feel right, and no steering feel. It also isn't a design that is going to be so dated looking in five years that no one is going to want to touch it. Didn't BMW learn anything from the Bangle-butt backlash of 2002?
  • Theflyersfan Honda, Toyota, Nissan, Hyundai, and Kia still don't seem to have a problem moving sedans off of the lot. I also see more than a few new 3-series, C-classes and A4s as well showing the Germans can sell the expensive ones. Sales might be down compared to 10-15 years ago, but hundreds of thousands of sales in the US alone isn't anything to sneeze at. What we've had is the thinning of the herd. The crap sedans have exited stage left. And GM has let the Malibu sit and rot on the vine for so long that this was bound to happen. And it bears repeating - auto trends go in cycles. Many times the cars purchased by the next generation aren't the ones their parents and grandparents bought. Who's to say that in 10 years, CUVs are going to be seen at that generation's minivans and no one wants to touch them? The Japanese and Koreans will welcome those buyers back to their full lineups while GM, Ford, and whatever remains of what was Chrysler/Dodge will be back in front of Congress pleading poverty.
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