NYIAS: 2017 Acura MDX - The Big SUV Drops Its Shield

Acura has two big changes in store for the refreshed 2017 MDX; one up front and in your face, the other hidden beneath its mainly familiar flanks.

The automaker’s flagship luxury SUV, revealed at the New York Auto Show, drops the “silver shield” grille that has adorned the face of Acuras big and small for years, favoring a diamond pentagon mouth reminiscent of the Acura Precision concept.

Acura said the Precision signaled a new design direction for the brand, so consider this the first shield to drop.

A subtly reshaped hood, fascia and front fenders, plus tweaked headlights and LED foglights that no luxury vehicle can be without, complete the facelift. Twin tailpipes and a restyled bumper bring up the rear.

The big mechanical news is the addition of Acura’s three-motor Sport Hybrid powertrain to the MDX line, borrowed from the NSX and RLX.

The system couples an electric motor to a 3.0-liter V6 (with cylinder deactivation) to motivate the front wheels, and adds two electric motors to the rear. The combined output of 325 horsepower tops the base 3.5-liter MDX by 35 hp, while the multiple propulsion sources allow for electric torque vectoring when the vehicle’s all-wheel drive system is put to work.

A seven-speed dual clutch automatic transmission completes the fuel efficiency package. Acura says the hybrid MDX will beat the base model’s city fuel consumption by seven miles per gallon.

Inside, new option packages will satisfy passengers who demand rear captains chairs or a wide-screen viewing of Disney’s Frozen. Hopefully, there’s a headphone jack.

For the coming model year, Acura will make all of its autonomous safety technology standard on all MDX models, including automatic emergency braking, lane keeping assist, adaptive cruise control, slow speed follow and road departure mitigation.

The AcuraWatch system is designed to reduce a driver’s workload, and, one would hope, insurance premiums.

[Images: Honda North America]