Preview: 2024 Acura ZDX Is the Automaker’s First All-Electric Vehicle

The resurrected ZDX moniker has been dormant since it was last used on a 2013 model. That ZDX was a bit of a platypus; it was a four-door hatchback car based on the MDX platform. It was more expensive than an MDX, smaller inside, and far less functional. This time, the ZDX is an all-electric model—the automaker’s first. It’s also a prelude to the upcoming Honda Prologue.

To build the ZDX (and Prologue), Honda has teamed up with General Motors, an accord that allows Honda to make use of GM’s Ultium batteries. This “fast” way into producing an EV should benefit Honda, given GM’s extensive experience building EVs like the Chevrolet Bolt and Bolt EUV, as well as plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) such as the Chevrolet Volt. Honda doesn’t have to start from scratch on its own platform, yet it also will launch a vehicle that promises generous range, unlike the Lexus RX/Toyota bZ4X/Subaru Solterra joint effort.

It’s likely that the 2024 Acura ZDX SUV will be produced at the GM plant in Tennessee, where GM builds the Cadillac Lyriq EV. By being built in the U.S., the ZDX and Prologue potentially qualify for available federal tax incentives. Acura hasn’t confirmed the location of the plant or any status on tax credit qualifications. However, the automaker’s boilerplate text does note that "All Acura vehicles sold in America are made in the U.S., using domestic and globally sourced parts."

Honda has plans to deliver EVs based on its own proprietary electric platform, called Honda e:Architecture, starting in 2026 and to build and sell a series of lower-priced EVs co-developed with GM in 2027.

The ZDX is close in size to the Acura MDX SUV and styled very similarly, with a prominent pentagonal grille housing the Acura logo, slim LED lights, and a long hood and front fenders. The daytime running lights (DRLs) have a kink in them—Acura calls them “chicane” DRLs, although we think they’re more jagged than their namesake road curvature.

Like the MDX, the design follows a nearly straight line from the leading edge of the hood all the way back to the taillights.

The large wheel arches house 20-inch wheels and tires on the ZDX A-Spec, while the automaker squeezes in massive 22-inch wheels and tires on the Type S. A large charge port door sits just past the driver’s-side front fender, in front of the driver’s door.

The two-row SUV has a long wheelbase, which allows for big front driver and passenger doors. Rear passengers have similarly large doors with a minimal cutout for the rear-wheel arch, hopefully meaning there is a wide pathway for passengers to climb in. 

Following current styling trends, the ZDX is shown with black roof pillars, which gives the roof the appearance of floating above the rest of the body. This isn’t as apparent on the Type S models, which feature a black roof that contrasts with the body color. But the effect is better on versions where the roof and body are painted the same color.

The overall effect is of a sleek, cab-rearward vehicle, with the roof mildly sloping back to the top of the tailgate. 

In the rear, the LED taillights echo the kink of the DRLs. Each light stretches from the fender and across nearly one-third of the tailgate. Like the MDX, the Acura logo sits prominently above the license plate cutout, with various model and trim badges affixed to the left and right edges of the tailgate. 

Feast your eyes on what looks to be the most streamlined, conventional Acura interior we’ve seen in a long while. In what can only be described as an incredibly positive move, the ZDX does NOT feature the brand’s True Touchpad interface for the infotainment system! Unlike the fussy dial- and button-laden interfaces of the MDX and RDX SUVs, and TLX sedan, the 2024 Acura ZDX has a seemingly straightforward set of physical buttons and knobs for the climate system, while the infotainment system features an 11.3-inch touchscreen. 

Much of this streamlining is due to the partnership with GM. For example, the steering wheel is directly from the Chevrolet Blazer and Equinox EVs, the Qi charging pad is the same one used in those GM vehicles, and the directional and windshield-wiper stalks on the steering wheel also hail from the GM parts bin.

Behind the multifunction steering wheel is an 11-inch, digital driver instrument cluster housing key gauges and information. The built-in Google system can project Google Maps on either screen, which can be helpful particularly when navigating to a charging location. In addition, the system can estimate the charging time required to reach a destination, and precondition the EV battery when a DC fast-charging station is programmed as the destination.

In photos provided by the automaker, the 2024 Acura ZDX A-Spec’s interior looks to be a blend between Acura and Honda interiors. The dashboard and center console are streamlined and uncluttered, with two large cupholders between the seats and a Qi wireless charger slot positioned aft, just in front of the center armrest and storage bin. A large storage cutout can be seen under the center console. Red stitching appears on the armrests, steering wheel, and dashboard, brightening up the otherwise dark interior. The Type S performance version is highlighted with red lighting on the doors, dash, and center console.

An 18-speaker Bang & Olufsen sound system is standard on the ZDX. 

Two different drivetrains are available in the ZDX A-Spec. The rear-wheel-drive version uses a single, rear-mounted electric motor that, according to Acura, produces an estimated 340 hp. The all-wheel-drive version employs a dual-motor setup, with one motor driving the front wheels and the other driving the rear. Acura has not indicated the horsepower for the dual-motor version.

Acura anticipates that the single-motor versions will have an EPA range rating of 325 miles, while the dual-motor version will have a range of 315 miles. That’s close to the Tesla Model Y Long Range AWD’s EPA rating of 330 miles per charge. How those models truly compare depends on how conservative or optimistic the automakers are with their figures. 

The more performance-oriented Type S is available only as a dual-motor EV, with the combination producing an estimated 500 hp. Acura anticipates the EPA range for the Type S will be 288 miles.

All versions will use a 102-kWh battery. The automaker says that it can charge at speeds up to 190 kW at public DC fast chargers, and the RWD A-Spec can gain an estimated 81 miles of range in about 10 minutes. Both the battery size and DC acceptance rate are the same as the Cadillac Lyriq’s.

Acura’s smartphone app will allow users to find, connect to, and pay for charging at existing and supported DC fast-charging networks. Honda has also joined with other manufacturers in announcing plans to build out a high-speed brand-neutral charging network in the U.S. and Canada in 2024. The goal of this consortium is to have at least 30,000 high-powered charge points by 2030.

The 2024 Acura ZDX comes standard with the AcuraWatch suite of active safety and driver assistance systems, which includes automatic emergency braking (AEB) with pedestrian detection, AEB that works at highway speeds, blind spot warning, and rear cross traffic warning. 

The ZDX is the first Acura model to feature standard rear cross traffic braking, blind spot steering assistance, and rear pedestrian alert systems.

In addition, the AcuraWatch 360+ system introduces Acura’s Hands Free Cruise driver assistance technology. Given the firmly established collaboration between Acura/Honda and GM, it’s no surprise that Hands Free Cruise is a “rebadging” of GM’s Super Cruise system.