All new 2017 Acura CDX

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As you can see, this one is also for the Chinese market.

It seems Honda has been making a push for Acura in China lately.
Trying to compete with European brands like Audi, BMW, Mercedes. But also Buick and PSA’s DS brand.
So they are basically coming out with Acura versions of everything Honda makes.

This is supposedly based on the Honda HR-V.
Although it looks closer to the next generation CR-V.
(You can see some CR-V spy shots HERE)

It is rumored to be powered by a 1.5 Liter Turbo. Which sounds similar to the current Civic.
And, again, what the next CR-V might be getting.

An HR-V based model sound pretty small for a luxury brand.
(Although I guess it would compete with the all new Audi Q2.)
It seems a CR-V based one would attract a larger audience. Competing with a bunch of other crossovers from Audi, Mercedes, BMW and more.
Plus, the size would fit better the US market.
It would really compete with the Lexus NX over here.

Whatever it is, it does look pretty boring.
And really, is that new grille an improvement over the old shield?
I don’t think so.
It has a weird cheap 80’s look to me.

Acura is another brand that needs to stand out a bit. And they don’t. Year after year getting lost in the shuffle. Coming up with one invisible car after another.
Look at the Mercedes GLA.
A truly modern looking crossover from a luxury brand. It looks like nothing else yet sells like hotcakes!

Acura does need more. And it all starts with great designs.

Conversation 9 comments

  1. I am an Acura fan, because its cars are solid. I disliked the beak, although, ahem, I own an MDX. But, I would agree that, in pictures so far, the new grille does not come across as an improvement.

  2. Vince…there's already a CR-V based crossover from Acura…it's called the RDX and competes with the models you listed in the middle of your post, like the Lexus NX. The CDX would compete with models like the GLA, Q3, etc.

  3. Acura's mistake here is letting the HR-V hard points show through into an Acura model. They were smart enough to avoid this with the RDX. Hopefully they will be here as well, and not take the easy route. Any potential buyers seeing this on the road and the HR-V in comparison will NOT want to spend the cash for a gussied up version of Honda's cheapest SUV. I figured car companies would have learned that lesson from 1980's GM.

    Second, their rear designs are starting to look like the Toyota RAV4. That's not a compliment.

    Third, the grill is cheap as hell. Seriously, people need to start being fired in Honda over this stuff.

  4. Bash Acura as much as you want but their recent car sales number are way above other premium cars. Consider the 2016 Acura ILX, all those posts saying it is just a jazzed-up Honda Civic but so far it is outselling other premium carmaker's cheapest models.

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