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The first-generation RDX small upscale SUV was something of a miss for Acura. Its turbocharged four-cylinder engine was unrefined. Its overall fuel economy of 18 mpg in our tests fell below that of many rivals' V6 engines. Handling was agile, but the ride was very stiff and the cabin was narrow. Add in somewhat awkward styling and the RDX was a modest seller that was completely overshadowed by its three-row MDX big brother. Acura seeks to remedy these problems with the redesigned RDX unveiled at the Detroit auto show.
While other SUV manufacturers are moving to small-displacement turbocharged four-cylinders, Acura is retreating to a 3.5-liter V6. Despite the large-displacement engine and its 273 horsepower, Acura is claiming best-in-class fuel economy. Rather than the complicated SH-AWD all-wheel-drive system of the previous RDX, the new RDX has a simpler and lighter system similar to that in the Honda CR-V, upon which it is based.
The styling is smoothed out and, in true Acura fashion, is conservative and forgettable. It looks like a shrunken Acura MDX, or a Chevrolet Equinox, or any one of the seemingly dozens of small SUVs on the market. Our quick sit in the show car's interior revealed an accommodating rear seat and the typical Acura button-laden dashboard.
It's too bad that the RDX is arriving too late to be included in the March issue of Consumer Reports, which includes tests of other upscale small SUVs: the BMW X3, Land Rover Range Rover Evoque, and Volkswagen Tiguan.
We'll see how the RDX stacks up to those rivals and others in this growing category when we buy one to test in early summer. Until then, take a look our a preview video below.
—Tom Mutchler
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