Debuting at NAIAS, the RD-X concept previews Acura's upcoming 2007 entry-level SUV, which is designed to combine "the performance of a sports sedan with the versatility and utility of a premium SUV."
In the flesh, the RD-X concept looks like a smaller MDX, and we're betting it will appeal to Acura's young, active target audience with a good amount of storage space in the back and an integrated hard-drive for storing a digital music library. It rides on an all-new light truck platform. The RD-X concept features a narrow sunroof over the first- and second-row seats, rosewood flooring, nine prominent audio speakers, and an ivory suede and tangerine crocodile leather interior. The effect is a bit like a pimp's lair spattered with Sunkist soda, but production RD-Xs will be more sedate. An innovative wiperless windshield uses blasts of air to dry the windscreen during inclement weather.
Acura hasn't announced powertrain options, but count on 200-plus hp and all-wheel drive. A production RD-X will be available in summer or fall of 2006; this RD-X concept "hints strongly at the production vehicle."
