October 5, 2006 - Acura calls its all-new RDX the "SUV soul mate of the Acura TSX sedan". Given all the hype surrounding the burgeoning car-based "SUV" crossover vehicle segment, we're surprised that Acura is trying to tag the RDX as an SUV. As you can well guess, there's nothing SUV-like about the RDX. It's built like a car, is powered by a sedan-sourced four-cylinder engine and has just about 5 inches of ground clearance. So why is Acura calling the RDX a "SUV"? We feel that the RDX could have a lot more "cred" if Acura would just go and call it a "crossover". But we don't care if the RDX isn't a real SUV. In fact, we like the RDX because it isn't a SUV. Essentially a tall wagon, the RDX rides and drives like a sports sedan -- which is exactly why we like it.
Note that we said we "like" the RDX -- not "love" the RDX. The vehicle's chassis and powertrain are great, but we think that its potential got diluted through Acura's attempt to brand it as a "SUV". Instead of giving enthusiasts a high-powered turbocharged all-wheel-drive sport wagon, Acura just had to try to make this vehicle "truck-like". We're not huge fans of the RDX's look: its lines are too chunky, its nose is too long and pointy and the back end just seems to end too abruptly. It may look well-proportioned in some of these photos, but the RDX's overall dimensions just seem a bit out of whack when seen in-person. Can you imagine just how sexy this vehicle would have been if Acura just made an estate (wagon) version of the TL or TSX?
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