It’s no secret that the Acura ZDX has struggled to find its niche in the crossover utility market since arriving on the scene for 2010. With sales numbers during the first nine months of 2012 on the short side of 700 total units, Honda‘s luxury division has decided that next year will mark its final appearance in showrooms as the automaker "sharpens its focus on new models and core products." To mark that departure, the 2013 Acura ZDX has been recast as a value-added monospec offering that carries over the same powertrain and SH-AWD system but gains several new safety enhancements along with a mildly restyled grille.
Available only as a ZDX with the equivalent of an expanded Technology Package, the formidable list of standards on the 2013 model includes heated/ventilated front seats wrapped in perforated Milano leather, a 435-watt Acura/ELS Surround 10-speaker audio system with 15 GB hard disk drive memory, Acura Navigation System with Voice Recognition, 8.0-inch high-res VGA display, multi-view rear view camera, Bluetooth HandsFreeLink, Keyless Access System and dual-zone automatic climate control. However, it also gains Forward Collision Warning and Lane Departure Warning systems along with front/rear parking sensors and power-folding side mirrors. The 2013 Acura ZDX goes on sale later this month and will sticker at $51,495. While $4,480 above the entry-level 2012 ZDX, it’s also $20 below an equivalent version that lacks all of those aforementioned new features.
