Lighter, stronger, quicker and more fuel-efficient? Here’s how Acura did it.
For years, the term “all new” has been an abused and incorrectly applied phrase in the lexicon of automotive jargon. However it’s exactly the right term to describe the 2014 Acura MDX. This premium-grade seven-passenger wagon shares nothing with its predecessor and also breaks new ground in content, technology and fuel efficiency.
Of course the shape and familial shield-type grille are dead giveaways as to the MDX’s origins. But a slightly lower roofline, a 7.5-centimetre stretch between the front and rear wheels and a five-centimetre gain in overall length makes it appear larger than the tape measure suggests. The new MDX conveys a stronger sense of luxury, especially with its “Jewel Eye” headlights that have become the signature styling item for the Acura brand.
Although cargo volume has been slightly reduced, functionality has improved with added length behind the third-row seat. There’s also a flatter load floor when both rear rows are folded.
The MDX has supportive frontrow buckets and an adjustable second row with 15 centimetres of fore/aft travel. That creates a decent passageway to the third row that’s suitable for a couple of kids, but remains a penalty box for adults. To assist, however, there are illuminated buttons on each side and behind the second-row bench that, when pushed, make the seat slide forward for easier entry and exit.
Up front, an extra-deep floor console offers storage space for bulky purses as well as a separate bin for wallets and cell phones.
Button clutter on the redesigned dashboard and control panel is reduced to nine from 41 as the rest are now incorporated into a console-mounted dial plus a touchscreen display for the audio, communications and climate-control systems.
For the driver, a simple display between the speedometer and tachometer shows basic navigation and audio info plus outside temperature, average speed and fuel consumption.
The previous MDX featured a firmed-up ride and sporty (as in high-effort) steering, but customer feedback showed that that’s not the priority. The 2014 model goes the other way, now, with a more supple ride and lighter steering. The MDX drives like an upscale wagon should, but is in no way bouncy or sloppy over rough surfaces.
The finished product now rests on an all-new (there’s that term again) and more rigid platform, complete with front and rear suspensions specifically designed to improve ride and reduce annoying road noises.
Acura claims the more aerodynamic body structure weighs about 55 kilograms less and, combined with other measures, contributes to a total 125-kilogram weight trimming ( for comparison, the Audi Q7 is heavier by about 450 kilograms).
Another area of reduction is the 290-horsepower 3.5litre V6 that replaces the 300-horsepower 3.7. Smaller, yes, but no one will be the wiser since the 3.5’s torque rating is within three pound-feet (267 at 4,500 r.p.m. versus 270 at 5,000 r.p.m.) of the 3.7 and the lighter MDX moves about as smartly and smoothly as ever. It’s also more fuel efficient, with an estimated 11.2 l/100 km city rating and 7.7 on the highway, bettering the previous 13.2/9.6 marks. That’s close to 25 per cent better on the highway.
Those numbers would improve if the U.S.-only frontwheel-drive MDX (a first for the brand) was offered in Canada. It would also have dropped the base AWD MDX’s $51,900 list price by at least a few thousand dollars. At the upper end of the scale,the loaded-to-the gills MDX Elite tops $67,900.
However the improved AWD system is one of the vehicle’s key strengths, considering how well it aids badweather grip and works with the braking system to help keep the MDX on its intended path in the turns (called torque vectoring). It certainly demonstrated its abilities by keeping the MDX on track while traversing Oregon’s rain-soaked secondary roads.
No matter how you slice it, the MDX’s improved status will score major points with buyers and give the proper meaning to the term “all new.”