As Acura’s first fully electric vehicle, the ZDX Type S is an important car for the brand, but it’s not a genuine Acura or Honda product. The new ZDX is built on the same General Motors Ultium architecture as several other cars including Honda’s Prologue, Chevrolet’s Blazer EV, and Cadillac’s Lyriq. I attended the first drive of the Blazer EV so I had a good idea of what to expect from Acura’s luxury crossover, and I hoped the folks at Acura had somehow transformed the boring Blazer into something magnificent. Spoiler alert: they didn’t.
The new ZDX might not be a ground-up Acura, but it is a roomy crossover with distinctive looks. Being built on the Ultium platform means the ZDX has an impossibly long wheelbase that stretches 121-inches– eight inches longer than the wheelbase of Acura’s MDX three-row crossover. Other Ultium platform hallmarks include a truly cavernous interior, no front trunk, and some solid technology. The ZDX Type S has all of those traits, and adds good power to the list, but after driving the new it around Montecito, it just still feels too much like its siblings, to the detriment of the Acura.
Full disclosure: Acura invited me to a five-star luxury resort in Montecito, California, the same town that Oprah Winfrey lives in, so I could drive and evaluate the ZDX Type S, the brand’s first EV. I arrived, handed my keys to the valet, and was walked to my lanai by a butler, who helped bring my bags into my gorgeous room.
The lineup offers three trims: A-Spec RWD, A-Spec AWD, and Type S AWD. The ZDX A-Spec RWD starts at $65,850 (including $1,350 in destination charges), the ZDX A-Spec AWD costs $69,850, and the top-of-the-line ZDX Type S that drove is priced at $74,850. Single motor rear-drive A-Spec models produce 358 horsepower and 324 pound-feet of torque and are EPA rated at 313 miles of max range, while the dual-motor all-wheel-drive A-Spec models have 490 hp and 437 lb-ft of torque with an EPA estimated range of 304 miles. The Type S, meanwhile, produces up to 500 hp and 544 lb-ft of torque in sport mode and comes with a range of 278 miles on a charge, which from my short drive seems easily attainable.
Driving the ZDX Type S is a straightforward affair, despite the drive mode selector being a long reach for a tiny button on the dashboard to the left of the steering wheel, directly out of sight. There are no real surprises once you’re on the move. It has great power, but not enough to scare you. Acura doesn’t quote an exact 0-to-60-mph time, but claims the ZDX Type S will reach the 60-mph mark in under 5 seconds. The steering is devoid of road feel, but it’s nicely weighted and is direct enough to keep things almost fun. Through the corners you feel the heft of the platform — the ZDX Type S weighs more than 6,000 pounds — and its immediate inclination is to push wide when the tires lose grip despite wearing performance rubber.
On the highway occupants are treated to a reasonably quiet interior and a nice ride — until your 22-inch wheels hit a bump and the whole car shudders. The six-piston Brembo brakes do a great job of slowing down this 6,052 pound beast, and regenerative braking is offered in two strengths: low regen mode, which is quite subtle, and full one-pedal driving, which is very abrupt and requires carefully calculated ankle flexion to reach a smooth stop.
My biggest gripe with the ZDX Type S is the disappointing interior quality. Acura talked a lot about the stitching on the dash and genuine aluminum and chrome details, but the reality is a different story. The entire center console is made of either the same scratchy GM plastics that you find in a rental Chevy Spark, or a strange new metal-flake-effect plastic. Everything below the armrests, and yes that includes the entire bi-level center console, feels like it belongs in a $30,000 car, not a $75,000 car.
My drive partner set his camera in the lower level of the console expecting it to be rubberized, but it slid right off because there isn’t even a rubberized pad, just hard plastic. Hoping for felt trim inside the center armrest or door pockets to keep your goodies from rattling around in there? Not unless you install it yourself.
The tech works fine, which is better than can be said of the Blazer EV — at the launch, nobody faced any of the debilitating software issues that led to the ZDX platform-mate’s stop-sale order. Wireless Apple CarPlay worked smoothly, the native navigation system worked great, and Super Cruise worked well, too. Oh wait, it’s called AcuraWatch 360+ in the ZDX. Anyway, the system functioned just fine, and the surround-view cameras were a boon for maneuvering.
Acura will sell all ZDX models through a new online shopping platform that still requires dealer involvement. Customers can choose to buy from home, or go into an Acura showroom to have a salesperson help them through the purchase process. Regardless of where you complete your purchase, you must select a dealer to process the transaction, though. Dealers will have some flexibility in setting prices, so you might still have to shop around online to find the best deal.
Acura includes charging incentives at purchase, allowing buyers to choose from a few complimentary packages. The first includes a free Level 2 home charger, $500 for charger installation, and $100 public charge credit. The second package offers a portable Level 1 and 2 charger, $250 installation credit and $300 public charge credit, while the final package offers a straight-up $750 public charge credit. The ZDX can charge at a rate of up to 190 kW, which allows most models to gain up to 81 miles of range in 10 minutes of charging, though the Type S can only gain a maximum of 72 miles in 10 minutes of charging. These charging speeds are the same as the Blazer EV, and slightly quicker than the Honda Prologue’s maximum charging capacity of 150 kW.
All 2024 Acura ZDXs are eligible for the full $7,500 federal EV rebate, which helps to mitigate the high prices, but buyers will still pay a lot of money for what ultimately is a disappointing experience. The Tesla Model Y Performance is a cheaper car that offers a bit more range than the ZDX Type S, goes 0-60 mph in 3.5 seconds, and surprisingly has better interior materials. Acura pitches the ZDX Type S against competitors like the BMW iX 50i, Audi SQ8 E-Tron and Mercedes-Benz EQE500, which are all more expensive but offer much more luxurious accommodations. The ZDX isn’t a bad vehicle, to be clear. Competitors just provide more compelling packages overall.
