- Acura has revealed plans for its short-term future, including a new “adventure-ready” SUV that could be inspired by Honda’s TrailSport models.
- Honda’s luxury arm also confirmed that it’s currently developing another new SUV that’ll seat eight and be its largest model ever.
- The rugged SUV will arrive in 2028, and the new flagship SUV is expected to follow around 2030; they should also both feature a new hybrid V-6 powertrain.
Acura’s SUV lineup is about to get a lot bigger. Not only will the automaker add its first off-road-capable model since the SLX from the ‘90s, but it’s also currently working on its largest SUV yet. While we don’t yet know what either of these new vehicles will be called, Acura today shared some interesting details about its short-term future.
Honda’s Passport TrailSport could provide inspiration for Acura’s new “adventure-ready” SUV.
First, let’s talk about its so-called “adventure-ready” SUV, which the company said will arrive in the first part of 2028. Acura says it’s designed to take the brand into a new segment, and it released a teaser photo that shows a multispoke wheel with what appears to be an all-terrain tire spinning in the dirt. If it wasn’t for the brand’s caliper-inspired logo, we might have confused the image for a shot of the Honda Passport TrailSport’s wheel. Considering Honda and Acura share platforms, there’s a chance that the latter’s new rugged SUV will be heavily related to the former’s TrailSport Range.
This Acura concept could provide clues about what its future SUVs will look like.
The other big news that Acura announced is something that has been rumored for a while. Now, the company has confirmed that it’s currently developing an eight-passenger SUV that will be even larger than the existing three-row mid-size MDX. Since Acura didn’t share a timeline for when its new flagship SUV will go on sale, we’re thinking it will most likely be around 2030, considering that’s when Honda’s newly planned hybrid-only factory is expected to be operational. It’s also safe to bet that both the adventure-ready and largest-ever SUVs will be powered by Acura’s new hybrid V-6 powertrain. Honda has already shared some details about this setup, which will feature up to three electric motors and is claimed to improve acceleration by 10 percent.
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Eric Stafford’s automobile addiction began before he could walk, and it has fueled his passion to write news, reviews, and more for Car and Driver since 2016. His aspiration growing up was to become a millionaire with a Jay Leno–like car collection. Apparently, getting rich is harder than social-media influencers make it seem, so he avoided financial success entirely to become an automotive journalist and drive new cars for a living. After earning a journalism degree at Central Michigan University and working at a daily newspaper, the years of basically burning money on failed project cars and lemon-flavored jalopies finally paid off when Car and Driver hired him. His garage currently includes a 2010 Acura RDX, a manual '97 Chevy Camaro Z/28, and a '90 Honda CRX Si.