2024 Acura ZDX Review and Road Test
2024 is proving to be a watershed year in the market for electric vehicles. With supply chains easing and dealer inventories increasing, EVs are finally becoming more affordable and easier to obtain. More importantly, there’s so much more choice this year than in prior years. While in the past you would have limited choices in each vehicle class if you wanted to go electric, there are multiple new entries in every segment, offering shoppers a wide variety of options to suit their needs. That’s true even of brands like Acura, who until now, had no fully-electric vehicles available at all. Now, with the introduction of the 2024 ZDX, Acura is entering one of the most competitive segments in the market with a fully-electric luxury SUV – and its first full EV.
Shared Architecture with General Motors
Brought to market relatively quickly since being announced in 2023, the ZDX is actually built on a shared architecture with General Motors, called the Ultium platform, which has been designed for electric propulsion from the ground up. Like the Cadillac Lyriq, Chevrolet Blazer EV, and the Honda Prologue, the ZDX has a cutting-edge electrical architecture, with GM’s latest-generation batteries, fast charging speeds (200 kW on a compatible charger), and powerful electric motors. Since the Ultium platform doesn’t have to accommodate a gasoline engine, it also means that more space can be reserved for passengers and cargo, resulting in a more efficient package overall.
A long “skateboard” chassis pushes the ZDX’s four wheels out to the corners of its body, giving this electric luxury SUV a unique stance. Despite its long wheelbase and spacious cabin, the ZDX actually has quite a long “hood,” under which the power electronics, HVAC system, and other mechanical items live. There is, unfortunately, no “frunk.”
While early GM vehicles built off the Ultium platform had some well-publicized software issues, my experience with the ZDX was completely seamless. From its sophisticated Google-powered infotainment system to its charging timers, advanced driver assistance systems, and digital dashboard, the Acura EV worked flawlessly. While the software underpinning it all is based on General Motors’ latest, the interface for everything from the instrument cluster to the seat memory and the audio system will be familiar to anyone who has driven a recent Acura. The colors, fonts, and general operating logic are all familiar and intuitive – and also a quick learn for anyone coming from any other vehicle from any other brand.
Acura ZDX Trim and Pricing Options
Three different versions of the ZDX are available, and because it is built in the U.S., all of them are eligible for the $7,500 federal EV tax incentive. The lineup starts with the rear-wheel drive ZDX A-Spec, which has a single motor, rear-wheel drive, 358 hp and an EPA-estimated range of 313 miles. Its starting MSRP is $64,500. Upgrading to all-wheel drive on the ZDX A-Spec ups power to 490 hp thanks to dual motors, drops the EPA-estimated range to 304 miles, and comes with a starting MSRP of $68,500. Sitting at the top of the range is the all-wheel drive Type S, with a starting MSRP of $73,500. Power rises to 499 hp, estimated range drops to 278 miles thanks to larger wheels and tires, and you get giant Brembo brakes and the option of performance tires.
The ZDX I drove will likely be the best-selling model, an all-wheel drive A-Spec. While it lacks the 22-inch wheels and adaptive air suspension fitted to the Type S, it’s hard to imagine anyone feeling short-changed by the performance on offer. Even with its individual drive mode set up to give more relaxed throttle response, the ZDX offers instantaneous, right-now acceleration that makes it a blast to drive around town and on the open road. At low speeds, it emits a low hum to let pedestrians know it’s there, but (unless you turn on the artificial “sport” noise generator) once you’ve pulled away from a light, the ZDX is incredibly silent and refined, a great place to relax and spend time.
Acura ZDX Driving Experience
On 20-inch wheels, the ZDX also rides really well, with a true luxury-car feel that smothers all but the biggest bumps without any fuss; I certainly didn’t miss the adjustable air suspension that comes with the Type S, and I suspect the Type S’ ride quality will be compromised by its larger wheels and tires.
The flip side of the comfort is that the ZDX, at least in A-Spec trim, lacks the sharpness in corners you might expect if you’re coming out of another Acura. While the steering is light and very accurate, it’s a little bit slow around the straight-ahead, with nice weight but not a lot of feel. While body roll is well-contained, you’re always aware of the 5,900 pounds of SUV you’re tossing around, and the tires start to protest at relatively moderate speeds.
What is very impressive about the ZDX is its overall efficiency, and especially the efficiency of its regeneration. With 102 kWh on tap, the ZDX will always go a long way between charges, but I was constantly surprised and amazed by how well it would perform in real-world driving. The ZDX would regularly go 20 miles while losing only 15 miles of charge in mixed conditions, while on the freeway, its range estimate was incredibly accurate at speeds above the limit. Regenerative braking is smooth, seamless, and effective; you rarely notice it working.
That’s notable because in its default mode, the ZDX behaves much like a gasoline vehicle, with only gentle deceleration, though two “one-pedal” options can be chosen on the central touchscreen; there’s also a steering wheel-mounted paddle you can pull to temporarily increase the regen. It all works so effectively that, combined with the big battery, I never once experienced range anxiety with the ZDX, even over a busy long weekend packed with road tripping between friends, family, and home.
Spacious and Luxurious Interior
And the ZDX is a really, really nice vehicle to travel in. A long 122-inch wheelbase gives this EV – which shares its basic dimensions with the Cadillac Lyriq and Chevrolet Blazer EV – a remarkably spacious interior for its size, with stretch-out room in both the front and rear seats, as well as a massive cargo area that will hold all the luggage you’ll ever likely travel with. The heated and cooled seats, upholstered in a combination of synthetic leather and microfiber cloth with contrasting stitching on the A-Spec, are all-day comfortable and supportive. A giant panoramic moonroof brings plenty of light into the cabin, and the standard 18-speaker Bang & Olufsen sound system delivers beautifully clear, crisp sound.
Most of the vehicle’s controls are clustered together on a large touchscreen mounted on the top of the dash. Its interface is clear and easy-to-use, avoiding many of the gimmicks and multi-level menus that you see in some German competitors like the BMW iX and Audi Q8 e-tron. Google technology is built-in, giving you an easy-to-use voice assistant, live Google maps, and access to your music playlists and other preferences. Wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are standard, and there’s a wireless charging pocket for your smartphone in the center console. What’s nice is that, despite all of the digital connectivity, there are still physical knobs and switches for volume and climate control, making the ZDX really easy to operate on the go.
This isn’t a perfect interior, however. Despite the large glass area, thick pillars and the position of the large side-view mirrors make maneuvering in tight quarters more challenging than it needs to be. While there are lots of physical controls to turn the driver assists on and off, the controls for the headlights and parking lights are inexplicably moved to a small icon on the infotainment screen. And while the quality of the materials and build overall matches what you’ll find in other Acura models, there are a couple of large plastic moldings, including the one at the top of the dash, right in your eyeline, which have rough edges and don’t fit that well (the presence of pin-sharp ambient lighting further accentuates the rough edges).
2024 Acura ZDX: Conclusion
Some interior foibles aside, though, the ZDX has a lot to recommend it if you are shopping for an electric luxury SUV. Its starting MSRP in the low sixties is a little higher than a similarly-equipped Cadillac Lyriq (which is also eligible for the $7,500 incentive) and while the Lyriq comes across as more luxurious, the ZDX’s interior is actually more comfortable and its technology is easier to use. German brands like BMW and Mercedes-Benz, with their iX and EQE, have similar range estimates but only come with a lot more power and all-wheel drive, costing, in the case of the BMW iX, over $20,000 more. The upcoming Audi Q6 e-tron, which is expected to be less expensive than the Q8 e-tron with better tech and range, should be a strong competitor when it arrives later this year.
If you’re interested in a luxury SUV from an import brand, the ZDX currently occupies a bit of a sweet spot. With good range, really impressive efficiency, great refinement and a spacious cabin – as well as that federal incentive – the Acura ZDX offers a lot of content, style, and luxury at a palatable price. If you’re willing to forego the luxury badge, the all-new Honda Prologue shares much of the ZDX’s tech and space, with a little less performance, starting at an MSRP of $47,400, with the leather-lined Touring starting at $51,700.
