Acura Engineers Moved from Japan to Make Sure the ZDX is All Acura

It’s no secret that Acura’s first ever electric car isn’t all Acura. Or is it?

Recently Jonathon Rivers, the brand’s manager of product planning, joined The AutoGuide Show podcast to discuss the launch of the new ZDX and what the Honda luxury division did to stay true to the Acura brand.

Acura hasn’t been shy about how the ZDX is based on the same platform as some General Motors products, like the Cadillac Lyriq, and that it will be powered by GM’s Ultium batteries.

“It’s no secret that we did co-development with GM,” said Rivers. “But that’s exactly what it is - complete co-development. There’s no badge engineering here.”

Acura’s commitment means the car’s design is all Acura, with the exterior executed by the brand’s design studio in Los Angeles. “If you look at the car it’s very unique, and yet it fits with the Acura design language,” says Rivers.

But for the hard engineering, that had to take place in Detroit.

“From the onset, Honda and Acura actually assigned key engineers to the development of ZDX and many of them actually moved to Michigan,” said Rivers. “And whether that was from Ohio or even Japan, they actually moved their families and their lives to go work hand-in-hand with the engineering team at General Motors.”

The results, he said, are what journalists, and then the buying public, will get to experience in the future.

“And what that did, is it allowed them to have a lot of control as to the styling of what the vehicle would look like. And to ensure that it looks, feels, and most importantly drives, like an Acura.”

Acura has already released plenty of specs on the vehicle with an entry-level A-Spec model starting at $64,500, delivering 340-hp and between 315-325 miles of range. An S Type model will also be on offer with 500-hp and approximately 288 miles of range. The S Type will retail from $73,500.

The ZDX is currently available for pre-order via Acura’s website with the first deliveries planned for early Spring of this year.

For more on the ZDX and to listen to the full interview with Jonathon Rivers, be sure to check out The AutoGuide Show podcast and subscribe today!

Become an AutoGuide insider. Get the latest from the automotive world first by subscribing to our newsletter here.