Acura prepares new flagship SUV that will sit a step above the MDX

The new model is expected to be equipped with a hybrid powertrain, which is hardly surprising given how poorly Honda is faring with electric vehicles in the American market.

The position of the Acura brand, owned by Japanese company Honda, in its primary market, the US, is currently fairly stable. In 2025, the brand's dealers sold around 134,800 units there, an increase of 1.9% compared to the previous year. In the first half of 2026, sales amounted to 69,700 units (just 0.1% less than in January to June of the previous year). Nevertheless, Acura has previously suffered losses affecting its electric vehicles: in the spring, the company had to abandon production of the RSX sports crossover, and at the end of last year, it discontinued the ZDX.

So it comes as no surprise that the latest new model Acura is preparing will evidently feature a hybrid, rather than a fully electric, powertrain. According to Automotive News, the Japanese brand is already developing a flagship three-row crossover for its domestic market, which will sit one tier above the MDX SUV in the brand's hierarchy.

According to the agency, the upcoming SUV is referred to as the 'Acura XL' in internal documents – whether this is a quirky internal code or a hint at the substantial dimensions and spaciousness of the as-yet-unannounced crossover remains unclear. It is also reported that the company plans to commence series production of the new model in September 2029 at Honda's plant in Lincoln, Alabama. The annual production volume is expected to reach up to 40,000 units.

According to preliminary information, the upcoming flagship SUV will be equipped with a new hybrid powertrain from Honda, with details to be revealed later. It is possible that this system could include a V6 engine. For context, in May 2026, Honda shared some details about its new family of hybrid systems: specifically, that their cost would be reduced by 30% compared to the company's existing hybrid systems, while fuel efficiency would be improved by 10%.

On the American market, the new Acura model is expected to compete with the Lexus TX, which is a close relative of the Toyota Grand Highlander. Sales of the TX in the US began in 2023; its overall length ranges from 5,159 mm to 5,169 mm depending on the version, with a wheelbase of 2,949 mm. It is worth noting that this SUV is currently offered with a 2.4-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine (maximum power: 279 hp, torque: 430 Nm), as well as a hybrid system based on the same turbo engine paired with an electric motor on the rear axle (combined output: 371 hp and 555 Nm).

It is also worth noting that the Japanese brand recently discontinued the Lexus TX 550h+ variant, which was equipped with a plug-in hybrid system based on a 3.5-litre V6 engine, working in conjunction with two electric motors and an 18.1 kWh traction battery. The combined output of this crossover was 410 hp, and its all-electric range was 53 km.

The new flagship Acura crossover is expected to be more expensive than the current MDX. On the American market, the starting price of the current MDX is $51,800, which is equivalent to approximately 4.06 million roubles at the current exchange rate (the price does not include delivery fees). For the top-spec version, the asking price is at least $75,850 (around 5.94 million roubles).