The New Acura RSX Isn't What We Hoped For (But We're Still Excited)
The Acura RSX is back, at least in name. Instead of the sporty Acura RSX coupe of years past, the new RSX is an electric crossover. Before you get mad, there's a lot of good news regarding the new Acura, some of it with far-reaching implications toward the future of at least part of Honda's and Acura's lineups.
Details are scarce now, but Acura says the new RSX EV will use an in-house electrified platform. This is great news, as the previous Acura- and Honda-badged EVs, the Acura ZDX and Honda Prologue, used General Motors' Ultium platform, which has experienced its own trials. tribulations, and teething issues.
The production of the RSX EV will inaugurate parent company Honda's new EV manufacturing process in Ohio. It may not be the news everyone was expecting or some had hoped for, but a new electrified platform built in the United States is a net positive.
Acura is dipping its toes into the EV world
Acura hasn't spilled the beans yet on what sort of power the RSX EV will have, how much it will cost, or what kind of range it will offer. So far, the world at large only has a single picture of a crossover SUV with a "coupe-like" roof line. There isn't even a release window yet.
However, there is a lot of information to be gleaned from the announcement. Acura reassures everyone who feared that the brand was going all-electric, with Mike Langel, Acura assistant vice president, saying: "Our second all-electric SUV will solidify our EV credentials even as its ICE stablemates, the all-new ADX, RDX, MDX, TLX and Integra continue to attract new buyers to the Acura brand." So gas-powered Acuras aren't going anywhere.
Secondly, there are undoubtedly more EV Hondas and Acuras coming down the pipeline. Honda wouldn't go through the trouble of debuting an entirely new manufacturing process for a single model. There aren't any announcements yet, but Honda will likely follow up soon with a Honda-badged variant of the RSX.