It seems like only yesterday I reviewed the Acura ZDX A-Spec. Short version: it’s a GM EV in Acura clothing, and since it doesn’t have to align with GM’s larger software-defined vehicle strategy, it provides a superior user experience. Namely: the Acura gets an on/off button and Apple CarPlay/Android Auto compatibility.
Now I’m in the sportiest version of this EV: the Acura ZDX Type S. It’s challenging to review on this one as it isn’t that different from the A-Spec. Everything I said about the ZDX A-Spec applies to the ZDX Type S, and differences between the two are mostly superficial. Still, Acura was kind enough to give me the vehicle for a week, so I should return the kindness and talk about it.
Design
Despite being built at a GM plant and featuring a whole bunch of GM parts, the exterior of the ZDX is all-Acura. Visually the ZDX Type S distinguishes itself from the base-level A-Spec with features that include 22-inch wheels and a set of Brembo front brakes that consist of 15.6-inch discs and bright-yellow 6-piston calipers.
There are no major design differences between the two trims, so if you like one, you’ll like the other. What the Type S does offer, however, are more luxuries. So this top-spec Acura EV gets three-zone climate control versus the base model’s two. The front seats offer an additional four ways of power adjustment, for a total of 16. The rear outboard seats are heated, and passengers in the rear get their own control panel to adjust that third climate control zone.
Performance
Generally, all EVs drive the same: quiet, torquey and quick off the line. Differences in power output almost don’t matter as you’ll never really feel said differences in day-to-day driving. But the numbers here are impressive: the ZDX Type S has a 102 kWh battery, 278 miles of range, an electric motor front and rear, and a power rating of 499 horsepower and 544 lb-ft of torque. On the right DC fast charger, this thing can get about 72 miles of range with just 10 minutes of charging and can go from 20% to 80% charge in approximately 42 minutes.
Given that this is the Type S trim, it checks a couple of additional performance boxes in the form of high-performance summer tires and Adaptive Damper System. It all rides fine enough, but in everyday street driving, and with a curb weight of 6,052 pounds, you’d be hard pressed to find any notable handling differences between the A-Spec and Type S. It’s an excellent cruiser, though. But then, so is every other EV.
Tech
The cabin of the ZDX is all GM. Save for the addition of the on/off button and Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, the controls, screens and UX are what you’d find in a new electric Chevy. I still can’t figure out GM’s proprietary software, so the fact that I get CarPlay here immediately gives the Acura the superior infotainment experience.
The ZDX Type S’s “killer app,” if that term is still being used, is the AcuraWatch 360+ system, which is a rebrand of GM’s stellar Super Cruise. This “self-driving” system is geo-fenced to pre-scanned freeways and does an excellent job of going, stopping, going again, and changing lanes as needed—all while you keep your hands and feet off the controls. The fact that the system requires me to keep my eyes focused fully on the road keep me from using it, however. If I have to pay that much attention to things—and be expected to jump in at a moment’s notice should an emergency arise—it’s mentally easier to just drive the thing myself.
Final Thoughts
Like the ZDX A-Spec, I’m left with the same conclusion for this ZDX Type S: it’s expensive. On paper getting that extra tech, features, and a whole lot more power for a measly $10k premium over the A-Spec seems like a hell of a deal. But this specific EV carries a starting MSRP of $74,500—and an as-tested price of $76,450—and the experience it delivers is not too dissimilar from the cheaper EVs currently on the market.
If you love the look of the ZDX, save that $10k and just get a well-equipped A-Spec (and do it fast while that $7500 credit is still available). That gets you an all-electric Acura for a more reasonable $57,000. Or if you can live without CarPlay, Android Auto or an on/off button, the similarly luxurious Cadillac Lyriq RWD will give you the exact same driving experience with a starting cost of $58,590—or $51,090 after the credit. Or just lease one—Acura is offering a ton of killer deals for those happy to turn in their cars every couple of years.
So the ZDX Type S is a good first step for Acura to get its foot in that EV space, but it’s not the home run the brand needs. But… perhaps the Acura-developed/Honda-built EV that was just announced—the reborn RSX—will be a more compelling offering. It should, in theory, deliver the Honda/Acura experience that fans of the brand have come to expect, and that’s only a good thing.
Justin Kaehler has been covering all things automotive for 20 years, and has been an active part of the car scene for much longer than that. Though he’s grown to love all cars, he’s still particularly fond of the ’80s and ’90s Japanese metal he grew up on. And for those of you who grew up playing The Fast and Furious: Tokyo Drift game for the PS2 and PSP, yes, he’s also that JDM Justin.
