The 2022 MDX will arrive at dealers in February of 2021.

What’s new?

• All-new Platform, Body and Chassis
• Double Wishbone Front Suspension, Multi-link Rear Suspension
• Enhanced 3.5-liter V6 powertrain (290 horsepower, 267 lb.-ft. of torque)
• 10-Speed Automatic Transmission (standard)
• 4th Generation Super Handling All-Wheel Drive (SH-AWD)
• 19 x 8.5-inch wheels (+1-inch diameter, +0.5-inch width) (standard)
• Panoramic Sunroof (standard)
• Removable second row middle seat (standard)
• Integrated Dynamic System (Snow, Comfort, Normal, Sport, Individual) (standard)
• Available 16-Speaker, 710 watt ELS STUDIO 3D premium audio system
• 3-inch Precision Cockpit all-digital instrument display (standard)
• 3-inch ultra-wide HD center display (standard)
• True Touchpad Interface (standard)
• Wireless Apple CarPlay & Android Auto (standard)
• Qi-compatible Wireless Charging and USB-C Charging (standard)
• Amazon Alexa Built-In (standard)
• Available CabinTalk
• Traffic Jam Assist (TJA) (standard)
• Available Low Speed Brake Control
• Next-Generation Passenger Front Airbag (standard)

Exterior design

Dimensionally, the new MDX sits on a 7cm longer wheelbase, with a stance that’s 3.5cm wider in the front and rear. Additionally, the new MDX sits 0.8cm lower than its predecessor.

Perhaps the significant dimensional change is the dash-to-axle ratio, which has been extended by 15cm. This lengthens the hood line significantly, giving MDX a premium “cab rearward” proportion, and emphasizing the power under its long and sharply creased hood. The bold and sporting new look is accentuated by a multi-faceted Diamond Pentagon grille and new four-element JewelEye LED headlights with an embedded Chicane daytime running light.

The MDX’s windows are framed by a chrome strip (gloss black on the A-Spec package) that begins in front of the mirrors on the front fender, running under the outside mirrors and ultimately circling the side windows.

Body and Chassis

MDX’s double-wishbone front suspension is a core feature of Acura’s DNA. The suspension delivers a larger tire contact patch through corners, helping to increase grip while improving ride quality with a greater vertical freedom of movement. The new rear suspension improves stability and response, and together they give MDX a world-class combination of ride comfort and agility.

The new platform includes multiple enhancements in rigidity. In front, the damper connects to a new cast aluminum housing that is 45-percent stiffer overall for better noise isolation, with a new rigid-mounted subframe contributing to a 7-percent increase in lateral torsion for better handling. The rear body uses a new dual-balanced load path for the rear damper mounting points, contributing to a 41-percent improvement in stiffness for better noise isolation, and an 80-percent torsion improvement that benefits handling.

The 2022 Acura MDX will be available in 8 colour finishes, including two new offerings Phantom Violet Pearl first offered on the 2021 TLX and an all-new Liquid Carbon Metallic. Apex Blue Pearl and Performance Red Pearl return as exclusive colours offered on the MDX A-Spec. Gloss black accents front to rear, darkened headlight and taillight treatment and Shark-Gray wheels add a distinct sport appearance to the MDX A-Spec.

Inside particularity

First-class front-seat comfort is enabled via next-generation Acura sport seats featuring 12-way adjustment, three-way seat heating and three-position memory – all standard. MDX A-Spec adds ventilated front seats while the Platinum Elite Package gains additional power-adjusting side bolsters and thigh extensions for 16-way adjustment.

In the second row, 2022 MDX features a removable center seat providing owners three discrete seating options; a traditional bench for 3-across seating and 7-passenger total capacity (middle seat up), a captain’s chair style wide center armrest with additional drink holders (middle seat down), or wide pass-through for access to the third row (middle seat removed), particularly useful when child seats are installed in the outboard second-row seats.

A hallmark of the MDX since its introduction in 2001, the third row is further improved on the 2022 MDX with an additional 1cm of headroom, 6cm of legroom and a seating position that’s 5cm higher from the floor compared to the outgoing model. With the new standard panoramic moonroof on all MDX trims, the third row has a light and spacious feeling. In MDX Platinum Elite trim, rear seat occupants have their own USB charging ports on the left and right side of the cabin.

Behind the third row, cargo space has been increased 1.5 cu.-ft. to 16.3 cu.-ft. total; cargo space can expand up to 71.4 cu.-ft. with both second and third rows folded. The fourth-generation MDX also features expanded under-floor storage behind the third row, with 1.8 cu.-ft. available under the cargo floor. The floor panel drops into the cargo well to expand the MDX’s rear cargo area behind the third row to 18.1 cubic feet, and is reversible, with a carpeted side and an easy-to-clean hard side for dirty or wet items.

MDX also will be available in six different interior colour schemes, depending on the package, including Ebony, Parchment, Greystone and Saddle Brown. A-Spec models will be available exclusively in either Ebony or Red leather with black Ultrasuede inserts. MDX with Technology Package and above feature seats wrapped in rich, soft-touch Milano leather seating surfaces with contrast stitching while Platinum Elite Package models add contrast piping for all three rows.

All New:

• Precision Cockpit Digital Instrumentation
  • Replaces physical gauges with a customizable 12.3-inch driver’s meter.
• Improved True Touchpad Interface
  • At an ultra-wide 12.3-inches, the full-HD display works seamlessly with the Acura-exclusive touchpad with a new CPU for improved performance.
• Integrated Dynamics System
  • The MDX’s Integrated Dynamics System offers Snow, Comfort, Normal, Sport and Individual settings. The control knob on the center of the dash enables drivers to quickly switch modes on the go, with each mode offering unique settings for engine and transmission performance including Idle Stop, steering settings, and SH-AWD responsiveness when so equipped.
• Award Winning Audio System
  • The 2022 MDX will be offered with three different audio experiences.
• Connectivity & Charging
  • A pop-up socket in the center console contains USB-C and USB-A charging ports in front of a convenient pocket for smartphones.
• CabinControl
  • Enables passengers to control music, audio settings, rear climate controls, navigation and even the panoramic moonroof’s sunshade position using a downloadable smartphone app.
• AcuraLink
  • In-vehicle 4GLTE Wi-Fi, over-the-air software update capability and a wide array of available cloud-based services, including emergency roadside assistance, remote locking/unlocking and engine start, stolen vehicle tracking, remote diagnostics, geofencing, speed tracking and Acura concierge services.

Advanced Powertrain

The 2022 Acura MDX debuts with an advanced 3.5-litre direct-injected i-VTEC™ V6 engine rated at 290 peak horsepower and 267 lb.-ft. peak torque (both SAE net).

For the first time, the 3.5-litre V6 in MDX is paired with Acura’s 10-speed automatic transmission with Sequential SportShift and standard paddle shifters. The transmission offers a wider gear ratio range, more discrete gears, four-gear direct downshifts and lower first gear compared to the previous 9-speed automatic transmission.

The 2022 MDX with Super Handling All-Wheel Drive is rated at 12.3L/100km city/9.4 highway/10.8 combined.

The rear-biased Super Handling All-Wheel Drive (SH-AWD) system for MDX is standard equipment on all models. Now in its fourth generation, SH-AWD has 40 percent more rear torque capacity and 30 percent quicker front-to-rear torque transfer than the third-generation system in the previous MDX. The Acura SH-AWD system can transfer up to 70-percent of engine torque to the rear axle during normal driving conditions, while continuously apportioning up to 100 percent of that rear-axle torque between either the left or right rear wheels.

Advanced Safety and Driver-Assistive Technologies

All 2022 MDX trims will come standard with an expanded suite of AcuraWatch safety and driver-assistive technologies. For 2022, AcuraWatch includes updated Road Departure Mitigation plus new technologies, such as Traffic Jam Assist (TJA), Traffic Sign Recognition (TSR), Pedestrian Detection and a new Driver Attention Monitor. Working in conjunction with Adaptive Cruise Control with Low Speed Follow, Traffic Jam Assist helps reduce driver stress in highly congested traffic situations by helping keep the vehicle in its lane and at a set interval behind a vehicle detected ahead. In addition, MDX will feature a new front and rear automatic braking system called Low Speed Braking.

Like the just-launched 2021 TLX, the new MDX features Acura’s next-generation passenger front airbag technology. This new proprietary airbag uses a three-chamber design that functions much like a baseball catcher’s mitt, designed to more effectively cradle and protect the front seat occupant’s head to help mitigate potential injury, especially in angled frontal collisions.

The 2022 MDX targets a 5-star Overall Vehicle Score from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), and incorporates anticipated future testing requirements, including oblique frontal collisions, pedestrian safety, and forward warning and automatic emergency braking tests. In addition, the new MDX targets a Top Safety Pick+ rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), including the highest available rating of GOOD in all collision tests and SUPERIOR for frontal crash prevention, with new headlights designed to achieve a GOOD rating in the rigorous IIHS headlight standard.

High-Performance MDX Type S

Arriving at dealerships in late summer 2021, the MDX Type S joins the lineup.

Under the hood will be Acura’s all-new 3.0-litre turbocharged DOHC V6 engine, producing an estimated 355 horsepower and 354 lb-ft of torque, coupled with Acura’s SH-AWD. Maximizing grip, the new MDX Type S will feature standard 21-inch wheels with 275-series tires, and additional braking power coming from 4-piston Brembo front brakes.

Inside, Type S drivers will find even higher levels of refinement, with available 9-mode massaging front seats accented with curvilinear stitching, and colours and trim unique to Type S. A new available “Signature Edition” ELS STUDIO 3D premium audio system will be the most advanced and powerful audio system ever offered in an Acura vehicle, with more than 1,000 watts of power, 22 discrete channels and 25 speakers.