Autoblog

The crash-happy folks over at the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) have just released the results of their newest round of testing, and Acura and Ford have come out on top. Both the Acura MDX and the Ford Taurus/Mercury Sable earned the highest possible scores.

The MDX was rated as "Good" in front-, side- and rear-collisions, and the same goes for the Taurus and its rebadged sibling. All three vehicles garnered the "Top Safety Pick" award, which was aided by the fact that the Taurus and Sable have optional stability control.

Although there was no mention of the IIHS's new seat/head restraint results for the FoMoCo twins, the MDX had improved its score in that department after Honda engineers tinkered with the setup for the 2007 model year.

[Source: Detroit News]

In an interview with Automotive News, Honda's CEO, Takeo Fukui said that the automaker's newly developed diesel technology will find its way into their light truck offerings of the future.

The vehicles identified by Fukui as being the likely recipients of a V6 diesel are the Ridgeline pickup, Pilot SUV and Odyssey minivan, with Acura's MDX also being a candidate for oil-burning power.

The V6 engine is currently under development and will likely debut sometime after Honda introduces their 2.2-liter diesel in 2009.

Another interesting tidbit from Fukui's interview with AN was his comment about the possibility of future Honda vehicles receiving turbocharged mills. He indicated that the introduction of the turbo'd Acura RDX did not mean that only the high-end automaker would benefit from the glories of forced induction. We'd like to see a factory-blown version of the Honda Remix come out by the end of the decade, but we're not going to start saving up yet.

[Source: Automotive News – Sub. Req.]

Ford informed its dealers yesterday that the Edge and Lincoln MKX crossovers will not arrive at dealership in mid- to late-November as previously planned, but would instead be delayed a couple of weeks until at least December. Joe Hinrichs, Ford's vice president of North American manufacturing, said in an interview that there are "some hiccups in the launch curve." The Edge and MDX MKX are already being built at Ford's Oakville, Ontario plant and completed units number in the thousands. It sounds like the assembly line is being slowed or even stopped because of these undefined "hiccups". Though Ford will lose valuable selling days in the month of November, we think the Blue Oval made the right decision to delay these crossovers until it's confident they can be pumped out with no problem. Ford needs to prove the successful launch of the Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan and Lincoln Zephyr wasn't a flash in the pan, and an initial batch of Edge and MKX crossovers that have quality problems would do more damage than this delay.

[Source: Automotive News]

Acura announced Friday the pricing structure for its all-new MDX seven-passenger SUV, which hits U.S. showrooms October 17. The 3.7-liter 300-hp MDX will have a base price of $39,995, and will be available with three option packages:

• Technology Package - $43,495 buys your inner geek a 10-speaker, 410-watt surround sound audio system, plus a nav system with voice recognition, the AcuraLink satellite communication system with real-time traffic, and a rearview camera
• Sport Package - for $45,595 you get the Technology Package plus the Active Damper System sport suspension, upgraded interior leather, model-specific alloy wheels and auto-leveling Xenon headlights
• Entertainment Package - a $2,200 add-on to either the Sport or Technology package, the Entertainment option buys you a rear-seat DVD entertainment system, 110 VAC outlet, heated second row seats and a power tailgate.

All versions are subject to a $670 destination charge.

[Source: Acura]

Just as Acura finally allowed its new MDX to touch tarmac, Joe Wiesenfelder ran up, snatched the keys and left a bewildered PR person wondering what the hell happened.

After the senior writer for Cars.com got through with his joy ride, he wrote an engaging critique of Acura's newest 'ute, with a wit-sharpened perspective on design, ergonomics, drivability and market appeal.

Pointing out the exterior's dimensions and 12th century militarized grill, Wiesenfelder continues by crediting Acura for bringing the luxo-truck to the Nurburgring to get handling on par with its Deutschland rivals. Once inside, he points out, in an understated way, the fine line that Acura is walking with interior design, then proceeds to relentlessly bitch-slap the automaker for killing off the touch screen sat-nav and replacing it with a rotary knob, ala iDrive and MMI.

Overall Wiesenfelder seemed genuinely impressed with the new MDX, although between handling, acceleration, stopping and all-around utilizing, its success will be based on the image-conscious drivers that flocked to the Japanese mark in the first place.

Well worth the read, whether or not the new MDX is on your short list.

AutoWeek followed up its "unapproved" online debut of the 2007 Honda CR-V with the unveiling of the 2007 Acura MDX, as well. Heavily inspired by the MD-X Concept that was unveiled at the 2006 New York Auto Show, the new MD-X sports an all-new design that differs sharply from the well-received looks of the current model. The new design works well too, especially the bold front grille treatment and gently bulging fender flares. The new interior also has been completely overhauled to be more "driver-oriented". A new 3.7-liter V6 will be powering the MDX and produces 300 horsepower and 275 ft-lbs. of torque, about 40 hp and 25 ft-lbs. more than the motor it replaces. Sport, Technology and Entertainment packages will encompass all the options available for the MDX and include such items as active dampers, a DVD nav system and rear-seat entertainment system. Though pricing has yet to be confirmed, AutoWeek guesses it will range from $41,000 to $48,000.

(Interior pic after the jump)

[Source: AutoWeek]

As it turns out, the MDX Concept that Acura previewed at the New York Auto Show was a pretty good sneak peek at how the actual 2007 model will turn out. These spy photos show a front fascia similar to the one worn by the concept, if not a little less ostentatious. Otherwise, it appears the MDX may grow a little longer, with some extra length added behind the rear wheels to increase cargo capacity in the back. The interior shot shows a center console with more buttons per square foot than a Boeing 747, as well as an iDrive-like control knob directly ahead of the shifter.

[Source: Straightline Blog]

According to a Reuters report, Japan's five major automakers are set to post record profits as they prepare to close out their 2005/2006 fiscal year. While the depressed value of the yen has played a role in boosting profits for Japanese companies, there remains a strong link between new product launches and automaker profits, with Nissan posting the weakest Q4 results among Japanese automakers, with no new models in the all-important U.S. market.

The report forecasts continued growth for Toyota, Nissan and Honda for at least two years, with the biggest gains in the U.S. Key products in the Japanese new model pipeline:

• Toyota's new Camry, America's best-selling car has just launched, and its new Tundra pickup is due in early 2007 .
• Honda will launch three new crossovers (the CRV and Acura's RDX and MDX) this year.
• Nissan has fresh versions of the Sentra and Altima sedans, along with the Versa and Infiniti's G35

Expect political pressure on the Japanese government to raise the value of the yen, but don't look for that to have a big impact on sales of their cars Stateside as long as Toyota et al can continue to surf a wave of successful product launches.

[Source: Reuters]

The fine folks over at AcuraRDX.net have somehow procured a little b-roll on.. wait for it... the Acura RDX. Go fig. At any rate, it's largely a series of straight-forward drive-bys with a largely uninvolving soundtrack, but the video is worth a peek because it places the MDX's upcoming kid brother in the context of where it's most likely to be seen-- city streets.

For more about the RDX, check out Autoblog's coverage of its debut at the New York Auto Show here.

[Sources: AcuraRDX.net; Acura]

We saw the RDX concept at the Detroit show a few months ago and here in NY Acura debuted the production version of its BMW X3 fighter. The RDX houses underhood Acura’s first ever turbocharged engine (a 2.3L i-VTEC four-cylinder that generates 240 hp and 260 ft-lbs. of torque) as well as the brand’s trick Super Handling All-Wheel Drive hardware. The RDX can be had with paddle shifters for the 5-speed auto, an Acura/ELS premium sound system capable of playing DVD-Audio discs and a nav system with real time traffic monitoring.

After the jump we’ve got TONS more pics and Acura’s full press release.