Acura is preparing a new flagship crossover that will sit a step above the MDX.
The new model is expected to be equipped with a hybrid powertrain, which is unsurprising given how poorly Honda is doing 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, brand dealers sold about 134,800 units here, up 1.9% from the year before. In the first half of 2026, sales amounted to 69,700 units (just 0.1% less than in January-June of last year). Nevertheless, Acura has previously suffered losses affecting its electric vehicles: in the spring, the company had to abandon production of the sporty RSX crossover, and at the end of last year, it retired the ZDX.
So it comes as no surprise that the next 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 home market, which will sit one step above the MDX SUV in the brand’s hierarchy.
According to the agency, the upcoming SUV is referred to as “Acura XL” in internal documents — whether it’s a quirky internal code or a hint at the substantial dimensions and spaciousness of the not-yet-officially-announced crossover. It is also reported that the company intends to begin series production of the new model in September 2029 at the Honda plant located in Lincoln, Alabama. Annual production volume is expected to reach up to 40,000 units.
According to preliminary data, the upcoming flagship SUV will be equipped with some new hybrid powertrain from Honda, with details to be revealed later. It is possible that this system will include a V6 engine. Recall that in May 2026, Honda shared some information about its new family of hybrid systems: in particular, that their cost compared to the company’s existing hybrid systems would be reduced by 30%, and fuel efficiency would be improved by 10%.
In 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. TX sales in the US began in 2023; its overall length depending on the version is either 5,159 mm or 5,169 mm, with a wheelbase of 2,949 mm. It is worth noting that this SUV is currently offered with a 2.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder gasoline engine (maximum power – 279 hp, torque – 430 Nm), as well as a hybrid system based on the same turbo engine working in tandem with an electric motor on the rear axle (combined output – 371 hp and 555 Nm).
It is worth noting that quite recently, the Japanese brand discontinued the Lexus TX 550h+ variant, which was equipped with a plug-in hybrid system based on a 3.5-liter V6 engine working in conjunction with two electric motors and a traction battery with a capacity of 18.1 kWh. The combined output of such a crossover was 410 hp, and the driving range on electric power alone was 53 km.
It should be expected that the new flagship Acura crossover will be more expensive compared to the current MDX. In the American market, the starting price of the current SUV is $51,800, which is equivalent to approximately 4.06 million rubles at the current exchange rate (price does not include delivery fees). For the top version, the asking price is at least $75,850 (about 5.94 million rubles).
