2010 Acura ZDX

What's special about it?

Forget about criticizing the premise behind the 2010 Acura ZDX. The population of crossover SUVs styled to look like coupes and sedans is now large enough to constitute a trend. Somebody likes the idea of these vehicles, probably even someone you know.

If you go to the New York auto show, you'll see a prototype version of the ZDX, but like most Acura showcars, it's months, not years, away from production. The 2010 Acura ZDX goes on sale this fall.

The Acura ZDX is to the Acura MDX what the BMW X6 is to the X5. And just like BMW, Acura calls the ZDX a "four-door sport coupe."

Of course, the specs describe an SUV, not a coupe. The ZDX has a 108.2-inch wheelbase, which is within a tenth of the MDX, and at 192.4 inches from nose to hatchback rump, the ZDX is 1.7 inches longer. Both vehicles are 78.5 inches wide.

But there's a big height difference. At 61.8 inches tall, the ZDX is 6.4 inches shorter than the MDX and just 4.6 inches taller than the TL sedan.

So the 2010 Acura ZDX is sort of low-slung like a coupe, or like the BMW 5 Series GT. And with its fast roof line, the ZDX dispenses with the standard third-row seat that condemns the MDX to family wagon status. It still seats five, though, thanks to a conventional three-across rear bench.

Whether the 2010 ZDX has turned that critical corner to out-and-out coolness is debatable, but even in photos, it feels more designed than the shapeless TL and TSX. Inside the cabin, a hand-stitched leather dash gives it a more luxurious feel than any current Acura. Of course, that's one of those touches that might not make it to the production version.

Perhaps the most important advance on the 2010 Acura ZDX is the arrival of a six-speed automatic transmission, which has been notably absent from the MDX, TL and the RL flagship. We expect this six-speed to replace the company's five-speed automatic across the board for the 2010 model year.

We also expect the ZDX to have a version of Acura's 3.7-liter V6 engine, though the company hasn't officially disclosed the engine displacement. As on the MDX, the company's Super-Handling All-Wheel-Drive (SH-AWD) system is standard equipment for the ZDX. We're cautiously hopeful that the ZDX might beat the MDX's tepid 8.1-second 0-60-mph performance.

Acura doesn't make any claims about sport-coupelike handling for the 2010 Acura ZDX, but the prototype wears the same size rubber as the TL SH-AWD. However, it's telling that these 275/40ZR20 tires are all-season Michelin Latitudes — the same as you'll find on the MDX.

Inside Line says: So the ZD
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