2014 Acura MDX
Japanese Car Brand: ACURA
The 2014 MDX is the third generation of Acura's seven-passenger luxury performance SUV, the first to be developed from the ground up using an all-new, purpose-built platform (body and chassis) fully optimized for the needs of today's luxury SUV buyers.
The new Acura MDX, like its flagship sedan counterpart, the RLX, harnesses a host of Acura signature technologies to deliver on Acura's "Synergy between Man and Machine" product direction, and to offer higher levels of luxury, quietness, comfort and prestige in a vehicle that performs "at the will of the driver" with intuitive control and exhilarating dynamic performance.
Developed on the image of an "Executive Family Jet," the 2014 MDX is sleek and refined, prestigious and powerful, and designed to deliver on the unique performance and functional needs of the luxury SUV driver and passengers, be they kids or clients. In designing the new MDX, Acura engineers focused on three core values: class-leading fuel economy ratings; new levels of prestige and luxury comfort; and top-level safety performance. At the same time, they sought to further enhance the MDX's dynamic performance while maintaining its core appeal - the family-friendly, seven-passenger cabin and nimble, mid-size SUV exterior size and appearance.
Packaging
For the 2014 MDX, the designers and engineers sought to further enhance the versatility and functionality of the vehicle's seven-passenger cabin while maintaining its relatively compact and sporting exterior shape.
The 2014 MDX measures 2.0 inches longer than the previous-generation MDX and has a 2.8-inch longer wheelbase. Vehicle height has been lowered by 1.5 inches, and rear step-in height is lower by 1.8 inches compared to the outgoing model. The front track is 1.4 inches narrower and the rear wheel track is 1.2 inches narrower. The vehicle width is reduced by 1.3 inches. In this respect, the MDX presents a 2 percent smaller frontal area to the wind for improved aerodynamic efficiency, and a slightly narrower body for improved garage-ability, while the longer wheelbase helps to enhance ride quality and interior spaciousness. The passenger hip points in the first and second rows are lower by 1.2 inches and the third row is lower by 1.4 inches, improving the feeling of stability and reduced body roll for all occupants.
Utilizing its longer wheelbase and new, more compact rear suspension, the 2014 MDX makes getting in and out of the back seats even easier with a 4.5-inch wider foot entry point and 1.8-inch lower step-in height. The second-row seats now have five-position reclining seatbacks, and a new Extended Slide feature provides 5.9 inches of total fore-aft seat travel, enabling greater flexibility in accommodating the needs of both second- and third-row passengers. With the middle-row seats in their rearward-most position, first- and second-row tandem seating distance has been lengthened by 1.1 inches, an ideal setting for traveling with four occupants, whether kids, clients or couples. A new One-Touch Walk-In feature makes for easier, more intuitive one-button operation of the second-row seats - from the rear seat, outboard middle row seats, or from outside the vehicle - further easing third-row entry and exit.
Repackaging of the rear-seat HVAC system allowed for the creation of a large center console storage space, concealed beneath the sliding, leather-trimmed center armrest. About 2 inches deeper and wider, and almost 5 inches longer, the main compartment offers 2.5 times more volume than the previous model and is large enough to accommodate a moderately sized purse, a tablet computer and more. This is a key advantage of MDX in its class, where many competing models offer little or no center console storage space.