• Auto123 gets in a first drive of the 2024 Acura ZDX Type S.
Santa Barbara, CA – Full disclosure is required here: Our first test drive of the brand-new Acura ZDX’s Type S variant took place on pristine roads in pristine weather. That’s fine of course except that there are inevitably factors that the SUV will face in Canada come winter that we weren’t going to evaluate on this day. Namely, we think of charging speed, maximum range, the performance in trickier conditions of Acura’s semi-autonomous drive system (essentially Cadillac’s SuperCruise system, but called Hands Free Cruise in the ZDX).
Now that that’s out of the way, here’s what we WERE able to discern from our first contact with Acura’s first all-electric model in its high-performance configuration. It’s the most powerful vehicle the automaker has ever made, by the way.
2024 Acura ZDX Type S – What’s new?
In principle, everything’s new since this is an all-new model. Except, that’s arguable in some respects. Why? Because the ZDX is the gentrified cousin of the Honda Prologue, and both are fairly close relatives of General Motors’ Cadillac Lyriq and borrow from other of its electric SUVs. The ZDX is based on GM's Ultium platform, plus there are elements already found elsewhere in the GM stable, for instance the steering wheel and climate controls, borrowed from the Chevrolet Blazer EV.
The Type S version features height-adjustable air suspension, adaptive shock absorbers and 15.6-inch Brembo front brakes, recognizable by their yellow colour. It rides on wider 22-inch wheels compared to the 20-inch wheels the ZDX A-Spec “makes do” with.
Design of the 2024 Acura ZDX Type S - 8,0/10
In terms of styling, this is an Acura; there’s not much borrowed from elsewhere. The vehicle leads with the seamless pentagon front grille surrounded by jewel-eye headlights. In fact there are a number of design cues first revealed by the automaker with the Precision EV concept that eventually led to the ZDX. The Type S variant gets a Sport Appearance package to make its… appearance sportier.
It’s hard to look at this ZDX with its low, wide and athletic stance and not see a wagon in there somehow. A big, heavy wagon, but a wagon nonetheless, with a long wheelbase that allows for a spacious interior. And who says that’s a bad thing. Know as well that you can raise the ride height by 25 mm by putting the EV in Snow mode, or lower it by 15 mm by slipping into Sport mode - making it more of or less of a wagon in the process.
The interior
The GM stamp is noticeable here and there, in the form of certain plastic elements, the low dashboard and slim air vents. There’s no single screen display, however. Rather, the two screens (11-inch for the driver data cluster and 11.5-inch for the multimedia system) appear separately, which does reduce the wow factor a little bit. There are large physical buttons and knobs for the essentials, so no need to dig around on screen for the main commands.
The cabin is a big, open, comfortable space – no big surprises there. This is a good-sized luxury vehicle with flat floors, possible because of the all-electric format, and the standard opening panoramic roof helps bring more of the outside in. The hood stretches a good distance out in front of the windshield, which is a little unexpected. Seating is very sumptuous, the optimal seating positions easy to find.
Still, a colleague made an interesting point regarding the ZDX and its roots in the GM universe. How will Acura loyalists who move from an MDX to this EV react to the traces of the Lyriq or Blazer EV or what have you? Presumably, those loyalists liked their Acura the way it was. The interior is refined enough, but there are surfaces that betray their origins and the lack of a single dash-spanning screen – quickly become expected equipment in electric luxury SUVs – might disappoint some.
Standard features in the Type S include:
- - Head-up display
- - 3-zone climate control system
- - Digital rearview mirror
- - 16-way power-adjust front seats
- - Heated rear seats
- - Power lift hatch with hands-free access
Technology in the 2024 Acura ZDX Type S - 8,0/10
This brand-new model, an EV to boot, has the expected feast of advanced technologies, though for users not to access them via a fashionable single large, curved screen may be a disappointment to some.
Be that as it may, the big draw here is the AcuraWatch suite of systems that includes, alongside a host of drive-assist functionalities, Hands Free Cruise, essentially GM’s SuperCruise semi-autonomous drive system relabeled. It allows for hands-free driving on large swaths of highways in Canada and the U.S.
It worked like a charm on California’s Route 101 – except when it didn’t, and seemed to get tripped up by a disappearing left lane. We’ll assume the system would have applied emergency braking to avoid ramming the car in the lane to our right, but we weren’t going to wait to find out. That’s why they say to stay alert if you’re in the driver’s seat, folks!
Other tech highlights of the ZDX Type S:
- - Integration of Google built-in (a first in an Acura)
- - Wireless Apple CarPlay, Android Auto
- - Standard 18-speaker Bang & Olufsen audio system
- - Customizable ambient lighting
- - Key card for easy vehicle access
- - Over-the-air updates
Powertrain of the 2024 Acura ZDX Type S - 8,5/10
The ZDX Type S features a 102-kWh lithium-ion battery, and like the Lyriq it can deliver a very healthy 500 hp and 544 lb-ft of torque from its two electric motors (and yes, the Type S is in all-wheel-drive configuration only in Canada). About those numbers: this variant delivers only 10 more horses to drivers than the regular ZDX’s dual-motor version, but over 100 lb-ft more torque.
Faster charging
According to Acura, charging capacity can reach up to 190 kW, and users can regain up to 100 km of range in about 10 minutes. That’s in ideal conditions, and it wasn’t something we were going to be able to test out on this day since our route had us hit the finishing line well short of the official 447 km of maximum range. (Range with the regular dual-motor ZDX can reach 489 km on a full charge).
Driving the 2024 Acura ZDX Type S - 8,0/10
There’s no doubt about the brute performance capabilities. With that 544 lb-ft of torque available immediately, acceleration is very dynamic, and there’s little letup when getting up to highway speed. Braking is sharp and confidence-inspiring, thanks to the Brembo braking system. Comfort is maximized by the presence of the adaptive air suspension, though the unblemished roads of southern California didn’t provide the sternest test.
But this remains a big vehicle and a heavy one; it never really feels light, least of all when pushing it around corners. The centre of gravity is low so there’s not much roll, per se, and in Sport mode you make the ZDX Type S hug the road a little more. But there’s only so far you can go to mask the heft of this EV that rides on 22-inch wheels and stretches 5019 mm in length, almost as much as the current MDX. Can green vehicles really be green when they get big and heavy? That’s not an issue specific to this model – Kia’s EV9 is no lightweight fly on the wall on the road – but it’s impossible to ignore.
2024 Acura ZDX Type S pricing - 7,0/10
While the base Acura ZDX A-Spec model has a MSRP of $84,990 CAD, the Type S costs a bit more, on account of the greater muscle underpinning it. Starting price for it runs to $91,490. You’ll be over 100 grand once you’ve factored in the fees and taxes…
See: 2024 Acura ZDX: The New Electric SUV Priced from $84,990 in Canada
The final word
By and large, however, the ride in this newest Acura luxury SUV is more than pleasant. There’s space galore in both rows and cargo space is ample at 793 litres.
This EV is fun to drive, especially as it's undeniably sporty. What's more, we like its wagon-like form.
We do wonder, however, about its pricing, which could make it less than competitive compared to its rivals on the market.
Some of your questions about the 2024 Acura ZDX Type S
Is the ZDX Type S a true high-performance EV?
Well, yes, looking at the numbers and at the dynamic behaviour of the Type S on the road. But the laws of physics still apply and there’s no escaping the size and weight of this SUV.
Can I get a RWD Acura ZDX?
You cannot, if you are in Canada. American buyers do have access to a RWD version of the ZDX, but as we’ve seen from other carmakers with other models, Canada is not an important enough market for that. Canadians tend to place a lot of importance on AWD.
What's the towing capacity of the Acura ZDX Type S?
The EV is rated to tow 3,500 lb - with a corresponding hit to range if you do that, of course.
Competitors of the 2024 Acura ZDX Type S
- - Audi SQ8 e-tron
- - BMW iX
- - Genesis GV70 Electrified
- - Lexus RZ
- - Mercedes-Benz EQB
- - Tesla Model Y
