No, the Acura Precision EV Concept Isn’t What You Think It Is
When Acura revealed its new Precision EV Concept at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance earlier this month, there was widespread speculation that it served as a thinly disguised version of the luxury brand’s first all-electric SUV. That seemed all the more likely when, just days later, Acura announced the production EV will be called the ZDX.
It turns out there’s a very different story to tell, at least according to the senior Acura executives who gathered in New York City this week to provide another look at the Precision EV Concept.
The sexy, matte blue show car clearly signals the design direction that Honda Motor Co.’s luxury brand will take as it migrates from internal combustion to battery-electric propulsion. But don’t expect to see the Precision EV translate directly into a production model until at least 2026, TheDetroitBureau.com learned.
Not the vehicle you think it is — or will be
That’s because the ZDX is the product of a joint venture between General Motors and Honda. While the Acura SUV, as well as the all-electric Honda Prologue will get their own, distinctive designs, they’re based on the same Ultium platform GM is using for models like the Cadillac Lyriq and Chevrolet Blazer. So, they can’t stray far from the dimensions that General Motors will use.
And that’s distinctly different from the shape of the Precision EV Concept and the battery-electric vehicles the Japanese automaker will develop and launch on its own later this decade.
The show car reveals the dimensions of the platform Honda and Acura are developing in-house. Dubbed the “e:Architecture,” explained design chief Dave Marek, it “allows you to have more playfulness” than the GM platform, and a more classically sporty layout.
Caddy’s Lyriq and the Acura ZDX will share some key design cues, including minimal front and rear overhangs, and relatively short hoods due to their cab-forward layout. The homebrewed Acura platform will allow for a much longer, sportier nose, as well as a wide stance and relatively low roofline — all more classic sporty car cues. The concept also boasts a distinctively wedge-shaped nose with a backlit grille featuring what Marek calls a “Particle Glitch” motif.
As with other new luxury EVs, lighting is a critical part of the overall design and, the Precision concept’s front LEDs light up as a motorist approaches the vehicle.
Some carryover despite different platform
That said, we can look for some of the design elements in the Precision EV concept when Acura’s ZDX rolls into showrooms barely two years from now. That should include a variation of the Particle Glitch grille and more sculpted side panels than with current Acura SUVs.
The first full translation of the Precision EV Concept is expected to be a new “flagship” coming in 2026, and based on the new e:Architecture, according to Acura brand boss Jon Ikeda.
While company officials declined to offer many details, they did little to dismiss speculation this most likely will be an all-electric Acura MDX.
Even then, how much of the concept will carry over is uncertain. The prototype tosses conventional sideview mirrors in favor of small, wind-cheating cameras whose images would be displayed on screens inside the cabin. Japan has approved a limited number of vehicles using that technology. In the U.S., however, federal safety regulators have yet to sign off on the approach — but could by 2026.
And whether those huge, 23-inch wheels will be retained is also far from certain.
Longer term, “I want the Precision EV to pave the way for everything we will be doing,” said Marek.
So, while it will have only a modest impact on the 2024 ZDX, it will be the shape of the future for the Acura brand.
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