2025 Acura ADX

Hot on the heels of unveiling the updated MDX with a new touchscreen infotainment system, Acura announced a new, much smaller entry in its crossover lineup. The ADX will be the brand’s new subcompact model and will debut in early 2025. 

Acura confirms the ADX uses a turbocharged engine but doesn’t offer any specific powertrain specifications. “Sitting alongside the award-winning Acura Integra, the turbocharged ADX will be positioned as another gateway to the Acura brand for young premium buyers,” the automaker wrote in the new vehicle’s announcement.

The announcement's reference to the Integra might hint that the ADX shares a platform with that premium compact sedan. The Integra is already available with a 1.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder making 200 horsepower and 192 lb-ft of torque. The crossover could conceivably share this existing powerplant.

Brian Benstock, the chairman of the Acura National Dealer Advisory Board, learned about the ADX during a dealer meeting. He told Automotive News that there was no indication of the automaker offering the model as an EV, at least initially. “They are keeping their cards close to their chest when it comes to that, but everything's going to turn into an EV eventually,” he said to the publication. "And we're looking forward to that.”

This January, Acura announced plans to add a new small crossover to the lineup. At the time, the company said it would debut later this year. However, the new info suggests the ADX doesn’t go on sale until 2025.

We believe that front-wheel drive will be standard on the ADX, but a version of Acura’s Super Handling All-Wheel Drive system is likely to be an optional upgrade. In terms of competitors, the ADX would challenge the BMW X1, Lexus UX and Mercedes-Benz GLA-Class.

In the same announcement from January, Acura said the compact RDX was getting “upgrades to enhance its appeal and functionality.” So far, the company hasn’t unveiled those changes. 

Offering a smaller crossover makes sense for Acura. The ADX gives the brand a less expensive model that slots below the RDX, opening the automaker to consideration from a new class of buyers.