Acura RSX Prototype Previews the Real ZDX Successor
Acura’s first in-house EV is coming next year, and it will basically look like this.
Acura on Thursday peeled back the sheet on the RSX Prototype. After confirming earlier this year the name would return —this time affixed to an all-electric coupe-over—this is a our best look yet at the production model that will arrive in the back half of 2026.
Unveiled at Monterey Car Week, the RSX will be the brand’s first ground-up electric model, as the ZDX is a product of a collaboration with General Motors. It looks quite a bit different from that existing EV too, and not just for its searing paint (Propulsion Yellow Pearl to you and me). Instead of wide, vaguely rectangular headlights with the “chicane” LED light signature, there are ultra-thin lights atop a bluff nose, looking not unlike the current Buick approach. Like so many SUVs these days, the main beam lights are in a separate enclosure below, just visible when we adjusted the brightness in Photoshop. The flanks are clean with minimal fuss, only a diagonal slice for a small, possibly functional vent aft of the front wheels. The tidiness continues out back, where there’s the de rigueur full-width taillight, ending in points at either end and sitting below a sizeable, curved lip. Tucked underneath the taillights is an Acura wordmark in a new font—yes, Acura is getting in on this trend, too.
The intricate 21-inch alloy wheel design hides standard-fit Brembo brakes. Wrapping those wheels are 265/45 R Pilot Sport 4 SUV tires—whether the production model retains them remains to be seen. That’s 10 milimeters narrow and an inch smaller diameter than the optional Continental summer rubber on the ZDX Type S.
We’d love to talk about the interior, but Acura isn’t sharing that quite yet.
What we do know is that the RSX will debut the new Asimo operating system, which Acura promises will learn from drivers and adapt to their preferences. We also now know the RSX will be able to function as a mobile generator, providing vehicle-to-load (V2L) capability for accessories as well as owners’ homes.
Acura still hasn’t talked battery capacity nor electric motor power, other than confirming the RSX will have dual-motor, all-wheel drive as standard. If it’s anything like the Honda 0 Series models, however, we can expect a battery capacity somewhere between 80 and 90 kilowatt-hours, and somewhere around 482 horsepower. It’s pretty much expected that any new electric model launching in the back half of this decade needs to have at least 300 miles (483 kilometers) of range as well.
How Big is the New Acura RSX?
Acura hasn’t dropped any dimensions for the RSX yet, so we’ve had to rely on the very unscientific method of image comparison. Dropping the RSX against the ZDX and adjusting for scale, the RSX appears to ride on a wheelbase roughly 10 inches shorter—or almost half of one of its 21-inch wheels. It looks like the difference in length is about the same amount, too.
What Will the New Acura RSX Compete Against?
That’s a tougher question. Currently there aren’t a lot of smaller coupe-over premium EVs on the market. Models like the Volvo EC40 and Genesis GV60 qualify, and while it lacks the swoopy roofline, the upcoming Optiq-V should set a high performance bar.
When Will The Acura RSX Go Into Production?
The production version of the RSX—which we expect to look much like this, only with road-legal side mirrors—will arrive at Acura dealerships in the second half of 2026. It will be built at the Honda EV Hub in Ohio, sharing the production line with the existing Integra— soon to be Acura’s only car.
Become an AutoGuide insider. Get the latest from the automotive world first by subscribing to our newsletter here.
Kyle began his automotive obsession before he even started school, courtesy of a remote control Porsche and various LEGO sets. He later studied advertising and graphic design at Humber College, which led him to writing about cars (both real and digital). He is now a proud member of the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC), where he was the Journalist of the Year runner-up for 2021.
More by Kyle Patrick
Comments
Join the conversation
Turd that's DOA..just like the ZDX. Acura is so disconnected from what consumers want and super late to the party. EVs are dying in the USA and soon to be dead after September 30
300 Mile range, and likely $50-$70k price tag!?
you best back away from your (I’m a bought &paid for journalist)
yellows a good color choice: A lemon from the get-go.