If we had to pick one China-exclusive model introduced at this week’s Beijing show with the best chances of making the journey to America, that would have to be Acura’s new CDX small luxury SUV, but it’s not happening – at least not now.
We spoke to Acura Public Relations Manager, Jessica Fini, who told us: “We are always exploring new market opportunities, but right now, there are no plans to introduce the CDX in the U.S.”
The CDX was designed to compete against the similarly sized Audi Q3 and BMW X1 offering only a single engine, a 182 horsepower 1.5-liter turbocharged gasoline four-cylinder linked to a standard 8-speed DCT automatic transmission driving the front or all-four wheels. It’s the first Acura to be made in China, and it will go on sale this July, at an as of yet, undisclosed price.
Acura’s parent company Honda has the mainstream segment partially covered with their new HR-V, which formed the base for the Chinese market CDX, but Acura itself, is limited to only two SUVs in North America, the compact RDX and the mid-size MDX, during a time when most carmakers are rapidly expanding their lineups with a multitude of crossovers.
There’s definitely room for Acura to grow, especially in the small SUV segment that’s proving to be popular these days. It’s open to discussion whether China’s CDX is a right fit (pun intended since, like the HR-V, the CDX is also based on the Fit hatchback’s modular underpinnings) or if Acura should follow a different path for North America. Either way, we’d like to hear what you think in the comments below.
Photos Acura, Autohome
