This story contains renderings by Kelsonik that are neither related to nor endorsed by Acura
When the new Acura ZDX Type S was unveiled last week, many people were underwhelmed with its design. Most felt that the looks were just a bit too generic, especially for the highest-performing version of Acura’s first-ever EV.
That’s where digital artist Kelsonik stepped in to show that just a few small changes can make a world of difference. By just tweaking the wheels, suspension, paint, and trim, he was able to give the ZDX a look befitting of a Type S model.
Read More: 2024 Acura ZDX Returns As An Electric SUV With Up To 500 HP Starting From $60,000
Probably the simplest yet most effective change was the paint. When you think of vehicles with silver contrast trim, you don’t often envision high-performance ones. Images of certain pickup trucks or early Subaru Outbacks or may come to mind, but not typically a 500 hp (507 PS / 373 kW) vehicle with sport-tuned suspension and six-piston Brembo brakes.
Even if we look at a more similar comparison – another 500 hp+ EV crossover – Hyundai chose to ditch the grey cladding on the Ioniq 5 when they came out with the new range-topping N model back in July.
By making the ZDX‘s out-of-place silver trim a darker grey, tweaking the body color to match, and blacking out all the chrome, Kelsonik was able to turn the SUV’s fairly restrained design into a much more aggressive one. On top of this change, he also lowered the vehicle and put it on aftermarket wheels. The more exciting multispoke design is a welcome change over the somewhat reserved stock look, though we will miss the distinctive yellow brake calipers that were replaced by red ones in the re-wheeling process.
If we had to change anything (other than the brake color), we’d maybe go with a black grille instead of a body-colored one for a sportier look. While we understand that the industry is moving towards grille-less designs for EVs, this could be a feature reserved only for the Type S as a way to denote the high-performance model, similar to what Ford does with the Mustang Mach-E GT.