Acura’s BMW X6 Rival launching at New York Auto Show

Nearly eight months ago, we reported that the Japanese carmaker Acura decided to go after the new BMW Sports Activity Coupe, the X6. The first was spotted sporting an extremely low roofline that gives the car a coupe-like profile and the overall design suggested that we are looking at the first true competitor to the controversial BMW X6.

A few days ago, news broke when some allegedly leaked photos of the Acura crossover made their way around the web. Shortly after, the official confirmation came: the Acura crossover will make its debut at the New York Auto Show next month.

And today, all the major auto publications reported the official name chosen for this crossover: ZDX.

But what do we know so far?

The Acura ZDX Concept uses the MDX underpinnings and it will feature the Super Handling All-Wheel Drive system. Even though not confirmed, it is rumored that power would come from the 300 hp 3.6-liter V6 engine from the TL/MDX, or the 200 hp 3.5-liter V6 unit from the TSX.

No pricing has been announced yet, but in the past, we suspected the Acura Crossover, ZDX now, to be priced near the $50,000 mark.

So what does it mean for BMW?

The Acura ZDX Concept certainly comes to validate what BMW has been saying since the official BMW X6 launch: there is a market, a specific niche that needs to filed in and a crossover between an SUV and a coupe car is very much needed. We were very skeptical about the X6 prior to the official launch and we fell under the category of people bashing this “new direction”, but fast forwarding a year later, we found out that the X6 sales have exceeded the BMW’s expectations.

Of course, it will never come close to the overall sales of the 3 or 5 Series for example, even the X5 maybe, but the X6 SAC has its own special place in the BMW line-up. One of the drawbacks of this car was the high price set on both the entry level and top models. At over $50,000 and $60,000, respectively, the X6 models are far from being considered a “steal”.

Now, Acura comes to the big table and is looking to compete on a segment where BMW might have already establish itself. Would it succeed? Do they have the right marketing tools to convert any BMW fans?

No ones for sure, but we’ll certainly find out more at the NYC show.

And here is the latest spy photo courtesy of Autoblog and Jeff Noel

[Source: Acurazine ]

12 Responses to “Acura’s BMW X6 Rival launching at New York Auto Show”

Miles Ransom says:

March 31, 2009 at 10:14 am

can u say COPYCATS? haha the pointy back end looks ugly as sin

Horatiu B. says:

March 31, 2009 at 10:19 am

@Miles Ransom: It’s funny how everyone bashed the X6, but now they are following it.

Carlos Perez says:

March 31, 2009 at 10:59 am

I think the back will be the same as in the TL, it as some similar lines, but i think this car will not have the same presence that the x6 have, because most Japanese car do not have that “muscle”, that make the x6 awsome

BMW Sales says:

March 31, 2009 at 12:33 pm

Its going to contain the same hideous body lines the TL has shown us…look at the spy photo of the bag end driving! I see this being either a flop like the new TL, or a bailout for people who dont want to step up to the price tag of the BMW.

BMW Sales says:

March 31, 2009 at 12:34 pm

I meant to say “well put, Carlos! I agree with you completely”

BMW Sales says:

March 31, 2009 at 12:37 pm

@Horatiu B.: Look at the e65 7-series Horatiu. BMW has NEVER had a more successful selling 7-series in history, yet look at the bashing it took and the huge design benchmarks it made for every other automaker…the X6 will be no different

doug says:

March 31, 2009 at 2:49 pm

300hp from 3.6L is conservative, but 200hp from a 3.5L seems awfully low. Is the 3.5 a diesel?

Kodey says:

March 31, 2009 at 3:18 pm

@doug: I agree totally 200hp? comon how can you compare?? Bmw has a 6 and a 8 cylinder version and acura is trying for 200hp in a suv??? dont make a lot of sense….

Doug says:

March 31, 2009 at 4:08 pm

@Kodey: Hmm… google reveals some flipflopping on the engine offerings, but according to this link that engine is a diesel and it’s 280hp:
http://drivinsouth.com/2010-acura-tsx-sporty-sedan-with-v6-engine/

Carlos Perez says:

April 1, 2009 at 12:14 am

@Horatiu B.:
mmmm I think the TSX have a L4 2.5L with 205hp
and the MDX, TL, RL have a 3.7L with 305

My guess for the engines are the Turbo L4 2.3L with 240 hp that the RDX has and for the top lvel the 3.7 L still i think while the acuras are no half bad, the x6 will be always superior, i think this will be considered the “cheap” model to call it someway.

Hnm says:

April 1, 2009 at 7:13 am

Actually Infiniti was the first to come up with the idea of a coupe like SUV, not BMW.

Doug says:

April 2, 2009 at 10:54 am

@Hnm: It wasn’t the WW-II jeep?