I have a strange fantasy I’m a little embarrassed to share: I want Honda to drop an L15 turbo engine into its smallest SUV to create a sporty HR-V Si. Suffice it to say, waking up to news about the 2025 Acura ADX, which pretty much makes that happen with a great design to boot, was a nice surprise today. This new light-luxe sport utility looks like it’ll be a good get-around car in the $35,000 neighborhood.
Put another way, the new ADX is effectively an SUV’ification of the Integra. Acura states: “The new Acura ADX is built on the same enhanced global architecture as Integra with an advanced body structure fundamental to its outstanding ride, handling and refinement. For superior driving dynamics, ADX uses a lightweight aluminum front subframe with an efficient truss and rib structure that provides rigidity and stability.”
I’m impressed with the design and boldness of color choices Acura’s debuting the car with. Blue interiors making a minor comeback? I’m here for it.
The ADX is set to be at dealers early next year, with three trims and a stated price range “starting in the mid-$30,000s.” I think it’s safe to guess pricing will be pretty close to the Integra’s, with the base car around $35,000, the A-Spec around $37,000, and A-Spec with Advance Package close to $40,000. Acura’s official pricing is TBA, but those three launch trims are confirmed.
The base car will come with a 10.2-inch gauge display, a 9-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, 18-inch wheels, a 1.5-liter turbo engine (horsepower claim TBA, but expect around 200), and a CVT, among other features.
All-wheel drive will be optional on all trims, which can send up to 50% of engine torque to the rear wheels, plus paddle shifters that simulate a stepped transmission. Whether or not those will be fun or worth pulling remains to be seen. But on a car like this, it could be a feature worth playing with once in a rare while.
The A-Spec trim will add interior and exterior decorative elements, a panoramic sunroof, cooled seats, a flat-bottom steering wheel, and a power passenger seat.
The A-Spec with Advanced Package adds two particularly appealing features: a five-setting driving mode selector with a customizable individual mode, and a heated steering wheel. The top of the range also gets more sensors and some convenience features. There’s a stereo upgrade too, a 15-speaker Bang & Olufsen sound system. Usually, Acura’s top-tier audio systems bear the ELS name, but I guess this one doesn’t quite make it to Elliot Scheiner levels of exceptionality. Or, maybe the famous sound engineer wanted too much money for his sign-off on this one.
I like the current-gen Honda HR-V with which this shares proportions; as for the Integra, even the non-Type S models are very enjoyable. The new Acura ADX might not light anybody’s hair on fire, but it looks like an appealing package for daily driving duties, and Acura’s current-gen styling is smooth and classy. I’m looking forward to seeing these on the road.
Does an SUV body make the Integra more appealing to you? Let’s talk about it in the comments, or you can email the author at andrew.collins@thedrive.com