The first electric vehicle I drove was a Tesla Roadster in 2011. I’ll never forget the feeling of the instant torque provided by the electric motor, propelling me to 60 mph in less than four seconds — a feat my little Miata driver couldn’t accomplish. could even dream of doing.
I’ve had a love affair with that kind of acceleration ever since. But like all relationships, time has left me wanting a little more — I want an EV that brings me as much joy in the twisties as it does on the freeway ramps.
It was with great anticipation that I slid behind the wheel of the 2025 Acura ZDX Type S. Sure, it’s a midsize SUV, but it wears the Type S name, a name reserved only for the most fun-to-drive in the Acura stable. Could it be the EV unicorn I’ve been looking for?
Yeah, it didn’t go as expected.
Nuts and bolts
Image Credits: Emma Hall
At launch, the ZDX will be available in A-Spec and Type S trims — both equipped with a 102 kWh battery. The A-Spec will be available in rear-wheel drive with 313 miles of range and just over 350 horsepower, while all-wheel drive drops the range to 304 miles but ups output to 409 ponies.
The performance-oriented Type S feeds power to all four wheels and goes for broke with 499 horsepower and 544 pound-feet of torque. However, all those fast-moving electrons put a strain on range, as the Type S can only travel 278 miles on a full charge.
While I didn’t get a chance to test the ZDX’s 190kW charging capabilities, Acura says it’s fast enough to add up to 81 miles in 10 minutes of charging and go from 20% to 80% battery capacity in 42 minutes. However, offerings from Kia, Hyundai and Genesis can do it faster.
As for charging at home, the ZDX has an on-board 11.5 kW charger that Acura says can add nearly 30 miles to an hour, assuming a 60 amp wall charger.
S stands for Sport, right?
Image Credits: Acura
Acura says the driver experience comes first in this new car, and that goes double for the enthusiast Type S. Unfortunately, the top trim doesn’t put a smile on my face.
Put the car in sport mode and it drops by 15mm – that’s just over half an inch for us Yanks – while the brake and throttle are a little more responsive and the already heavy steering gets a little heavier. The adaptive dampers stabilize and the car produces a subtle but noticeable performance sound.
Coupled with 544 pound-feet of torque, this should make for an extremely fun car to drive, but somehow… it doesn’t.
The ZDX is an incredible launch on the highway. Likewise, acceleration into higher gears is also satisfying, and beating a Prius doing 55 in the fast lane is an easy task.
However, I expected more joy from an Acura Type S vehicle.
Don’t get me wrong, there is nothing inherently wrong with the driving experience. And yet, driving the SUV through the back roads of Santa Barbara, California, felt clinical. Here is where it went wrong.
The Type S weighs over 6,000 lbs. Even if the weight is evenly distributed front to back, that’s a lot of weight to get through a corner. I like the heavy steering, but not much to comment on. The torque is always there coming out of the corner and the body roll is kept under control, yet I don’t feel the enjoyment.
The 275/40 Continental Premium Contact 6 summer tires on the Type S offer plenty of grip, but the low-profile sidewall combined with the stiffer rubber means the ride is just a hard ride.
Of course, Acura knows how to build a proper Type S car. The new Integra Type S is a real riot to drive. I wish the company would bring the same engineering to this much bigger and heavier sibling.
Braking in the ZDX is assured with big ol’ Brembo brakes up front and three levels of regeneration. You can completely disable regen, but why give up free electrons? Max regen can take some getting used to, but it allows full one-pedal driving, bringing the ZDX to a complete standstill. Even if you’re not at max mode, you can still bring in more regen by pulling the steering paddle to the left.
There’s also a snow mode that raises the suspension almost a full inch, as well as an individual choose-your-own adventure mode, but most people will probably keep the car in normal mode and, again, that’s fine.
Acura will go it alone
The all-electric ZDX is not entirely a Honda Motor car. It was developed in collaboration with General Motors, using the American company’s battery technology. Originally the plan was to develop a range of affordable electric vehicles, but late last year that plan was scrapped as demand for EVs slowed. However, Acura wants 100% of all products to be zero-emissions by 2040 and has set a zero-emissions target for all products and corporate operations by 2050.
Designed through virtual and augmented reality in both the United States and Japan, Acura creatives clearly took the Precision EV concept we saw in 2022 at Monterey Auto Week and called it good.
And mostly they were right.
The car is almost the same length overall as the midsize MDX SUV, but the wheelbase is eight inches longer, pushing the wheels into each corner for a somewhat aggressive stance. It sits lower than the MDX, giving the ZDX a bit of a “is-it-a-wagon-or-is-it-an-SUV?” profile, especially with the squared-off rear roofline. The rear end gives off some serious design hearse vibes, which depending on your aesthetic, could be a good, great, or bad exterior styling choice.
What Acura got right
Image Credits: Emma Hall
Acura has proven to be a master of color choices—Tiger Eye Pearl and Double Apex Blue Pearl—are a welcome sight in a midsize crossover. Acura even offers a red interior on any Type S with a black, white, or gray exterior.
Inside, the ZDX’s center console definitely divides the cabin into a driver’s compartment and a driver’s compartment. I dig it. There’s plenty of storage for small items here, and the console also has a basement for larger items like laptops and purses.
All trims feature power-adjustable heated and cooled leather seats and a heated steering wheel. The Type S also adds heated rear seats, tri-zone climate control, a digital rearview mirror and a head-up display.
Overall, the ZDX is comfortable with clean design lines and plenty of passenger and cargo space. Sure there are some buttons and dials from the GM parts bin, but the design is very Acura. The rear seat is particularly spacious, with more legroom than the competition from Germany and Korea. Behind the rear seats is 28.7 cubic feet of space, including 5 floor storage cubes. expands to 62 cubic feet when the rear seats are folded down.
Image Credits: Emma Hall
Anyone who has driven a GM product lately will immediately recognize the 11.3-inch infotainment interface. Google is built in here, and I think it’s a more user-friendly system than anything currently offered by Acura, so I’m not even mad. Additionally, Google-based navigation can be sent to the 11-inch digital gauge cluster and will optimize route planning for recharging. It can even start battery preparation. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are also here.
All ZDX trims come with Acura’s ADAS Watch suite of features that includes features like blind spot monitoring, automatic emergency braking, and the like. The Type S adds a few features, including the Hands Free Cruise system — essentially GM’s excellent Super Cruise technology. During my test, I had one disengagement when the lane markings disappeared on some newly laid pavement. This is why drivers must always be careful, even with a control system.
Like Super Cruise, Acura Hands Free Cruise can be set to automatic lane changes, letting the computer decide if it’s safe to pass a slower-moving vehicle. The car does its job well, safely moving one lane to the left in moderate traffic — it just amazes me.
All Acura ZDX vehicles will be ordered online, either at home or at the dealership, so you can get some guidance if you need it. Additionally, Acura is offering buyers some charging perks with their new electric SUV. Options include Level 2 charger, $500 installation credit and $100 public charging credit, or portable charger, $250 home charger installation credit and $300 public charging credit. For those unable to charge at home, Acura also offers $750 worth of public charging.
While the original intent of the GM/Honda partnership was to eventually build an inexpensive EV, the 2025 Acura ZDX is certainly not that. Sure, it qualifies for a $7,500 tax credit, but the top-of-the-line ZDX Type S tester is $74,850 including destination charges, a tough pill to swallow when the fun factor isn’t there.
Perhaps the EV road worth traveling lies behind the wheel of the less expensive A-Spec.
