Acura Reveals Plans for 2 SUVs to Fight Lexus and … Land Rover?

Acura’s future lineup will add an off-roading SUV as well as—finally—a large three-row SUV.

Acura’s lineup is like the moment before a big wave comes in: Things are quiet, but there’s growing anticipation of what’s to come. Although the company’s offerings today are limited, new info from the brand indicates its future may be far more exciting.

Here’s what Acura just revealed about its future.

Yes, Acura is building an off-road SUV. In Acura-speak, it’s “adventure ready.” You can call it whatever you want, but our presumption is that it’s based on the Honda Passport, a midsize SUV that just received updates for 2027.

Indeed, putting a close eye on Acura’s teaser photo suggests the Passport basis, which is not at all a bad thing. We’ve found the Passport capable on and off road; the main reason it lost a MotorTrend comparison to a Subaru Outback Wilderness was price. What this means to you is that an Acura off-roading crossover will have a strong foundation.

The popular Lexus GX and Land Rover Defender have shown there’s a place for off-roading luxury-branded SUVs, and the Acura will have company. Lincoln may be prepping a Bronco-based SUV, and Genesis has off-roading plans of its own.

Just imagine how heroic the upcoming Acura off-roader will look on the same trail. The Honda Passport is pictured here.

The key here will be determining how to distinguish the Acura from the crowd. Acura’s upcoming V-6 hybrid powertrain would be a great start once the SUV arrives in 2028.

The other big news is Acura’s confirmation that a large eight-passenger SUV is on the way. Having a large three-row luxury SUV is a great way to keep shoppers in your showroom. But until now, anyone who has ever tried to step into the Acura MDX’s third row may have found what we did in our testing: It’s cramped.

Whereas the MDX is intended to be a better compromise between maneuverability and an occasional-use third row, the MDX+ SUV should offer a slightly better third row plus a bit more cargo space.

Acura has long advertised the MDX—which also gets updates for 2027—as the best-selling luxury three-row SUV of all time. The XL-sized Acura should help keep buyers from abandoning the brand for a Lexus TX or Audi Q9.

The MDX (pictured) has never offered a full-size third row. Perhaps the new 8-passenger Acura will.

You can bet on the bigger Acura also offering a seven-passenger layout with second-row captain’s chairs. The V-6 hybrid powertrain may also be an option here, alongside a standard V-6 to keep prices down.

Acura is correct about value being one of its core brand tenets, and it’s something we appreciate. We hope the future Acura eight-passenger SUV as well as the potentially Passport-based off-roader will do a good job differentiating from the Hondas on which they’re based. If they do, this platform-sharing strategy will show itself to be a good thing, allowing for new luxury options at a lower cost than Volvo and the German brands can manage.

With these new SUVs on the way as well as a new RDX hybrid coming, it’s once again an exciting time to be an Acura fan. We wish the next ADX and Integra hadn’t been delayed, but at least there’s now something else to look forward to.

These new models can help increase brand loyalty, and the SUVs compete in segments that should still be popular by the time they’re ready to roll.

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Zach GaleI’ve come a long way since I drove sugar packets across restaurant tables as a kid, pretending they were cars. With more than 17 years of experience, I’m passionate about demystifying the new car market for shoppers and enthusiasts. My expertise comes from thoughtfully reviewing countless vehicles across the automotive spectrum. The greatest thrill I get isn’t just from behind the wheel of an exotic car but from a well-executed car that’s affordable, entertaining, and well-made. Since about the time I learned to walk I’ve been fascinated by cars of all shapes and sizes, but it wasn’t until I struggled through a summer high school class at the Pasadena Art Center College of Design that I realized writing was my ticket into the automotive industry. My drive to high school was magical, taking me through a beautiful and winding canyon; I’ve never lost the excited feeling some 16-year-olds get when they first set out on the road. The automotive industry, singing, and writing have always been my passions, but because no one seeks a writer who sings about the automotive industry, I honed my writing and editing skills at UC Irvine (zot zot!), serving as an editor of the official campus newspaper and writing stories as a literary journalism major. At USC, I developed a much greater appreciation for broadcast journalists and became acquainted with copy editing rules such as why the Oxford comma is so important. Though my beloved 1996 Audi A4 didn’t survive my college years, my career with MotorTrend did. I started at the company in 2007 building articles for motorcycle magazines, soon transitioning to writing news posts for MotorTrend’s budding online department. I spent some valuable time in the copy editing department, as an online news director, and as a senior production editor. Today, MotorTrend keeps me busy as the Buyer’s Guide Director. Not everyone has a career centered on one of their passions, and I remind myself all the time how lucky I am.