Acura Is Building An ‘XL’ Flagship SUV Because The MDX Isn’t Big Enough Anymore

Acura’s lineup has shrunk from six models to four in recent years, and it drops to three the moment the current RDX is gone. What replaces the subtraction is more interesting than the subtraction itself. A new flagship three-row SUV, tentatively codenamed the “Acura XL,” is reportedly in development, with an expected arrival in late 2029, about a year and a half after the RDX Hybrid reaches showrooms.

While the current Acura MDX already has three rows, it competes in the midsize class, which puts a ceiling on how much space it can hand over. The XL would sit above it as the larger, roomier option, squaring off with the Lexus TX and the Buick Enclave. Priced right in its upper trims, it might also try to sway shoppers looking at the cheapest versions of the BMW X7.

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Gary Robinson, planning chief at American Honda, spoke to Auto News about a possible lineup expansion. He stopped short of confirming the model, but he did admit there’s space for more SUVs: “There’s opportunity in different places, and SUV is the biggest part of the premium market today.”

Hybrid Power And A New Face

Acura’s flagship SUV will almost certainly use a hybrid powertrain, which lines up with the brand’s revised electrification plan. The exterior styling will follow Acura’s new design language, shown recently on the Nexera concept.

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While the automaker hasn’t shared any teasers, we expect the XL to look like a bloated version of the Hybrid SUV Prototype with slim and aggressive LEDs. The concept served as a preview of the next RDX Hybrid which is scheduled to arrive in 2028.

Down To Three Nameplates First

Still, before any of those new SUVs hit the road, the Acura lineup is about to shrink to just three nameplates. Following the discontinuation of the short-lived fully electric ZDX and the cancellation of the RSX, all that is left is the Integra, the ADX and the MDX,plus whatever RDX inventory remains after production ended earlier this year.

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Automotive News reports the ADX and MDX will soldier on in their current forms until replacements show up in the early 2030s.

Sedans Aren’t Dead Yet

As for other body styles, the Honda Civic-based Integra is Acura’s only passenger car at the moment, though that might not hold for long. At Monterey Car Week, Robinson called sedans a core part of Acura’s identity, adding: “there’s so much more stability in sedans than people thought that there was going to be a few years ago.” Read into that what you will about a TLX successor.

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Acura also hasn’t ruled out building the Nexera Vision concept. Creative Director Yasutake Tsuchida and American Honda CEO Eiji Fujimura have both talked up the idea of putting the low-slung two-seat sports car in showrooms. Fujimura went further, saying he’d rather see it with combustion or hybrid power than as a pure EV, provided the customers are there.