Products 2024.05.15

How Was the Glamorous Design, Accelerated by the Times, Born? What Led to the Creation of Acura's First Pioneering EV, “ZDX”?

Honda has set a goal to achieve 100% sales ratio of EVs and FCEVs globally by 2040, and is proceeding with the introduction of EVs tailored to the market characteristics of each region. The “ZDX” (pronounced Zee Dee Ecks) is the first EV under the Acura brand, scheduled for release in spring 2024 alongside Honda's “Prologue”. Together, they will vigorously accelerate North America's electrification strategy towards carbon neutrality. The ZDX is a jointly developed model with General Motors (GM), equipped with an EV platform and battery developed by GM. How did this vehicle come to be? What can we see from this, regarding Honda's EV deployment? We asked three engineers who were involved in the development.

ZDX Development Leader View More Close John Hwang

ZDX Vehicle Performance Development Leader View More Close Hajime Igami

ZDX Vehicle Body Design Development Leader View More Close Joe Riggsby

The Acura brand, which Honda deploys in North America

The Acura brand, launched in 1986, emphasizes a balance between luxury and performance, characterized by glamorous forms and sporty driving. The core value of the brand is embodied in PCP (Precision Crafted Performance).

"Precision" to unify the entire brand's design with high quality. "Crafted" emphasizing strong attention to materials and arrangement. "Performance" representing Honda's characteristic sporty driving experience. These represent the philosophy of the Acura brand. Additionally, Acura offers the Type S lineup, akin to Honda's Type R, which focuses on pushing performance to the limit as a higher-grade model. Enhancing not only sports performance, but also comfort and luxury.

John Hwang, who served as the Development Leader, describes the ZDX as “embodying PCP while strengthening it in a way that is more suited to the EV era”.

John Hwang, Development Leader for the ZDX.

The glamorous body of Acura stands out precisely because it's an EV.

The development project for the ZDX started in early 2020, simultaneously with the Prologue. With development centers scattered across Japan and the United States, and given the circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic, the first two years progressed entirely remotely. Hajime Igami, who served as the Vehicle Performance Manager, reflects on the hardships of that time as follows.

Igami

Before the development of the ZDX and Prologue, when developing new models, we used to verify and set benchmarks by examining cars from competitive manufacturers. However, at that time, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, joint verification with GM's personnel overseas was not possible, leading us to rely on hypotheses for benchmark settings. It was challenging to proceed based on our own sensibilities, but it was also a thrilling and exciting challenge.

Joe Riggsby, who served as the Body Design Development Leader, also mentioned, "The time difference between the Japanese and American bases meant that we had limited time to work together, so figuring out how to efficiently advance the project was a significant challenge".

The first EV under the Acura brand, the SUV-style ZDX, serves as a guiding presence for the future direction of Acura design in the era of electrification

Standing out prominently in the ZDX, born in such an environment, is the hood, which is said to be the largest size ever deployed in the Acura series.

This part has many requirements, including functionality for opening and closing, driver protection in the event of a frontal collision, and robustness to withstand impacts without denting. Moreover, these requirements often contradict each other, making it extremely complex. Igami recalls that achieving the glamorous design typical of the Acura brand while meeting these conditions was a considerable challenge.

Igami

The glamorous cars represented by the Acura brand are characterized by the length of the hood, which adds to their coolness. On the other hand, as the person responsible for performance aspects, there are many factors such as strength, rigidity, crash performance, and opening/closing functionality that must be reconciled. If any one of these factors fail to meet requirements, the development process cannot proceed. From the early stages of development, the team worked together as one unit, and through coordination and negotiation, we were able to achieve our goals, which was a rewarding experience.

The appealing styling of the ZDX is something that all three of us are proud of. Electrification eliminates the need for intake and exhaust systems, providing design freedom in the area that would typically house the engine in gasoline cars, allowing us to aim for even more glamorous designs.

Sporty driving experience leveraging the strengths of EVs

Moving beyond design, Hwang emphasizes “enhanced sportiness while leveraging the benefits of EVs”. He proudly highlights the abundant utilization of the advantages of motor-driven acceleration, excellent braking performance, and other aspects. In particular, the Type S, which pursues the joy of driving in EVs, is equipped with a high-power motor that produces a maximum of approximately 500 horsepower, providing the fastest and most powerful driving performance in Acura's SUV history. Igami also passionately discusses compatibilities between EVs and sportiness, stating “The fact that the battery is located under the floor of the car, resulting in a low center of gravity and high maneuverability during turns, as well as the smooth acceleration and deceleration, are unique to EVs”.

Furthermore, utilizing GM's platform improved the aerodynamic performance of the underfloor area, which was a positive aspect of this development. Additionally, the cabin area styling has been optimized to achieve a highly aerodynamic finish.

When it comes to the essence of Acura, all three of the engineers emphasized handling performance. In order to achieve the refined yet agile performance demanded by the Acura brand, the team worked together in unity. In addition, to emphasize the brand essence, attention was focused on tuning the suspension and power steering, as well as crafting the acceleration sound. These are crucial elements that determine the driving feel, and development was conducted together with GM until a satisfactory Acura taste was achieved. Many of the non-negotiable aspects that the engineers raised for the Acura brand were indeed related to the aspect of “driving”.

The joy of driving pursued with EVs

The Prologue (left) and ZDX (right), developed concurrently through collaboration with GM. Both scheduled for release in spring 2024

The ZDX, Acura's first-ever EV, is set to debut in North America, where interest in the shift to EVs is growing. Alongside the Prologue, it is expected to lead Honda into a new era. We asked the three engineers about their outlook on Honda's future EV deployment.

Riggsby

In the case of the ZDX, we prioritized embodying the core value of the Acura brand, which is PCP, in the styling. We believe it is crucial to continue incorporating the elements that Acura and Honda have been expected to deliver into the EV style while maintaining their essence

Igami

As Riggsby mentioned, the key is how we can maintain unity and consistency. For example, in the Prologue, we use a mechanism to reproduce the sound of an engine revving up, distinctive to Honda, while in the ZDX, we tailored the acceleration sound of the motor to express the sportiness typical of Acura. We aim to deliver this level of dedication and attention to detail in the EV field in the future as well.

The PCP concept resonates in the interior as well, with the adoption of high-quality materials

Hwang

I am currently driving a hybrid car, and I can personally attest to the benefits of EVs, such as reduced noise and vibration in my daily driving. Through the development of the Prologue and ZDX, I have become convinced that Honda can pursue matters important to them, such as design and the joy of driving through EVs. I would be delighted if these two models could change the lifestyles of many people.