Detroit, Mich., January 8, 2001 - The all-new Acura MDX luxury sport-utility vehicle was named North American Truck of the Year at a press conference held on January 8th at the 2001 North American International Auto Show.

The award is given to the vehicle receiving the most points from a group of fifty top U.S. and Canadian automotive journalists in a comprehensive evaluation of all new and significantly redesigned vehicles for the 2001 model year.

It's a tremendous honor to have the MDX chosen for this prestigious award, especially taking into account the tough competition, said Tom Elliott, executive vice president of American Honda Motor Co., Inc. We couldn't be more pleased with the public and media reaction to the MDX. It's truly setting a new standard for the segment.

All MDX models sold nationwide meet California's stringent Ultra-Low Emissions Vehicle (ULEV) standards while achieving class leading fuel economy ratings of 17/23 mpg city/highway -- making the MDX one of the cleanest, most efficient SUVs on the road today. Internal crash test data also confirms an expected NHTSA five-star rating in safety performance for all passengers in frontal and side collisions.

Such favorable environmental and safety specifications along with the advanced technology of the high performance 240 horsepower V-6 engine with VTEC(TM) (Variable Timing and Lift Electronic Control) have led to positive evaluations for the MDX, which was recently named Motor Trend magazine's Sport-Utility of the Year and chosen as the best vehicle in its class in a recent comparison test by the editors of Car and Driver magazine.