The Acura ZDX is an example of badge engineering for the software age

Acura is gearing up to build its first entirely in-house battery-electric vehicles, but it has gotten a head start with the ZDX SUV. Built in collaboration with General Motors, the ZDX is a comfortable and competent luxury EV. More than that, it’s a shining example of what badge engineering looks like in the digital age.

Automakers have long collaborated with each other. Sometimes that means working together on a powertrain or vehicle platform for use in quite different products. Sometimes, it’s a little less involved—the Dodge Hornet differs very little from the Alfa Romeo Tonale, for example.

In the case of the Acura ZDX, the vehicle platform and the battery-electric powertrain are all thoroughly GM, what used to be called Ultium, until the American automaker retired that branding. It is, in essence, Acura’s take on the Cadillac Lyriq and is similar, if not identical, in terms of power output and pricing.

Although the range starts with the rear-wheel drive $64,500 ZDX A-Spec, our test car was the range-topping all-wheel drive ZDX Type-S, which costs $73,500 before the $7,500 clean vehicle tax credit. It has an output of 499 hp (372 kW) and 544 lb-ft (738 Nm), and it has an EPA range of 278 miles (447 km) on a full charge of the 102 kWh lithium-ion battery pack.

Despite winter temperatures and 22-inch tires (a $600 option), that range estimate seems spot-on—over the course of a week, we averaged 2.7 miles/kWh (23 kWh/100 km).

Fast charging wasn’t particularly impressive, especially compared to other luxury SUVs in this price bracket. Acura quotes 42 minutes to go from 20–80 percent state of charge; in practice, I plugged in with 38 percent SoC showing on the dash and had to wait 45 minutes to get to 80 percent. Charging peaked at 91 kW but had dropped to 69 kW by 50 percent SoC.