ZDX

Make
Acura
Segment
SUV

The German automakers may be forging ahead full-steam with slant-roofed crossovers to pursue the territory held by the quirky BMW X6, but one carmaker is abandoning that same territory. That automaker is Acura, which has announced pricing and details for the 2013 ZDX before it phases out the model completely. The ZDX is based on the current MDX, which itself is due to be replaced next year. When it does, production will move from Ontario to Alabama, but the ZDX will be left behind.

The decision is hardly surprising when you look at the sales numbers: so far this year (as of September), Acura sold 642 units of the ZDX (little over half what it had sold by this same point last year), compared to 4,692 examples of the MDX sold in September alone. Before the ZDX rolls off its own slanted roofline and into the dustbin of history, Acura will continue building it for one last year. Pricing has jumped by nearly $5,000 for 2013, but it includes more equipment as standard, including a sat-nav, 10-speaker audio, multiview rear camera, ventilated front seats, keyless access, collision and lane-departure warning systems and a few styling tweaks.

A few interior upgrades are part of the 2013 upgrade as well, while motivation will continue to come from a 3.7-liter V6 driving 300 horsepower to all four wheels through a six-speed automatic transmission. The question we're asking ourselves is whether we'll miss the ZDX and its quirky styling. Will you?