Exterior Features
Design changes to the 2016 RDX include standard LED headlights and taillights, redesigned grille, and revised front and rear bumpers featuring an emerging trapezoidal
Acura styling cue. Redesigned 18-in. aluminum wheel styles are also available, including an optional design with a diamond-cut finish.
Interior Features
Updates to the
RDX's cabin include new rear air vents for rear-seat occupants and a standard power tailgate. Leather seats are no longer standard, now included in the Technology and Advance option packages.
Optional Features
Acura offers a new AcuraWatch package for all versions of the 2016 RDX. It is optional for the base model and vehicles with the Technology package, and it is included with the Advance package. AcuraWatch equips the SUV with adaptive cruise control, forward-collision warning, autonomous emergency braking, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist, and road-departure mitigation technologies.
Choose the Technology package and the 2016 RDX is equipped with a new blind-spot information system, dual-screen infotainment system with next-generation AcuraLink connectivity and services, and an 8-way power-adjustable front passenger's seat. Leather seats are included in this package, which continues to provide a navigation system and a premium sound system.
The new Advance package adds the AcuraWatch suite of safety technologies as well as rain-sensing wipers, park-assist sensors, remote engine starting, auto-dimming side mirrors, ventilated front seats, fog lights, and machined-finish aluminum wheels.
Under the Hood
A more powerful 3.5-liter V-6 engine is installed in the 2016 RDX and continues to feature Honda's cylinder-deactivation technology to maximize fuel economy. The engine makes 279 horsepower and 252 lb.-ft. of torque.
The optional AWD system is also updated for 2016. Now, as much as 40% of engine power goes to the rear wheels when launching and accelerating, up from 25% the previous year. This change also assists with traction on slippery surfaces.
Acura predicts that the new 2016 RDX will get up to 29 mpg on the highway, up from 28 mpg in 2015.
Safety
In addition to offering the AcuraWatch option package, Acura has strengthened the RDX's underlying structure, which the SUV shares with the latest
Honda CR-V. The update
s, according to Acura, are expected to produce a 5-star overall crash-test rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and a "Top Safety Pick" rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).
Additionally, every 2016 RDX is equipped with a multi-angle reversing camera as standard equipment. The available next-generation AcuraLink connectivity and services system now features automatic collision notification, which can automatically contact emergency rescuers and speed them to the RDX's location following a crash in which the vehicle's air bags deploy.
Technology
Choose the Technology package and the RDX is equipped with a new dual-screen infotainment system. The upper screen is used for navigation, communication, and vehicle setting functions while the lower screen is used for audio functions. Separate climate controls reside below the lower screen.
The 2016 Acura RDX is a 5-passenger luxury crossover SUV equipped with a V-6 engine and an available all-wheel-drive (AWD) system. For 2016, it receives numerous upgrades to help it better compete with models including the Audi Q3 and Q5, BMW X1 and X3, Cadillac SRX, Infiniti QX50, Lexus NX, Land Rover Discovery Sport, Lincoln MKC, Mercedes-Benz GLA-Class and GLK-Class, and Volvo V60 Cross Country and XC60.
