The Acura ZDX is endearingly weird, the sort of vehicle you might expect Citroën to produce, were it still doing business in America and hoping to slake our countrymen’s thirst for an all-in-one crossover/sports coupe/sedan/SUV. What the ZDX is not, philosophically, is a Honda.

It’s a low-stress machine. Though it feeds an ample 300 horsepower from its 3.7-liter V-6 through Acura’s new six-speed automatic transmission and its torque-shuffling SH-AWD system, the ZDX’s dials are angled toward luxury rather than sport. True, it does have an optional sport mode (part of the Advance package), which livens up steering effort and damper response. But there remains a tendency for the ZDX to worry itself around corners, not providing the steering feedback and off-center torque buildup you get in the MDX. The brakes are easy to predict, though, and the vehicle stays composed through hard bends and over broken roads, thanks to the Advance pack’s magneto­rheological adaptive dampers.

The ZDX’s exterior is deeply alluring and reconciles, finally, Acura’s new “shogun warrior” styling theme. Its long panoramic glass roof terminates in a transom window set between the ZDX’s ultra-wide, sculpted hips. The interior, though difficult to access through the rear doors, is roomy and filled with high-quality touches—loop carpet, a strut-equipped cargo-bin lid, and leather that feels like it slid off a side of Wagyu beef.

VEHICLE TYPE: front-engine, 4-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 5-door wagon

ESTIMATED BASE PRICE: $44,000

ENGINE TYPE: SOHC 24-valve V-6, aluminum block and heads, port fuel injection

Displacement: 224 cu in, 3664cc
Power (SAE net): 300 bhp @ 6400 rpm
Torque (SAE net): 270 lb-ft @ 4600 rpm

TRANSMISSION: 6-speed automatic with manumatic shifting

DIMENSIONS:
Wheelbase: 108.3 in Length: 192.4 in Width: 78.5 in Height: 62.8 in Curb weight: 4450–4500 lb

PERFORMANCE (C/D EST):
Zero to 60 mph: 6.7 sec
Standing ¼-mile: 15.3 sec
Top speed (governor limited): 130 mph