Acura has big plans for its SUV lineup in the coming years, with three new models bound for North America starting in 2028. Two of those models will be expanding the current range, and a new patent filing with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) hints at what those vehicles could be called.
๐ The Core Development
Earlier this month, Acura filed patents on four trademarked names: TDX, LDX, TYPE-TRAIL, and TYPE T. Based on the companyโs current usage of Type S, it stands to reason that the latter two trademarks refer to potential new trim levels for existing Acura products.
๐ Background & Sector Context
Parent company Honda has been having success with its TrailSport lineup of products, and Acura is likely looking to build out its own off-road-oriented offerings. Along with an all-new replacement for the current RDX, it has also said that a more adventuresome SUV will be joining the fleet in 2028, with a larger eight-passenger SUV sitting above the MDX as the largest Acura ever built.
๐ Industry & Real-World Impact
Acuraโs naming structure is pretty clinical, setting aside the Integra hatchback. If the company ends up going with Type T as a trim for a more off-roadish MDX, then the new off-road-oriented SUV is probably going to be the TDX. And considering that Acuraโs flagship sedan used to be the RL, the LDX will likely be the eight-passenger machine.
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๐ฎ Strategic Outlook & What Lies Ahead
Powering these vehicles will be a couple of new hybrid engine offerings, one of them a new V-6 hybrid intended for the larger SUVs. Thereโs also a two-motor hybrid thatโs set to debut in that next-generation RDX.
All of this gives Acura an answer to some of rival Lexusโ more rugged offerings, like the Land Cruiser-based GX. Acuras have historically been more about on-tarmac performance, but the market has an appetite for light off-roaders. There probably won't be an Integra Type-Trail anytime soon, but a chunkier RDX is probably on the horizon.
