2024 Acura ZDX and Honda Prologue Fall Short in IIHS Small Overlap Front Crash Test

To qualify for Top Safety Pick or the more coveted Top Safety Pick+ accolade, a vehicle has to earn good ratings in all crashworthiness tests. Although the ZDX and Prologue did perfectly fine in the side impact and moderate overlap front crash tests, the nonprofit organization was not pleased with their performance in the small overlap front test.

In the passenger-side small overlap front crash test, the head of the front passenger dummy moved into the gap between the frontal and side curtain airbags, therefore increasing the risk of contact with the passenger-side A pillar. To this effect, the safety boffins couldn't do better than a marginal rating for front passenger restraints and dummy kinematics.

The Insurance Institute of Highway Safety rated the front crash prevention system acceptable in vehicle-to-pedestrian scenarios, while headlight performance differs between the zero-emission crossovers. In the case of the Prologue, its projector-style LED headlights feature low beams that create some glare. Furthermore, visibility from the high beams isn't good enough on the left side of the road.

Although the ZDX is the premium-oriented sibling, ZDX vehicles manufactured before September 2024 received a big fat poor from the IIHS due to excessive glare from the low beams. Unfortunately, it's not known whether the headlights of the ZDX and Prologue were developed from those of their GM counterparts or are completely new designs.

BEV3 is what General Motors calls the platform underpinning the Japanese crossovers, which are produced in two parts of North America. The ZDX hails from Spring Hill in Tennessee, whereas the Prologue is made in Mexico at the Ramos Arizpe plant.

Both are similar in terms of wheelbase (121.8 inches or 3,094 millimeters), although the ZDX is longer overall (197.7 inches or 5,022 millimeters compared to 192.0 inches or 4,877 millimeters). Classified as mid-size crossovers, the zero-emission models were styled in the United States of America.

As of this writing, the most affordable of the bunch is the Prologue EX 2WD at $47,400 before destination charge. Only the Elite trim gets dual-motor AWD by default. In regard to driving range, the most you can squeeze out of the Prologue is 296 miles (476 kilometers).

Being slightly larger, you would think the ZDX offers worse driving range. That's not correct, though, for the ZDX packs 102 kilowatt hours compared to 85 for the Honda-branded equivalent. As such, EPA estimates top 313 miles (504 kilometers) for the A-Spec with rear-wheel drive.