2025 Acura ADX Debuts as a More Premium Take On the Honda HR-V

From the standpoint of exterior design, the ADX has a bit of Integra up front, with the rear end obviously influenced by the brand's larger sport utility vehicles. Equipped with Acura Chicane daytime running lights and taillights, the ADX will be offered in a total of six paint colors, beginning with the pictured Adriatic Sea Blue Metallic. Said color is exclusive to the newly introduced subcompact crossover.

Six inches longer than the Honda HR-V, the ADX shares the lesser model's 104.5-inch wheelbase. In metric speak, that would be 2,654 millimeters. By comparison, the Integra is listed at 107.7 inches (2,736 millimeters), with the mechanically similar Civic Hatchback coming in at the exact same 107.7 inches.

Hopping inside reveals a plush cabin with very familiar dual-cockpit design. All told, prospective customers are presented with three interior themes: Ebony, Red with Ebony, and Orchid with Blue. Standard goodies include Body Stabilizing Seats heated front seats, dual-zone climate controls, rear air conditioning vents, a moonroof, a 10.2-inch digital instrument cluster, and 9.0 inches of touchscreen for the infotainment system.

Of course, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard. 15-watt wireless charging for your mobile phone, two USB-C ports for the front occupants, a 5G connectivity telematics system, and a Wi-Fi hotspot also need to be mentioned, along with the AcuraWatch suite of safety features and a power tailgate with Walk Away Close.

The first of three grades is front-wheel drive by default, with all-wheel drive being optional. Prices for the 2025 Acura ADX will start in the mid-$30,000s. For reference, the liftback-bodied Integra is $33,000 sans freight. Similar to the Integra, the newcomer is powered by a 1.5-liter turbo inline-four lump. The only transmission available is a CVT with paddle shifters. Acura waxes lyrical about programming that simulates gear changes under hard acceleration, but still, a CVT with such programming remains a CVT.

Specifying all-wheel drive gets you a system that channels up to 50 percent of the available torque to the rear wheels. There is no mention of torque vectoring in the press release for the ADX, which is a bit of a shame if you remember that ADX wants to be a sporty take on the small premium crossover.

Acura did not publish the max output figures of the VTEC-equipped mill, although we guess that it's not going to differ too much from the Integra's 200 horsepower and 192 pound-feet (260 Newton-meters) of twist. Honda, meanwhile, lists the HR-V's 2.0-liter naturally aspirated I4 with 158 horsepower and 138 pound-feet (187 Newton-meters).

Stepping up to the mid-range ADX A-Spec adds a sporty interior and exterior package, a panoramic moonroof, ventilation for the front seats, four-way power adjustments for the front passenger seat, a flat-bottom steering wheel, 19- instead of 18-inch wheels, LED fog lights, and a cargo cover. The range-topping ADX A-Spec with Advance Package builds on the A-Spec with plenty more stuff, including Google and Alexa built-in, parking sensors fore and aft, remote engine start, rain-sensing wipers, power-folding side mirrors, and a power tailgate with hands-free access.

In the subcompact premium crossover segment, ADX competes against Cadillac's XT4 and Lincoln's Corsair. This crowded segment further includes the usual suspects from Germany, plus the Volvo XC40.