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www.ADandP.media car, then they need to go racing. So they're campaigning the NSX GT3 at places like Sebring and Daytona. (His hosts in Japan in '89 tapped into Ikeda's interest in racing, something that continues on with passion.) It is interesting to note that Ikeda mentions Honda inasmuch as the mother companies for the likes of Lexus and Infiniti— and arguably heretofore Acura—are rarely mentioned. Yet Honda is certainly one of the most superb manufacturers on the planet, so if you're going to be producing something—as in the "Precision Crafted" part—then having Honda at your core is an advantage. And he makes another point that it worth considering: Acura was established in 1986. "We are competing with companies that have been around for 100 or 125 years," Ikeda says. The whole notion of established pedigree is something that is often thought to be essential in the luxury space. "I know we are a premium brand, a luxury brand, but I really feel the youthful vitality and optimism that I felt when I joined the company"—and he means back in '89—"is very critical to the success of Acura going forward." He adds, "I'd rather be 30 than 100." Now while Ikeda is the company's exec, he is still a designer. So one of the things that he's set to do for Acura is what he says is a "new design direction" As he puts it, "You're going to see more aggressive styling." In June 2016 the third-generation Acura MDX, which was launched as a 2014 model in 2013, underwent a midcycle change. A change that Gary Robinson, manager, Acura Product Planning, describes as "significant." That vehicle is the first that took on the "new design direc- tion," one predicated on the Acura Precision Concept vehicle, which was debuted at the 2016 North American International Auto Show in Detroit. The 2017 MDX received design changes including a new "Diamond Pentagon" grille, a new hood, fenders, dual exhausts and more. They made AcuraWatch, the suite of sensor- and processor-based safety and driv- er-assistance systems (e.g., collision mitigation braking, lane departure warning, adaptive cruise control with low-speed follow, etc.) standard. But now they've taken that MDX much further, leveraging technology that was developed for the NSX. They've devel- oped the "MDX Sport Hybrid." That's right: a hybrid powertrain for the three-row SUV that had previously been available with a 290-hp, 3.5-liter V6. The new version offers 321 hp thanks to the new powertrain setup that consists of a 257-hp, 3.0-liter V6, a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission with a built-in 47-hp motor, and, on the rear axle, housed in an aluminum case, a twin-motor unit that consists of two 36-hp motors, each of which independently delivers torque to their respective wheels, thereby helping provide dynamic torque vectoring, for better performance in cornering. There is also an air-cooled power control unit that includes a 72-cell, 1.3-kWh lithium-ion battery pack. There is a liquid When the third-generation MDX was being developed, the engineers took into account that there would be a hybrid version developed. Consequently, there are but minor modifications to the chassis to contain the electrified powertrain. The dimensions of the 2017 MDX Sport Hybrid are: 110.0 inches, wheelbase; 196.2 inches, length; 67.6 inches, height; and 77.8 inches, width, which are the same as the non- hybrid, 3.5-liter, V6 powered version of the crossover. 27 AD&P; ∕ JUNE 2017 ACURA