Most auto manufacturers are migrating to a fully electrified lineup, and Acura’s incoming RSX helps the company lay the groundwork for its own fully electric lineup. The incoming RSX is also an SUV, not a sports car, which might ruffle some feathers.
Like Ford did with its Mustang in 2019, Acura is taking the nameplate of a two-door sports car and slapping it on an electric SUV. The new RSX could be a winner, but details are sparse so far.
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What Acura says about its incoming RSX
In its announcement, Acura hints at the RSX’s history, saying the 2025 RSX has a “coupe-like silhouette” that “truly represents a forward-looking approach to fun-to-drive performance.”
It’s Acura’s second fully electric SUV, and although the company acknowledges that its internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles still carry most of the weight, it hopes that ICE Acuras motivate buyers to purchase an EV when they’re ready.
Interestingly, the next RSX will be the first EV engineered for Honda’s new EV platform and the first to be produced at Honda’s new EV Hub in Ohio later this year.
Acura
The Acura RSX is still wrapped in mystery
Acura’s announcement dropped plenty of hints about the RSX’s curves, which seem to be a nod to its sports car past. However, those curves were draped in a camouflaged wrap that the design team claims “emphasizes the sleek, coupe-like silhouette with sophisticated patterns that emulate light emerging through the camouflage to convey calmness, strength, and inner power.”
Acura’s announcement does not mention 0-60 acceleration, battery capacity, pricing, or trim levels. We don’t know the model year Acura will assign TO the new RSX, but its production timeframe strongly suggests it’ll be a 2026 model.
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What’s the Honda EV Hub?
The Honda EV Hub is billed as Honda’s epicenter of electrification and critical to the company’s future. The company claims it will “develop knowledge and expertise for EV technology and production to be shared with other Honda plants in North America.”
The EV Hub will open later this year and initially hire 300 people. An additional 300 people from Honda’s Marysville plant will be trained to produce EVs and their Intelligent Power Unit (IPU), the integral battery housing.
Honda says its investment in the EV Hub is also an investment in its workforce, vowing to upskill or retrain existing staff to work on electric vehicle production.
Acura
Final thoughts
But is it “okay” that Acura refreshed a sports car nameplate for a new EV SUV? Of course. We’re sure a small, dedicated RSX fanbase will be irate about this move, but most people won’t care. If anything, it’s a good conversation starter for Acura salespeople.
Ford set the standard with the EV Mustang and everyone was aghast about the naming scheme until they drove it. As long as the new RSX is an excellent EV SUV, nobody will care what Acura names it.
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