The third Type S model to debut this year, MDX Type S is a high-performance SUV to its core, built on MDX’s extremely rigid model-exclusive platform created with the Type S model in mind. The 3-row MDX Type S takes Acura SUV performance to the next level with Acura’s new 355 horsepower Type S Turbo V6, standard torque vectoring Super Handling All-Wheel Drive™ (SH-AWD®) and an Adaptive Damper System paired for the first time with air suspension. Powerful Brembo front brakes and 21-inch wheel wrapped in performance rubber complete the package.
“The MDX Type S is for people who love to drive,” said Emile Korkor, assistant vice president, Acura National Sales. “It delivers an unmatched combination of thrilling dynamics, premium features and family-friendly accommodations.”
Exclusive Type S Design
Numerous signature design features distinguish the MDX performance variant, including an exclusive front splitter and an open-surface Diamond Pentagon grille that increases air flow, allowing about 10% more air to enter the engine bay. For additional cooling, the side vents flanking the grille route air to a sub-radiator on each side of the engine compartment.
In the rear, MDX Type S features a diffuser flanked on each side by two large round exhaust outlets. As with TLX Type S, MDX Type S will be available in an eye-catching, and Type S-exclusive, Tiger Eye Pearl paint.
MDX Type S also features exclusive 21-inch alloy wheels painted Shark Gray, or Berlina Black with a machined finish on the Advance Package. The wheels feature resonators to reduce road noise and are wrapped in 275/40ZR21 Continental ContiSeal™ tires, the first self-sealing tires ever fitted to an Acura product.
Type S-Exclusive Turbocharged V6
At the heart of the 2022 MDX Type S is the Turbo V6 created exclusively for Type S models. Acura’s all-new, 24-valve, DOHC 3.0-liter V6 engine produces 355 horsepower and 354 lb.-ft. of torque with direct-injection and a single twin-scroll turbocharger. Developed by some of the company’s most experienced powertrain engineers, including members of the team that developed the NSX’s bespoke twin-turbocharged V6 hybrid power unit, the engine debuted on the TLX Type S earlier this year. It makes the 2022 MDX Type S the quickest and most powerful Acura SUV ever.
Re-engineered to match the additional torque of the new engine, the 10-speed automatic transmission is now stronger and shifts more quickly. Acura’s Super Handling All-Wheel Drive™ with torque vectoring is standard. The system, now in its fourth-generation, can send up to 70 per cent of the engine’s torque to the rear axle, and 100 per cent of that torque can be distributed to either the left or right rear wheel.
Performance-Tuned Chassis
MDX Type S features a performance-tuned chassis with double-wishbone front suspension and the first air-suspension system ever used on an Acura vehicle. Acura’s Adaptive Damper System, which continuously adjusts damping force based on sensor inputs, is also standard.
For Type S, the dampers use exclusive valve rates to give the SUV a sportier feel with more feedback in all seven drive modes of the Integrated Dynamics System. To improve balance and handling, the battery has been relocated from under the hood to the cargo area.
The result is the best handling and most dynamic SUV in Acura history. A true driver’s machine that also features exceptional ride quality, adjustable ride height, automatic load leveling and even programmable parking height.
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Please Note: The details of this article were accurate at the time it was written. Manufacturers may change the details of any vehicle’s specifications, at any time, without notice.
