2012 Acura Mdx Awd on 2040-cars

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10 automakers sued over keyless ignitions

Keyless ignition has rapidly proliferated throughout the auto industry to become a fairly normal feature on new cars. It's supposed to offer the convenience of keeping the fob in your pocket and just pressing a button to drive away. However, ten major automakers are now being sued in US District Court over claims that the system is dangerous, Reuters reports. The suit alleges that people are forgetting to shut off the engine, and the lack of an idle timer is the cause for 13 deaths by carbon monoxide poisoning and multiple injuries. The suit currently includes 28 plaintiffs, according to Reuters, but the lawyers are asking for class-action status to potentially add many more. The case goes after a major swath of the industry, including BMW, Daimler, FCA, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Nissan, Toyota, and Volkswagen, plus their related brands like Acura, Infiniti, Mini, and Lexus. In all, over five million vehicles are affected. The assertion here is that people walk away from their vehicle without shutting it off because they believe the engine shuts off automatically. If parked in a garage, carbon monoxide can build up, leading to poisoning. The lawyers claim automakers know this is a problem and also cite 27 complaints to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration about the issue, according to Reuters. The plaintiffs are asking for an automatic shut-off and damages from the companies. These concerns have come up before, though. Toyota previously faced a lawsuit over a carbon monoxide death after a woman accidentally left her Lexus running. Also earlier this year, GM recalled 64,186 examples of the 2011-2013 Chevrolet Volt because owners weren't shutting them off. The problem resulted in two injuries, and the company released a software update to limit the idling time.

GM Ultium-based 2024 Acura ZDX caught undisguised in spy photos

What you see above is our best look yet at the 2024 Acura ZDX. The SUV, while not completely production-ready (mainly the temporary headlights), is completely and totally devoid of line-obscuring camouflage. The resulting vehicle is clearly a toned-down Precision EV concept, and one that does a good job of hiding its GM underpinnings. Like the concept, it has a forward-leaning nose with a blanked-out version of the Acura corporate pentagonal grille. The long nose gives way to a seriously raked windshield and a floating roof. That roof has a distinct rear pillar treatment with a little notch for the rear glass to create that floating look. There are, of course, concessions to reality. The lower front fascia has relatively nondescript grilles, though they also don't detract from the rest of the vehicle. And naturally there are large door mirrors and conventional grab handles to get in. The ZDX will be based on the GM Ultium platform, and considering on the size and likely performance, will probably be closely related to the Chevy Blazer. To the credit of Acura's designers, and also perhaps to GM's architecture, the ZDX does not look like a reworked Blazer. And the differences will continue beyond the exterior. While GM will be dropping Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Honda and Acura versions of Ultium SUVs will keep the phone mirroring software. It will still have Google apps built-in as well as touchscreen support, unlike some gas-powered Acura models. We'll see the ZDX launch next year. It will even have a high-performance Type-S variant like the TLX and Integra. That leads us to believe something like the dual-motor 557-horsepower powertrain from the Blazer SS will be available. We'll be curious to see what the more mild powertrains will be like, if they'll all be dual-motor, or if there will be single-motor setups. And if there are single-motor layouts, whether they'll be front- or rear-wheel drive, as both options are available on Blazer. Related video:

Acura's GM-based electric crossover may be called ADX

Acura's version of Honda's General Motors-based electric crossover will inaugurate the ADX nameplate, according to a recent report. While nothing is official, the United States Patent and Trademark Office recently granted the Japanese company the rights to the name. Spotted by Car & Driver, the trademark application was filed by Honda on December 22, 2021, and approved three days later. Nothing suggests it's for a Honda, but a model called ADX would slot neatly into the Acura range, which also includes the MDX and the RDX. The filing asks more questions than it answers. What's an Acura ADX? One possibility is that the nameplate might appear on Acura's version of the Honda Prologue, which is due out for the 2024 model year. It will be based on a GM-designed platform, and it will be powered by the same Ultium battery technology found under the Cadillac Lyriq, among other EVs. We know it will spawn an Acura, too. It's important to note that nothing in the filing mentions an electric powertrain. Acura's range only includes two crossovers, which is far below the industry average (Lexus has five crossovers and SUVs; even Lincoln has four) so the ADX name could end up on a non-electric addition to the range. The line-up could grow in a number of directions and many of its dealers are asking for bigger and small people-movers. As we've said before, a patent or a trademark filing is not a guarantee that a feature or a nameplate will see the light that awaits at the end of a production line. Carmakers routinely protect their intellectual property to ensure that it doesn't end up in the hands of a rival. Although there's no such thing as an Acura ADX — at least not yet — the name falls in line with the company's naming system. Imagine the confusion that would ensue if, say, Lexus released a crossover called ADX that was aimed directly at the 355-horsepower Acura MDX Type S. Acura hasn't commented on the report, and it hasn't revealed what its Honda and General Motors-derived model will be called. Related video: