2010 Acura ZDX Monterey photo shoot: Part I

2010 Acura ZDX (source: honda)

Almost everything photographed in Monterey looks better than in "real" life and the same goes for the 2010 Acura ZDX.

The ZDX is certainly an odd bird, hoping to garner sales in a new segment.

View this slideshow for more viewing angles of the Acura ZDX.

While hatches have always appealed to this author, this ZDX takes some getting used to. For example, the integration of the rear door handles is rather jarring. You can see what I am talking about in the slideshow.

"The ZDX is like nothing you have ever seen before from Acura," said Jeff Conrad, vice president of Acura sales. "It combines the best attributes of a coupe, a sedan and a sport utility – all wrapped in a beautifully sculpted package – that will attract an entirely new luxury customer to the Acura brand."

Those claims should be taken with a few grains of salt. This author has yet to be convinced that taking a wagon and reducing rear cargo capacity by sloping the hatch is truly "combining the best attributes" of design.

Inside, the ZDX exhibits the highest levels of refinement and sophistication ever offered from Acura. Every ZDX interior will feature Acura's first hand-stitched leather dashboard, door panels and sculpted center console. The rich leather appointments give the ZDX a warm and inviting feeling while creating an intimate cockpit for the driver and front passenger. The cabin is well lit thanks to extensive use of LED lighting along with the light from the unique moonroof that is an integral design aspect of the longest glass roof in the industry. The panoramic glass roof has dual automatic sunshades that open and closes at the touch of a button.

LED lighting has taken the industry by storm. It's a relatively cheap way to add a high-tech look to the design of the vehicle. The interesting this is, LEDs are very sensitive to system voltage variations. Typical applications have lamp driver modules integrated into the sealed lamp housing. These electronic modules take power from the vehicle electrical system and provide a constant current to the LEDs regardless of the system voltage variations. To really geek out on this subject, read this Motor magazine article which discusses various technology trends in automobiles.

Come back for Part II of this series on the 2010 Acura ZDX as we further delve into what makes this car tick.

For more info: Visit Acura's website.

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