With somewhat ironic timing, my Acura ZDX test car arrived on the very same day that Honda announced details of its plans for its next-generation 0 Series EV architecture that will supplant the ZDX’s General Motors Ultium-based technology, starting in a few years.

Additionally, GM also announced the same day its intention to move from the Ultium platform’s exclusive use of the LG Energy Systems pouch-type battery cells to add Samsung SDI’s prismatic cells and even cylindrical cells like the Panasonic batteries Tesla uses in some cases.

Despite being overtaken by events, and arriving as a 2024 model when there are already 2025 cars on the road, the ZDX looks and feels fresh and new. It also looks and feels familiar, thanks to sharing its underpinnings with the Honda Prologue as well as the Chevrolet Blazer EV and the Cadillac Lyriq.

Honda designed its own sheetmetal for both the Prologue and the ZDX and while they both bear a vague, you-can-see-it-if-you-squint resemblance to the GM vehicles, they do have unique styling that you might even prefer to that of the GM models. The tested ZDX’s eye-catching Double Apex Blue paint hue is a $600 option that seems worth every penny.

What You Get

In the case of the tested ZDX Type S, that platform includes a 102-kilowatt-hour battery pack filled with those aforementioned LGES-supplied pouch-style lithium-ion cells. In the 500-horsepower, all-wheel-drive Type S configuration, the battery provides an EPA-estimated driving range of 278 miles, though the non-Type versions are rated at more than 300 miles, probably because of their lighter, smaller-diameter wheels.

Related:2025 Cadillac Lyriq Price Cut Makes it Even More Attractive

The ZDX’s on-board charger supports Level 2 AC charging at up to 11.5 kilowatts, while it will charge at a maximum of 190 kW using DC fast charging. It has been my experience with the GM versions of this platform that they do not charge at the peak claimed DC fast-charging speed very often or for very long.

I did not deplete the ZDX’s battery sufficiently to test this car’s DC fast-charging speed. The Cadillac Lyriq does support 19.2-kilowatt Level 2 charging, but you’d have to have a home charger and infrastructure to support that charging speed to benefit from the difference compared to the ZDX.

Type S Goodies

The Type S is Acura’s trim level for performance, and it includes adaptive shock absorbers that provide a combination of smooth ride and taut handling that is appreciated with the harsher-riding 22-inch wheels. The Cadillac Lyriq uses what the company terms “Passive Plus” shocks, which seem less sophisticated, but absent back-to-back testing on the same road, any Acura advantage is hypothetical.

Related:GM Charts New Roadmap for EV Battery Leadership

For 2024, Acura has moved on from its home-grown ELS Studio audio brand, named after record producer Elliot Scheiner, to a more widely recognized supplier, Bang & Olufsen. All new cars’ premium audio systems produce spectacular sound, or they can, if previous test drivers haven’t turned the bass all the way up for reasons known only to them. So, it seems like the exact brand name on the speaker grille isn’t terribly important.

The Cadillac Lyric employs an AKG 19-speaker system with head restraint-mounted speakers that is also superb. All of these systems have gotten so good that they are typically better than the mediocre digital source material they play, making them hard to distinguish from one another without orchestrating a side-by-side shootout with your favorite music.

Underway, at neighborhood speeds, the ZDX, like its Honda, Chevrolet, and Cadillac cousins, produces a high-pitched whirring sound to warn pedestrians that would make a good UFO sound effect. Inside, if you floor the accelerator pedal, you are treated to sound through the stereo speakers that approximates a low-pitched V8 rumble.

Related:Honda Previews Details of its 0 Series EV Architecture

Infotainment Differences

There are some important differences in the ZDX’s infotainment system that differentiate it from the Lyriq and the Blazer. The ZDX has a pair of displays, an 11.0-inch one for the instrument panel and an 11.3-inch touchscreen for the central infotainment system. The instrument panel display is the same size as the Blazer’s, but the infotainment display is smaller than the Chevy’s 17-inch unit.

Importantly, considering the Acura’s market position lines up more with Cadillac than Chevrolet, the ZDX lacks the Lyriq’s massive 33-inch curved display covering both the driver’s side and the infotainment stack in the center of the dashboard. Acura’s displays are conventional, like those in the Honda and Chevrolet, while Cadillac’s true-black OLED display is crisp and looks great at night when the black parts of the display are black, rather than glowing a dishwater gray.

However, what is actually displayed on those screens is important. GM has gone all-in on maintaining absolute control of the user interface, which means that the company’s products do not support Apple CarPlay or Android Auto smartphone projection systems. You’ll use GM’s interface, and you’ll like it, seems to be the idea.

The ZDX does support both CarPlay and Android Auto. This support could be decisive for buyers who prefer those interfaces, when considering the strong similarities of the vehicles in other respects.

Pricing Comparison

This is where pricing becomes important. The Acura’s bottom line is $75,450, including destination charges. Thanks to a price cut for 2025, the top-of-the-line Cadillac Lyriq Sport 3 starts at $68,890, making the Acura about 10 percent more expensive for what is substantially the same car. They both roll off the same Spring Hill, Tennessee assembly line in the plant originally built for GM’s Saturn brand, so they are eligible for the $7,500 federal tax rebate.

Drivers will have to decide whether the Acura, with its lesser display screen, is worth that much more than the Cadillac to get the CarPlay and Android Auto support.