Acura Brings Back RSX Name For New Electric Crossover

The Acura RSX is back. However, if you were expecting another sports coupe — such as an Acura take on the Honda Prelude, for instance — you're in for a disappointment. Instead, just like what most original RSX buyers are driving today, it will be a crossover. An electric model that is loosely based on the Acura Performance EV concept revealed last year.

It's hard to be too upset with Acura for bringing back the RSX name for a small electric utility vehicle. After all, the RSX name replaced the Integra badge in North America in 2001, and the Integra is most definitely back. Moreover, it gets the very quick and fun Type S trim, so car enthusiasts have something else to play with.

This iteration of the RSX will be the first model built on a new electric vehicle (EV) platform Honda has designed in-house. The ZDX, the only Acura EV currently on North Ameerican roads, is based on a GM electric architecture. The new crossover will also be the first EV built at the new Honda EV Hub, a high-tech factory under construction in Ohio set to open later this year.

"The return of the iconic Acura RSX nameplate is a tribute to its past, reminiscent of the original’s sleek coupe-like design but now with electric power that keeps our commitment to precision crafted performance intact," said James Marchand, Assistant Vice President Acura Canada. "The RSX follows the ZDX as our second battery-electric SUV as we continue to entice new enthusiasts to our brand, joining their already proven and popular performance-based, ICE stablemates the all-new ADX, RDX, MDX, Integra and TLX."

Acura has just started on-road testing of the electric RSX, so the car company has only released a photograph of it in the same camouflage wrap that will be used on testers. As a result, it's hard to tell exactly what the new model will look like, but Acura appears to have created a model that leans heavily into the style side of the equation rather than the utility side. The sleek roof looks great but will cut into maximum cargo space. Those sharp cut-outs in the doors look stylish too, but they probably also help improve airflow around the car.

Acura did not say when we would see the production-ready RSX, or give any details about range or price. But we expect more on all fronts soon, since production is set to start in 2025.