2025 Acura RDX Brings New Grille, Widescreen Apple CarPlay Mode And Not Much Else, But Buyers Will Lap It Up Anyway

Have you noticed that some cars and SUVs like the Audi Q7, Mercedes GLE, and Hyundai i30 are getting second facelifts to extend their lifespans, rather than being replaced altogether? Acura is employing the same tactics for the barely-changed 2025 RDX, whose most noticeable feature is a new grille.

The Diamond Pentagon grille retains its existing shape, but Acura has slimmed down the frame and came up with a new cross-hatch pattern for the center section. There are no other big visual changes, but several smaller ones. Base models now get sporty gloss black exterior trim and black 19-inch wheels, and posh Advance package models gain body-color lower trim and machine-finished rims.

Related: Acura Sales Fall 21% In June As All Models Except RDX Tank

Go for the more performance-themed A-Spec and you get more black trim and 10-spoke, 20-inch wheels in a shark gray finish, or in black if you pair the A-Spec trim with the Advance package. Acura has also introduced three new paint colors: Solar Silver, Canyon River Blue, and Urban Gray Pearl.

The interior changes also focus more on refining the details rather than ripping everything up and starting again. Existing RDX owners will recognize that the MY25 SUV’s console is new and now features bigger cupholders and easier access to the wireless smartphone charger. The 10.2-inch tablet-style infotainment screen also gets a widescreen display mode when the driver has Apple CarPlay or Android Auto activated.

And if you’ve splashed out on an RDX Advance or A-Spec with the Advance Package, Acura treats you to full leather upholstery, ambient lighting on the new console and additional lighting on the front and rear speaker cones that are mounted behind acid-etched speaker grilles.

One feature that hasn’t changed for 2025 is the powertrain. As in previous years, there’s only one, a 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-four that drives all four wheels through a 10-speed automatic transmission and is capable of sending up to 70 percent of the engine’s torque to the rear axle, and 100 percent of that 70 to the outside rear wheel to maximize agility.

Are these MY25 changes a little underwhelming given that it’s three years since Acura last facelifted the RDX and six years since the model debuted? Yeah, we think so, but potential buyers might not agree. Despite being the oldest cars in Acura’s lineup the RDX posted a 28 percent sales increase in the first six months of this year and was the only one of the automaker’s vehicles not to lose ground.