Next Acura RDX Slated To Go Hybrid UPDATED

by Tim Healey

Published: January 14th, 2026

The next Acura RDX is getting a hybrid powertrain.

It's unclear if the hybrid will be the sole powertrain or if an ICE and/or plug-in hybrid variety will be available but Acura's press release does say "The addition of the RDX hybrid is part of the brand's strategy to offer a mix of gas-powered, hybrid and EV models to meet the needs of Acura customers"

All Acura has said so far is that the hybrid system will use two electric motors -- so we'd guess one at the front, one at the rear for all-wheel drive.

Acura says we can expect to see the fourth-generation RDX in "a couple of years" and that it has ~~already suspended~~ will suspend 2026 Acura RDX production in Ohio later this year in order to get the line ready.*

*An earlier version of this article said production was already suspended. It will be suspended later this year. We regret the error.

From the release:

"For nearly two decades, RDX has been one of the most popular Acura models, so it's fitting that the upcoming fourth-generation RDX will be the first Acura to feature our two-motor hybrid-electric system," said Mike Langel, assistant vice president of Acura National Sales. "The RDX hybrid is expected to arrive at dealerships within the next couple of years, and we're thrilled to share this news as Acura celebrates its 40th anniversary—making this milestone even more special."

[Image: Acura]

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Tim Healey

Tim Healey grew up around the auto-parts business and has always had a love for cars — his parents joke his first word was “‘Vette”. Despite this, he wanted to pursue a career in sports writing but he ended up falling semi-accidentally into the automotive-journalism industry, first at Consumer Guide Automotive and later at Web2Carz.com. He also worked as an industry analyst at Mintel Group and freelanced for About.com, CarFax, Vehix.com, High Gear Media, Torque News, FutureCar.com, Cars.com, among others, and of course Vertical Scope sites such as AutoGuide.com, Off-Road.com, and HybridCars.com. He’s an urbanite and as such, doesn’t need a daily driver, but if he had one, it would be compact, sporty, and have a manual transmission.

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2 of 15 comments

Chris P Bacon on Jan 15, 2026

The RDX is nothing more than a rebodied CR-V anyway. Sounds like they are going to wait a few years to bring it out so it's closer to the lease end dates for the senior citizens who leased it because they wanted something fancier than a simple CR-V.

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Verbal on Jan 15, 2026

The excitement is palpable.

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