Fresh styling, more power, and new features highlight the 2007 redesign of Acura’s premium midsize SUV. MDX gains 2 inches in wheelbase and overall length vs. the 2001-06 model, but keeps seven-passenger seating. MDX retains a V6 as its only engine, but a new 300-hp 3.7-liter version replaces a 253-hp 3.5. The sole transmission remains a 5-speed automatic. New and standard for ’07 is Acura’s Super-Handling All-Wheel Drive (SH-AWD), which does not include low-range gearing but apportions power between the rear wheels to enhance cornering ability. ABS and antiskid control are also standard. So are front side airbags and curtain side airbags that cover all three seating rows and include rollover deployment. Other standard features: sunroof, leather upholstery, heated front seats, and wireless cell phone link. Options come in three packages. The Technology Package has a rearview camera and a voice-activated navigation system that can display real-time traffic conditions. A Sport Package includes those features plus driver-adjustable suspension. The Entertainment Package contains DVD entertainment, heated 2nd-row seats, and power liftgate.

A redesigned version of Acura’s upscale MDX midsize SUV debuts for 2007 with more of everything: distinctive styling inside and out, a longer wheelbase, a new powertrain, higher towing capacity and mind-boggling technology. Among the noteworthy features are an optional navigation system with real-time traffic updates and a climate-control system that works with the navigation to adjust interior temperatures relative to the position of the sun. Safety equipment now includes standard front-seat whiplash-reducing head restraints and a rollover protection system that automatically deploys head-curtain airbags if the vehicle flips.

Longer, lower and wider than the more conservative-looking model it replaces, the 2007 Acura MDX’s sculpted exterior is both bolder and richer-looking, with a large pentagonal front grille and chiseled lines, including one that wraps uninterrupted all the way around the vehicle — something you don’t see often. It bears more than a passing resemblance to its smaller sibling, the new-for-2007 RDX. The MDX shares technology with the Honda Pilot.

The all-new 2007 Acura MDX is built on a proper truck platform, and is not an adaptation of the Accord passenger car platform. It doesn’t look larger than last year’s MDX, but it is in fact several inches longer and wider. That makes it among the largest vehicles of its type. It offers more space for folks and flotsam inside, totaling almost 143 cubic feet. From its wild new grille to its elaborately stylish cat’s-eye headlamps to its huge new taillamps, it’s got a more muscular look compared to the original, especially in the areas around the tires. Sporty styling cues include the big, fat dual exhaust tips that look like they belong on a V8, and the hefty five-spoke alloy wheels. Even the Acura badge in the grille has been changed, and is now twice as big as it once was.

The seats are laid out in three rows of two, offering seating for up to seven people. The 10-way driver and 8-way front passenger power seats allow huge adjustment latitude for long-distance comfort.

The new MDX is physically stronger than the previous model, with a more rigid structure that’s much more resistant to twisting and bending, beneficial for ride and handling as well as tightness as the vehicle ages.

Powertrain improvements include a larger, more powerful V6 engine, combined with a five-speed manual-shift automatic transmission. The completely updated exterior appearance, which is sportier still than the original, will make it easy to spot the new one. Inside, there is a completely new approach to SUV interior design, a more organic, unified presentation of instruments and controls, a more involving scheme for the driver that should be appreciated by moms and dads alike.

Built on a new unibody truck platform, the slightly longer MDX has lost only fractions of an inch in height, but it looks considerably lower. I always thought the earlier MDX’s styling was inoffensive, maybe a little dorky (as if I should talk). The new one takes a stand. The defining characteristic is its shieldlike grille, whose presence is only slightly less bold than that of the MD-X concept shown at the New York auto show in April.
2007 Acura MDX Models:

2007 Acura MDX Base 
2007 Acura MDX Tech Package 
2007 Acura MDX Sport Package 
2007 Acura MDX Tech Package w/ Rear DVD System 
2007 Acura MDX Sport Package w/ Rear DVD System