As a new year dawns, Acura's parent company Honda has a strong outlook for 2024. The company plans to announce several new models and existing cars are getting updates. The Acura MDX is one of those vehicles. A facelift coming this year will not only give the crossover some new body panels, but Acura's touchpad-based infotainment system is on its way out, too.
The system works similar to a laptop. A click on a certain point on the pad corresponds to a click on that same location on the infotainment screen. Once you get used to it, it's not a bad system, but using your finger directly on a screen is ultimately a better compromise, especially when the car is running third-party software like Android Auto or Apple CarPlay. Acura has likely realized this, and now the MDX is losing the pad.
Other Acura models have already ditched the system. The new Integra has a touchscreen, for instance, as does the upcoming all-electric ZDX. In its product outlook, Honda also said that there's a new entry-level Acura crossover on the way. That will doubtlessly have a touchscreen, too.
In conversation with Motor1, an Acura spokesperson declined to comment on whether or not all future vehicles from the company will be ditching the touchpad, but the writing is on the wall. All of the automaker's latest models do not have it, which makes it reasonable to assume that given the opportunity—a facelift in the case of the MDX—Acura will do away with it.
Other changes to the MDX for 2024 include a new premium audio system from Bang and Olufsen, new driver assist features, and Google built-in software that enables the driver to seamlessly use features like Maps, Assistant, and the Play Store without having to link their phone. The automaker did not provide an exact release date for the new updated MDX, though we suspect it'll hit dealerships by springtime.
