Acura confirms a new eight-seat flagship SUV and an adventure model for 2028

Acura has confirmed plans for three new SUVs, including its largest model ever: a three-row, eight-seat flagship that will sit above the seven-seat MDX, and a rugged 'adventure-ready' SUV due in the first part of 2028. The roadmap was shared with US dealers by the Honda-owned premium brand, which says the new models will take it into segments where it does not currently compete.

Neither pricing nor Australian availability has been announced for any of the three SUVs, and Acura has not confirmed a launch date for the flagship.

Three new SUVs, one of them the biggest Acura yet

The centrepiece of the plan is the untitled eight-seater, which Acura describes as its largest model ever and says is designed to capture growing demand for family-friendly vehicles in the premium space. The brand has not said when it will launch. An August 2026 report claimed the model, codenamed 'Acura XL', would reach the market in late 2029, but at that stage Acura had not confirmed the project; the company has now done so without committing to a date.

If it follows the pattern of the Honda 'Pilot XXL' three-row SUV under development, it should be a genuinely large machine: that Honda is expected to out-size the Toyota Grand Highlander, Hyundai Palisade and even the Jeep Grand Cherokee L. Motor1's report suggests the flagship could use Honda's new V6 hybrid powertrain being developed for D-segment cars, which arrives next year with what Honda calls powerful driving performance and high towing capacity.

The second new model is the adventure-ready SUV, confirmed for the first part of 2028. Acura says only that it will deliver the capability customers need for outdoor adventures, along with modern and premium styling and the comfort and technology expected of the brand. A single teaser image shows a silver and black wheel turning in dirt and a black plastic fender flare; nothing else about the design has been revealed.

It is not clear whether the model is based on an existing Acura or built from scratch. Both outlets point to the Honda Passport as a likely starting point, and the TrailSport version in particular, which adds unique springs, dampers, control arms and stabilizer bars to the familiar naturally aspirated 3.5-litre V6 making 280 hp.

The RDX returns in 2028 after a one-year gap

The third new SUV is the fourth-generation RDX, already confirmed for a 2028 launch. It will be the first Acura to use the company's two-motor hybrid system, an updated version of the setup introduced on the 2023 Accord and CR-V. There is no RDX planned for the 2027 model year, so the SUV takes a year off before returning.

The rest of the range carries over. The Integra, ADX and MDX receive what Acura calls meaningful enhancements for 2027, though buyers should not expect major changes. That leaves Acura with three models for 2027, down from four today.

American Honda president and CEO Eiji Fujimura framed the expansion as a long-term commitment: 'We are making a big commitment to Acura by delivering products and services that meet the needs of our customers at all life stages, which will create a sustainable long-term direction for the brand'.

What it means for buyers

The timing tells its own story. Acura's current lineup has been criticised as ageing, and the brand is clearly betting that size and capability, not coupes or crossovers, will win premium family buyers. The gap year for the RDX is a real risk for the brand's volume model, but the payoff is a hybrid generation arriving with the 2028 trio rather than a mid-cycle patch.

For US shoppers, the concrete dates are the adventure SUV and RDX in 2028, with the flagship to follow. Pricing for all three has not been announced, and Acura has said nothing about selling any of them in Australia, where the brand has no official presence.

A small Indonesian body shop has rebuilt a brand-new Toyota Hilux Rangga pickup into a two-door retro off-roader styled after the classic Land Cruiser FJ40, unveiled at the 2026 Indonesia Modification Expo. The truck, called the Rang Gruiser, was built by Delima Body Repair for its owner, Pak Wawan.

The donor was a factory-fresh short-wheelbase Hilux Rangga in chassis-cab form, the budget workhorse Toyota sells in emerging markets. Rather than bolt on a bodykit, Delima stripped every panel off the truck, separated the ladder-frame chassis from the cabin and extended the front section to sharpen the proportions towards a modernised FJ40.

FJ40 face on a Wrangler bumper

The conversion's centrepiece is the redesigned nose, which takes its round headlights, separate indicators and boxy grille from the Land Cruiser FJ40. The front bumper is borrowed from a Jeep Wrangler, and the truck wears custom Rang Gruiser badges in a vintage-style font.

Along the sides there are wide fender extensions, while the rear gets bespoke fenders and quarter panels, a full-size spare wheel on the tailgate and a canvas cover over the bed that runs back into the roofline. The tan canvas is matched with teal blue paint, unpainted plastic cladding and white trim around the grille.

It rides on black steel wheels with grippy tyres and appears to sit higher than standard, which points to a raised suspension setup, though the shop has not confirmed any mechanical changes there.

Two-wheel drive only, for now

Delima has not said whether anything was changed under the bonnet. The punchiest engine offered in the Hilux Rangga is a turbocharged 2.4-litre four-cylinder with 148 hp (110 kW / 150 PS) and 400 Nm (295 lb-ft) of torque.

The bigger mechanical compromise is underneath: the donor has no four-wheel drive, so the Rang Gruiser runs a rear-wheel-drive setup despite its off-roader looks.

The cabin keeps the minimalist dashboard and the optional infotainment screen, now trimmed with brown and black leather on the seats. The area behind the front seats is most likely cargo space, though it could be refitted with a bench.

Built in five weeks, and it shows

The whole transformation was finished in 35 days to make the 2026 Indonesia Modification Expo deadline. Delima has admitted the build is not perfect and says it will fix the minor flaws on its next project, due at a future event.

No price has been disclosed for the conversion itself. The donor Hilux Rangga, sold as the Hilux Champ in some markets, starts at Rp 194,300,000 (about $10,800) in Indonesia and tops out at Rp 309,600,000 (about $17,200), undercutting the regular Hilux and competing with used midsize pickups.

That pricing is the point of the build. A cheap, simple chassis-cab truck is exactly the kind of blank canvas that makes a conversion like this affordable, and it explains why the shop did not start from something like the newer Toyota FJ Cruiser, which costs more, is larger and does not come as a two-door.