The 2019 Acura RDX Prototype made its world debut the 2018 North American International Auto Show. Designed, developed and manufactured in America, the all-new 2019 RDX will launch in mid-2018 with groundbreaking new Acura technologies. The new feature is the True Touchpad Interface.
“The RDX’s unique touchpad is precisely mapped one-to-one with the action on the 10.2 inch center display. It’s the world’s first application of absolute positioning in the driving environment,” said Jon Ikeda, Vice President & General Manager of the Acura Division of American Honda Motor Co., Inc., “And for our tech savvy customers, RDX also has an interactive, 10.5 inch, color head up display and 4G LTE WiFi.”
Acura True Touchpad Interface
The RDX heralds the launch of Acura’s all-new, True Touchpad Interface, which features an Android-based operating system projected onto a dual-zone, 10.2-inch full-HD display mounted high atop the center console close to the driver’s natural line of sight, and an available interactive head-up display (HUD).
The system is designed to combine the advantages of both conventional touchscreen and remote-based approaches. A traditional touchscreen is intuitive and direct – what you see is what you press – but the placement of the screen is out of the driver’s natural line-of-sight. A remote interface solves this problem, but the interaction between the remote and display is often clumsy.
Unlike existing remote interfaces that operate like a computer mouse, every spot on the RDX’s touchpad is mapped precisely – one-to-one – with the corresponding action on the center display – as the world’s first application of absolute positioning in the driving environment. For instance, a tap on the top left corner of the touchpad corresponds precisely with the action on the top left of the center display.
All elements of the Acura True Touchpad Interface, including the new operating system with simple, clean graphics and menu structures, were designed in concert to work seamlessly with one another. Also debuting on the RDX, is a new natural language voice recognition system, which dramatically improves the ease and intuitiveness of voice commands in the vehicle.
“Absolute positioning transforms the touchpad experience, making it personal, intuitive and particularly well-suited for premium, driver-centric, performance machines,” said Ross Miller, senior engineer of user interface research. “It’s also designed to be adopted quickly and easily, as drivers become acclimated and comfortable in minutes.”
The 2019 RDX Prototype uses four ultra-thin, ceiling-mounted speakers to add a new dimension of sound and fidelity to the audio experience. The 16-channel, 710-watt Acura ELS Studio 3D system was developed by Panasonic and tuned by Grammy-winning music producer and longtime Acura partner, Elliott Scheiner.
All 2019 RDX models will come equipped with the AcuraWatch™ suite of advanced safety and driver-assistive technologies. Additional available connected-car and driver-assistive features include next-generation AcuraLink® with 4G LTE Wi-Fi, Hill Start Assist, Surround-View Camera System, front and rear parking sensors, Rear Cross Traffic Monitor and Blind Spot Information system. Development of the 2019 Acura RDX was led for the first time by a U.S. R&D team, with styling by the Acura Design Studio in Los Angeles, California, and development by an engineering team in Raymond, Ohio. All RDX models for the North American market will continue to be built in the company’s East Liberty, Ohio plant2. Its 2.0-liter DOHC VTEC Turbo engine will be made in Anna, Ohio2, in the same plant building the NSX’s twin turbo engine. RDX’s 10-speed automatic transmission will be manufactured in the company’s Tallapoosa, Georgia plant.