(first posted 6/1/2016) I presume that being an automotive designer in 1950’s America, where design was king and you were allowed to let your imagination roam wild (even if it wasn’t always successful), was the best time and place to be an automotive designer. Those days are long, long gone.
Where in those yesteryears the only concern of management was seemingly that the car couldn’t actually function as a jet fighter and that it had doors instead of a sliding bubble top, today there’s hundreds upon hundreds of regulations to stifle the designers vision. His sweeping front end may look nice, but there’s no chance it will comply with headlight height regulations, much less pedestrian impact standards. “They should be able to survive being hit with three tons of steel doing at 35 miles per hour. Oh, and while we’re at it, we’re using the same cooling system than the rest of the cars on the lineup so you’ll have to redesign the front grill to be bigger. The good news is that apart from that the side profile is nice and we’re going to keep it exactly the way it is, apart from the crisscrossing character lines, do you have any idea what those would cost in tooling alone. Now moving on to the back…”
You get the point. Thankfully and despite all of this, designers still find ways to make their vision come through. We still have people like Bangle, Callum and Nakamura, constantly pushing the envelope on design. For every Audi that looks identical to every single other Audi there’s a Nissan Maxima to bring the uniqueness up a bit (even if the oily bits are not exactly 4DSC material). But like that “not always successful” tangent a couple of hundred words up, it’s not uncommon for this artistic vision to sway to the wrong side of the collective taste.
It can be small things, like the blacked-out C-pillar on the latest Jaguar XJ (which I dislike for other reasons.) or things like the always-fun-to-mock E65 7-series, whose design was so clashing with the beautiful E39 that came before that the only thing uglier than the exterior was the UI of the iDrive system. And then we have our B-subject (and framing device for the day) the Power Plenum.
Yes, That’s what Acura’s beak was actually called. The Power Plenum is the brainchild of a man called Dave Marek, currently Global Creative Director for Acura. He first penned the controversial design on the front of the 2006 Acura Advanced Sedan concept. With a front that looked like an angry man with a huge forehead and teeny tiny tailights, it was difficult to imagine that we were watching the origins of a new era in Acura design. It started conservatively with a reduced version, which was actually quite pleasant, on the 2007 MDX. By the time the 2009 TL rolled along it had (d?)evolved into the unfortunate giant slab of metal we know today. It was around this time when the ZDX also first rolled along.
It’s actually quite simple to see why the ZDX came to be. There was something in the water at auto shows. I say this because around at the same time that the ZDX would have started its conception, BMW was also parading its own vision of a tall AWD “coupe” in the form of the X6 concept. Someone at Acura must have looked at it and gone “Hmm…good idea”
And so, in 2009, the ZDX was released, the absolute zenith of Dave Marek’s vision in the form of this “Luxury Four-Door Sports Coupe” (they should just call them Four-Door Potato Salad Flamethrower for all the meaning that those words have). Based on the Honda Pilot platform, it was only available with All-wheel drive and powered by a 3.7-liter V6 with 295 horsepower. Everyone must have been extremely ´pleased with themselves when it went out to the dealerships.
And…nothing. Literally. To call the ZDX a slow seller is to call the NES a bit successful or the Concorde just a tad quick off the line. The reason I’ve pegged the one in the header image, posted to the Cohort by cjcz92, as a 2010 is because that was the year where the heft of them were sold. And by heft, I mean 3,259 units. Even the similar-but-totally-unrelated Accord Crosstour managed to sell eight times as many units (28,851). That comparison gets even worse when you realize that over its entire run, it wouldn’t even ship half that (13,097). That’s the rarity taken care of for being qualified as a classic. The fact that rare doesn’t equal desirable means that in time it’ll become a full-on curbside classic. The X6, on the other hand, has managed to survive and put decent sales numbers thanks in small part by more options to personalize, and in an incredibly large part because of the fact that it has a BMW badge and kidney grill on the front, and the Acura had the power plenum.
I’ll give it this, though; this was probably the best implementation of the full-on plenum in the lineup. It wasn’t that it had gotten any prettier over the years, at least in your author’s opinion. Simply put, the sheer size of the vehicle took most of the shield-like features of the front. This is all subjective of course; the TL still looked like if it had a huge shroud to help the engine get up to temperature on the winters, and although the TSX and the RL had smaller incarnations, it still seemed that they were just thoughtlessly tacked on under a mandate. In time, the plenum began to shrink in size again until the inevitable happened.
On this Year’s New York International Auto show, Acura released their new for 2017 MDX, now with 100% less avian characteristics. The production car that giveth doth taketh away. So what was the reaction of the public? That without the plenum it just ended up looking like any other compact luxury crossover. That’s the life of a designer, sometimes you create something fresh and loved by everyone, others people just find your work derivative. Either way, someone’s going to hate it.
Car designs will always be subjective, and as you’ve accurately demonstrated, there will always be complainers.
Personally I never had a problem with Acura’s Power Plenum grille. Some models it looked better on than others, but I thought it was a bold statement that added some aggressiveness, which I like. Hell, I even bought an Acura with this grille design 🙂
I think over time the Power Plenum has evolved into a much more attractive grille as well, evidenced by the more 3-D effect of the latest ILX and RDX. Unfortunately now Acura is abandoning it for this new single frame design which I don’t like as much. At least the 2017 MDX will now offer real wood trim and 2nd row buckets with a console.
I hate these “CUV Sport Coupes” because the premise is so contrived and utterly silly.
That said, from a design perspective, I do kind of like this. It’s much better than the X6 IMO.
I hated these and the X6 when they first came out, now not so much. In total reverse-CC effect, I happened to pass a black ZDX while walking yesterday. I thought it looked pretty sharp, or at least unique enough to capture my attention. These and the X6 (which still is sold in low numbers) are definitely future CCs. I however have not yet come around on the Accord Crosstour.
I like the 2017 restyle better. The old one looked like it was trying too hard to be “daring”, but instead just ended up looking awkward.
There was a recent CC about the Mercury Sable. Ford made the same mistake with the ovid Taurus, and then ended up walking it back with the next restyle.
the Acura power plenum design always somehow reminded me of an outtake that may have come along in a Star Wars movie, and got edited out for poor aesthetics. Possibly even a midaevil knight’s mask or something. Just not on a car please.
Yes, when an ugly plasti-chrome fake grille approaches the size of the vehicle’s windshield, something has gone horribly wrong.
I’ve come to a conclusion of sorts…
Once upon a time there were regulations implemented that restrained the amount of different items found in vehicular exhaust. As the anti-pollution technology matured, the abundance of strangled, wheezing engines (especially V8’s in the 1980s that seemed to have an upper threshold of 140 hp) subsided and the world was again a rosy place.
Then, upon a more recent time, there were regulations implemented that restrained various vehicular dimensions to promote occupant and pedestrian safety. Like the anti-pollution technology, it was met with an abundance of bitching and hand-wringing.
The difference is the newest set of regulations likely haven’t matured yet. But that’s just my take on it.
Good news is once we take the human error out of driving with the switch to autonomous, car design aesthetics will return us back to classic styling again…
Right?
Right??
Hello???
Absolutely. Just look at this beauty:
Safety will increase several times, because as we know computers never crash, lock up, have to be rebooted, get hacked, get viruses, or have any programming errors. Computers built at the lowest possible cost also never have hardware failures.
The law will be no doubt written so that the driver is at fault in an accident even if they are not driving the car. As we all know, corporations do not make mistakes or make ethically questionable decisions.
In all seriousness, I’m not sure how I feel about these things. I’ve always loved driving, but I’ve really come to loathe commuting. And I’m not even in that big of a city.
Shhh! Don ‘t mock our coming robot overlords!
Hello operator, I just lost my quarter…
When that happens, will anyone care what it looks like?
I think those of us who do will likely be outcast from society for futilely attempting to “car shame” the people who don’t care. Ala Demolition Man
“…the always-fun-to-mock E65 7-series, whose design was so clashing with the beautiful E39 that came before that the only thing uglier than the exterior was the UI of the iDrive system…”
I think you meant the E38, the E39 was the 5-Series from 1997-2003. But I fully understand what you meant. Both the E38 7-Series and E39 5-Series were the last genuinely good looking BMW 5 and 7 series.
In regards to the ZDX, I think it’s in the same FUGLY class as a Pontiac Aztek. The only saving grace is superior engineering, fit and finish and performance relative to the Aztek. There is a good reason neither car sold well, because they were ugly. Making a car stand out with odd ball styling cues just for the sake of drawing attention doesn’t make it a well designed car.
But the AMC Pacer, Ford Pinto, Mustang II et all have become collectable simply because of their ugliness. So there is hope for the ZDX 20 or so years down the road…
It doesn’t get much more fugly than a Nissan Cube…. I mean, what in God’s name were Nissan’s designer’s thinking?
Dr. Seuss?
I must say, I like the Nissan Cube. It added a bit of fun to the traditional practical boxy car. There’s not a lot of ways you can do that without sacrificing space.
Nowadays the Kia Soul is the best you can get…I think it’s the only one you can get.
It must be the CC effect again, but after my derisive post the other day about the Cube, I spotted one last night when I went to the Oriole’s game and took a better look at it. I guess it’s ok, but I never really got the whole ‘cute-ute’ thing, but I suppose there’s some charm there in a quirky sort of way.
For example, I’ve never been a fan of the Scion xB, but they’re all the rage here in Baltimore with the younger set. No offense to our fearless leader Paul, but it just looks like a box on wheels. I never liked them, but I have learned to appreciate many cars I otherwise wouldn’t give a second thought to after coming to this site. This COAL from back in January gave me a new appreciation for these vehicles….
https://www.curbsideclassic.com/cars-of-a-lifetime/coal-2005-scion-xb-my-first-and-last-toyota-eleven-years-old-and-only-one-slightly-annoying-issue/
As to your comments about the Kia Soul being the best… Yeah, if I had to choose one, I’d have to agree with you assessment of the ‘hip-hop-hamster-car’. ;o) A coworker has one and it’s actually pretty cool.
Yep, another Cube fan. 🙂
The Cube always makes me think about the aliens on The Simpsons. I think it’s the curve at the rear bumper.
Although it’s far from a dead ringer for one, the chrome beaked Acuras always remind me of a 55 Studebaker.
Calling a grille a power plenum is as stupid of a misnomer as calling a 5 door hatchback a coupe. Way to go Acura!
One admission, the ZDX looks alright from the back, at least at that angle(I’ve seen so few in person it’s hard to say how they really look). Similarly I’d say the same about the new Maxima, how people are attracted to that ridiculous mess of blocky slab sided, high belt line, fake i3esque windowed, blowfish faced, battleship sized lump of terrible 10s era styling baffles the mind… But it too looks ok from the back, and I mean in person(strangely people do seem to be buying them from my own observations, despite the myriad of awful the rest of the car possesses)
I would like to buy an Acura ZDX and turn it into a sculpture like what has been done at Carhenge. Maybe the ZDX would look good as a Robotic Shark.
What a terrible angle on the photograph of that Maxima, it makes the greenhouse look like it was photoshoped from an Avenger.
Maxima definitely looks better in person.
The Maxima does look better in person. Problem is – I’ve only seen about three in person!
Yeah I have a feeling it will continue to be the darling of those who like to buy CPO or lightly used after the depreciation has hit.
One of my colleagues bought a lightly used Maxima after he got rid of his DTS. Given that he really liked the the Caddy I question the 4DSC credo of the Maxima.
I agree – I also see a possible used/CPO bargain in the Maxima.
You are lucky then. Nissan does no longer imports any regular sized sedans into Austria – I suppose that’s Renault’s territory now…
To me, the ZDX looks like the designers tried to see just how far they could push the ugliness envelope. The X6 in comparison looks awkward so high off the road. Both are ridiculous wastes of metal and their owners are proof that some people will buy anything with the “right” badge on the grille.
Anyone have a twenty-foot-tall bottle of beer they need opened?
You’ve hit the nail on the head. I can never look at the “power plenum” without thinking of one of these:
The good old church key. That is as religious as I get.
No self respecting Homebrewer or Craft-Beer Enthusiast would ever be caught without his church-key. ?
In all honesty I loath almost everything made after the turn of the century but only partly because of the universally gawdawful ™ styling. There is also the windowsills raised up to nose level, pillars the size of oak trees, TPMS, ABS, keyless entry, electronic key fobs, self locking doors, nagging lights and voices, modesty engine covers so you can’t see (or access) the engine, AWD (or wrong wheel drive if you are lucky), traction control, glass cockpit, fly by wire, cars as big and heavy as a mid 70s Lincoln with half the interior room and no trunk, windshields the size of mail slots, hoods so short and steeply angled that you can’t see them without climbing up on the too deep dashboard, lower dash panels that smash your knees upon the slightest provocation, center consoles that take up half the width of the cabin and much of the airspace…
lol…I think you hit all the nails on the head. it is frustrating… they finally get the powertrains right (it’s possible to have a 350 net hp V8 that starts every time and gets 25 mpg at cruise ) and absolutely ruin the rest of the car. Heaven would be something like an 82 98 coupé with a modern V8 in it.
The word you’re searching for is ‘restomod’. Take an old car and put a new drivetrain into it. Figure out how to make all the sensors work and finesse the cpu. I wonder how a 300 hp V6 and transmission from a recent Mustang would do in a 1st gen Mustang.
actually, what I meant was I wish they’d BUILD an 83 98 coupe with a modern V8 engine and trans in it. Would be better all around than anything out now.
X3.
I’ve seen about three or four of these in my life. About all I can say is that it looks ever-so-slightly better in real life.
As for the grille, I remember at least one aftermarket company rushing to “fix” the 2009 TL’s controversial grille. This design (which resembles the 2004-2008 TL’s grille) is probably my favorite solution. There was also a billet-style grille, and some dealers painted part or all of the grille.
I will say that the ‘power plenum’ is just about the only thing I would change about the way my TSX looks. I know the JDM crowd is fond of swapping in the Euro Accord grille (and badges); I wonder how it would look with an Acura badge in the center instead of the Honda logo that the JDM crowd runs with.
Related to that, I recently saw a video clip of a guy in Japan with an Accord Tourer that was lowered and nicely modified. Naturally, he had swapped in the US TSX grille and Acura badges.
The grass is always greener etc. etc…..
My initial negative feelings on this car have mellowed considerably. I’m appreciating quirky cars more and more, and with a bit of time, this one isn’t really all that bad. It was a just a couple of years ahead of the market, and maybe with a somewhat toned down grille, it might have sold ok.
The X6 seemed to get similar hate at first, and sales seemed sluggish. I wondered if it would go the way of the ZDX. But they have found their sales niche, and I see more all the time. And now Mercedes has gotten into the game too.
And yes, I’ve come to rather like the Aztek. 🙂 It too was ahead of the curve, and if it had come out looking like the later versions, and a few years later, it might have had a different reception.
I agree with you 100% on the Aztek.
I always kind of liked the Aztek, looks aside, because at the time I thought it made a lot more practical sense than a CRV or RAV4. The looks eventually grew on me. I don’t know if I’d say I like design now, but I don’t mind it.
These CUV coupes have also grown on me as far as looks go, but not as a vehicle class. I still think they are laughably ridiculous, like a prestigious AMC. But to each their own, variety is what makes cars interesting.
Have you made any mods to your TSX wagon’s nose though? A partial repaint won’t make as much difference to the matte-aluminum-effect grille on a pearl white car as it would a darker color, but the flip side is the stock one doesn’t stand out as much as it would.
No. I kinda’ stopped noticing it.
Thanks , Now I have a clear idea of where to place the blame for the hidious beaks that Acura can’t seem to get enough of. Now , I still wonder why it was allowed to continue year after year. David Marek you say, and he’s still employed at Acura? Not a good sign. Some designers are way out of their league and Marek did to Acura what Bangle did to BMW, The difference is BMW was quicker to make necessary corrections.
One of these crosses my path about twice a year – wouldn’t surprise me if it’s the same car each time.
I actually like it. It is rather weird, but park just about any modern crossover next to a car of my youth, say a 1973 Olds Cutlass coupe, and all sense of perspective goes out the window. Things evolve.
The tall hatch / sedan concept appeals to me – and I’m fairly tall so it fits my concepts of comfort.
The Acura styling – with it’s “Power Plenum” (learned that one today), isn’t as appealing to me as the Honda Crosstour. I’ve always found the Crosstour very appealing, and have long thought it might be one of my next vehicles. Unfortunately, having spent considerable time in a Crosstour and an Accord at an auto show a few years ago, it appears the plain old Accord actually has the better rear seat accommodations. A high floor in the rear compartment also limits luggage more than I’d have thought. (Sigh, why do the damn Accord, and Camry for that matter, always have to be the practical choice?)
Regarding that Acura styling, they really doubled down on that front look by putting it on the back as well. Extremely evident on the TL. I can’t help but see a goofy grin in the front of this car, but than again, I’d have approved the ’58 Edsel front end. So who am I to say, “What were they thinking………………….”
Well, it looks better than current Mazdas with gaping fish mouths. But that’s about all it has going for it.
Not a fan of this car, and no it’s not because of the beak. Even if you disregard the grille, the proportions are all off. It’s too wide, the roof’s simultaneously too short and too tall, the way the rear slopes down makes it look like a kid with sagging trousers. It’s just an utter mess.
Judging by the comments, I’m seeing a lot of Pontiac Aztek comparisons, which is valid enough. But I think that people are harsher on this car than the Aztek, and I can think of two reasons. One, beneath the ugly exterior, the Aztek had some practical use to it. Two, it’s a matter of perception. Pontiac was not what you would call an upmarket brand by 2001, so the Aztek would’ve been cheap enough that maybe you could see someone who would buy it beyond the initial looks. The ZDX cost more than the Aztek, and it was from a brand that was considered more upmarket, so the extra snob value hurts it. The Aztek was like Quasimodo from the Hunchback of Notre Dame, it was charming in its own way, even if its looks were unfortunate. The ZDX, not so much.
As for the X6 in relation, it’s a beemer. At that point, people were buying (read: leasing) BMW cars solely for the badge. You can get away with a lot of poor choices if you got the goodwill of the public and the fanbase to back you up.
I for one, kinda like these. The fact that no manual trans was offered and it uses an east/west fwd configuration are the major turnoffs for me. But love or hate these, at least its not yet ANOTHER boring lump of a sedan or boring minivan in disguise CUV.
The main thing the ZDX got right was the rear doors. If you MUST have 4 doors, and they MUST be forward swinging, then hide the rear ones as best you can…especially if youre going for even a remote taste of sportiness. I’m looking at YOU, Dodge Charger!
“Hiding” the rear door handle in the window frame really does little to convince it’s not a 4 door when there’s still a gigantic B pillar about a foot forward of where I’d expect it to be if it really were a 2 door. I honestly find that specific detail offensive to my senses, they may as well put fender flares on the back to pretend it’s RWD too.
Nailed it with the B pillar thing. Alfa used the hidden rear handle on the 156 and now it plain bugs me on an otherwise great shape.
Yawn, ho-hum, blorf. I saw one of these the other day for the first time ever, and it struck me as nothing more or less than a more expensive Honda Accord Crosstour, differently but equally ugly. And while its model name “ZDX” sounds merely dorky in the States (“ZeeDeeYex”), in Canada it sounds clunky and awkward (“ZedDeeYex”).
All the vehicles depicted in this article look pretty much the same: like they’ve been through a digestive tract.
“As for the X6 in relation, it’s a beemer. At that point, people were buying (read: leasing) BMW cars solely for the badge. You can get away with a lot of poor choices if you got the goodwill of the public and the fanbase to back you up.”
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The latest issue of Consumer Reports (yes, I have a subscription, an annual gift from my dentist) a new BMW CUV is written up as “The Average Driving Machine.” The luster is fading.
‘Peak Beak’ is a great, and unprecedented descriptor of this car, in that I think it marks the point that Acura had gotten more out of touch with its target market than ever before. No X6 buyer was going to cross-shop this thing, because of brand snobbery. And the ZDX had no chance of standing on its own merits. I remember sitting in one at the 2014 NY Auto Show. Rear-seat room was worse than a Civic. Cargo space was worse than a Fit. The tech innovations were nothing special. Put it all together, and the ZDX just didn’t have the style, prestige, or features to compensate for its multitudinous shortcomings. It was unequivocally a flop, and may in the future be whispered as something approaching a Honda Aztek.
I think Honda knows better now, and is working to rein in their North American operations which have frankly let some very lazy products out of the pipeline. The latest Civic and Accord are showing that they’re back on their game.
What Honda does with the Acura is left to be seen. I hate to speak ill of anyone organizationally, especially since much of the brand’s leadership seems to have been invested Stateside. But the brand has really lost its way, and in many enthusiast corners, its credibility is hanging by a thread. I hope Honda finds a way to keep US employees on the job, while making a much-needed course correction for its premium brand. After all, think back to 2004. The TL, TSX, and RSX were at the top of their game. Today, the brand is meandering and the nostalgia for those nameplates’ previous segment mastery is considerable.
Needs about a 5″ drop.
X6. Grrrr…
When I hear “X6” I think of…..
This story should inspire a toast to the previous gen Acura TL. A nice-looking car, and perhaps the last of the Great Old Hondas.
Right, that is a good looking car. The mess that is the subject of this article is hideously ugly. I mean people thing the Aztek is the pinnacle of ugliness but that vehicle is now tame compared to this which impairs my vision. I parked next to a Nissan Juke a few months ago and couldn’t believe what I was looking at.
+1 that was the pinnacle of Acura design IMO, the follow up with it’s stupid faddy appliance finished stainless “power plenum” was one of the bigger new car disappointments I recall in my lifetime, by all accounts they’re less fun to drive than that too.
“Disappointment” is right. Acura was flying high with that TL, being one of the top-selling luxury cars. Then they committed suicide with the power plenum beak. They still have not recovered.
Its astounding how badly Acura understood their customer base. Honda’s reputation was based on modest-looking cars with excellent engineering. Nobody bought an Acura to be looked-at. They were about the inside, not the outside. By giving it a styling ‘image’ that nobody was asking for, they killed the brand.
Ugly, ugly and still ugly. Wouldn’t be caught dead in it. As a matter of fact I wouldn’t be caught dead in most cars today. Power and handling is not enough to offset all the other bad issues I have with these cars.
The Power Plenum grille looked horrible when introduced, and after all of the ensuing years still does.
The way the Acura’s odd design was integrated into the rest of the car reminds me of whatever year (96?) the ovular Taurus was introduced. Ovals, ovals everywhere! Apparently the designer thought the public wouldn’t be able to get enough ovals. They apparently did. We all saw where that idea went.
Speaking of integrating a design into a car ad-nausea, how many V’s do you see on this 57 Hornet?
Were there any safety issues with reflections off that huge, flat expanse of chrome dazzling oncoming drivers? I remember reflections off flat glass on oncoming older vehicles being blinding, and the occasional chrome grille or bumper if the light hit it the wrong way; I can’t see this being any easier on the eyes.
Peak Beak, church key, that’s what I see. Power Plenum????????
Have you seen the Power Plenum?
My reaction would be, WTF are you talking about? Is that what they call a bottle opener now?
Same with the proboscis that Toyota start hanging on the grill or hood.