Two cracking new Hondas that Aussies will never drive

In the past week American Honda Motor Co has revealed two models ahead of their release in the US early next year, but neither of them is ever likely to be sold in Australia.

The Acura MDX Prototype was presented overnight, previewing the fourth generation of North America’s top-selling three-row luxury SUV and “the most premium, performance-focused and technologically sophisticated SUV in Acura history”, claims Honda’s US luxury brand.

Last week the Japanese car-maker revealed a heavily upgraded 2021 Honda Ridgeline and said the tougher-looking dual-cab 4x4 ute will bring “standard V6 power, class-leading ride and handling, the segment’s largest interior for passengers and gear, a brilliantly versatile bed, and the best standard AWD model payload capacity”.

However, neither model will be produced in right-hand drive and therefore won’t come to Australia, where Honda will axe the Jazz and City small cars to focus on the HR-V and CR-V SUVs, and the Civic, Accord and Odyssey passenger cars under a new agency sales model from July 2021.

“We know there are a number of appealing and exciting Honda products on offer in overseas markets, but they are either not available to us – such as left-hand drive models produced for the North American market – or simply do not make business sense for our local market,” a Honda Australia spokesperson told carsales.

Honda USA this week also revealed an upgraded MY21 version of the Accord, the all-new 10th generation of which has been on sale in the US for two years and only arrived Down Under last December.

But Honda Australia says it has “no news to announce for Accord” at this stage.

Both the Honda Ridgeline and Acura MDX, the latter previously sold in Australia, would likely be popular models Down Under, but Honda isn’t the only car-maker to deny Aussies attractive models sold elsewhere.

In fact, General Motors has exited all RHD markets and Ford continues to make some of its best models in LHD, including the Bronco, Mustang Mach E, Shelby Mustangs, F-150 and Explorer.

Other Honda models not available here but sold in the US, where the Japanese brand has produced vehicles for 38 years, include the Passport and Pilot SUVs, and the Insight hybrid and Clarity FCEV and PHEV.

For the record, the 2021 Honda Ridgeline is the only vehicle in its segment based on a car-like monocoque platform with independent rear suspension rather than a truck-style ladder frame with a live rear axle.

That’s part of the reason the company claims it delivers class-leading handling and ride comfort, as well as the largest interior for passengers and gear and the best standard AWD model payload capacity.

Honda’s answer to the Ford Ranger, Toyota Tacoma, Chevrolet Colorado and Nissan Frontier is a dual-cab-only model powered exclusively by a 210kW 3.5-litre VTEC petrol V6 and nine-speed automatic transmission.

For MY21, the Ridgeline brings all-new sheet metal from the A-pillars forward, including a new bonnet with pronounced power bulge, beefier front guards and a squared-off nose with more upright grille, flanked by new LED headlights.

All four variants ride on tougher-looking 18-inch wheels with more aggressive all-season tyres, resulting in 20mm wider wheel tracks, and there’s the option of four new black-look Honda Performance Development (HPD) packages.

Inside, there’s an upgraded touch-screen infotainment system and updated seat trims, while variants fitted with i-VTM4 AWD get additional mud and sand driving modes.

Honda claims a 5000-pound (2268kg) towing capacity and best-in-AWD-class payload of 1580 pounds (717kg) in a rear tub that measures four feet wide.

Cool features include In-Bed Trunk, a lockable 7.3 cubic-foot storage space under the bed floor, the Dual-Action Tailgate that opens downward or to the side and can handle loads of 135kg, eight tie-down points rated at 160kg each and a fibreglass-reinforced SMC composite tray liner.

Naturally, the Alabama-made Ridgeline comes with all the latest Honda Sensing safety gear too, including collision mitigation braking system with forward collision warning, lane keeping assist, road departure mitigation with lane departure warning, and adaptive cruise control.

The fourth-generation Acura MDX, meantime, is claimed to take a quantum leap forward in craftsmanship, materials and technology, including the Acura Precision Cockpit digital instrument cluster.

Based on an all-new platform with double-wishbone front suspension for the first time, the new MDX seven-seater will be lower, wider and powered by a 3.5-litre petrol VTEC V6 matched with a 10-speed auto.

A sportier Type S version will follow later next year, powered by a 265kW 3.0-litre turbo-petrol V6 – making it the most powerful MDX in the nameplate’s 10-year history – driving through an SH-AWD system.

Few other firm specs have been announced for the new SUV, but the MDX Prototype wears a three-dimensional Diamond Pentagon grille flanked by four-element JewelEye LED headlights, Chicane LED tail-lights and daytime running lights, and 21-inch alloy wheels.

Underscoring its premium intent, the MDX concept car’s interior boasts high-grade materials including open-pore wood with infused metallic flake, polished aluminium and soft-touch Milano leather.

Other luxury items include Iconic Drive LED ambient illumination, 1000-Watt/25-speaker Signature Edition ELS STUDIO 3D premium audio system and Acura sport seats with 16-way power adjustment and massage function.

High-tech equipment comprises a 12.3-inch Precision Cockpit digital instrument panel and 12.3-inch True Touchpad Interface full-HD central display – the largest screens to ever appear in an Acura, meaning they may one day become available in a Honda you can buy here.