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The 2019 Acura RDX went into production today, with the first examples of the third-generation SUV rolling off the company’s East Liberty Auto Plant (ELP) assembly line.

In order to prepare ELP for the new RDX, Honda of America Mfg., Inc. invested $54 million into the facility. The cash infusion brought new technologies to East Liberty, including a new roller hemming process to build the RDX’s massive panoramic moonroof, the use of high-performance adhesives for better rigidity, and a new paint system for Acura-exclusive premium exterior colors.

"This new RDX defines the future of Acura, and our Ohio team did an incredible job preparing this first in a new generation of Acura vehicles for our customers," said Jim Hefner, plant manager at the East Liberty Auto Plant. The RDX’s 2.0L turbocharged engine is sourced from the nearby Anna, Ohio, engine plant, mated to a segment-first 10-speed automatic transmission manufactured in Georgia. Acura is also quick to point out that the RDX was designed and developed exclusively in the U.S., and that five of its six vehicles are manufactured in Ohio: the ILX, TLX, MDX, RDX, and NSX.

The new RDX, which is one of Acura’s most successful nameplates, is the first in a new generation of Acura vehicles built using the company’s “Precision Crafted Performance” mantra. As we learned when the RDX Prototype was revealed in Detroit, the RDX rides on a new Acura-specific platform, abandoning the bones the first two generations shared with their CR-V contemporaries. With that engine sending 272 hp and 280 lb-ft to the torque-vectoring Super-Handling All-Wheel Drive through a segment-exclusive 10-speed automatic transmission, it promises to be a great performer, and we can’t wait to sample it out on the road.