Here’s Our Best Look Yet At The New Tesla Model Y Rival

• Acura has teased the RSX Prototype, which will likely be almost identical to the production version.
• The Acura RSX is the first series model based on Honda’s new in-house EV platform.
• The prototype will debut during Monterey Car Week 2025, which runs through August 17 in California.

The Acura RSX is back. Not as the two-door coupe of the early 2000s, but as a four-door, coupe-like electric crossover that will be built in the United States. And this is our best look yet at the first EV based on Honda’s in-house Zero Series car platform that will underpin several other models.

The teaser published by Acura shows a white RSX Prototype, so it might not be the exact thing you’ll be able to buy from a dealer in the second half of next year, but it’s almost there. The prototype has plenty of design cues from last year’s Performance EV concept, like the huge air intakes in the front bumper and slim LED daytime running lights.

Acura RSX Prototype teaser

Photo by: Acura

The original Acura RSX, shown here in Type S guise.

Photo by: Acura

The driving lights seem to be integrated into the side openings, as is the case with a lot of new cars these days. There’s also a big black plastic piece in the center of the bumper, which is probably there to hide all sorts of sensors and give the appearance of a large air intake. Sadly, the Performance EV’s hood scoops are missing, but then again, I’d happily live without them if there’s a decent front trunk.

The new Acura RSX is a pretty big deal for Honda’s upmarket car brand. While the Acura ZDX and Honda Prologue are based on General Motors’ Ultium platform, the RSX is the first EV based on Honda’s new purpose-built platform that will underpin future cars like the Zero Series sedan and SUV. The big selling point of this architecture is that it can potentially lower manufacturing costs, all while giving Honda complete control over its electronic brains.

A previously published photo of the Acura RSX prototype revealed the EV would come with retractable door handles and a sloping roofline.

Photo by: Acura

An integral part of the new Zero Series platform is the Asimo operating system, which will control things like the advanced driver assistance system and infotainment, all while offering a better user experience. (And AI, of course.) 

The Acura RSX Prototype is set to debut at this year’s Monterey Car Week, which runs through August 17 in California. The company didn’t give a specific date for the reveal, so it could happen anytime. What we do know is that the production version of the RSX electric crossover will be the first car to go into production at Honda’s new EV hub in Ohio, with sales scheduled to begin in the second half of 2026.