The Acura ZDX is dead, scrapped after being on the market for a single model year in response to cooling demand for EVs. With buyers leaning back toward hybrids and gasoline-powered models, Acura's decision to do away with the ZDX takes one more Lincoln Nautilus rival off the board.
A report from Car Dealership Guy details the demise of the 2024 Acura ZDX, which briefly rivaled the Lincoln Nautilus in the luxury crossover segment. As a reminder, the ZDX was built in partnership with General Motors, utilizing the manufacturers dedicated BEV3 platform, which it shares with its sister, the all-electric Cadillac Lyriq. It was built alongside the Lyriq at the GM Spring Hill Plant in Tennessee, where production of the ZDX has been halted, effective immediately.
2024 Acura ZDX
All plans for a 2026 Acura ZDX have been killed, too, "to better align our business with the needs of our customers," as stated in an internal memo. Strangely, the ZDX was not offered as a 2025 model year vehicle; all models that have been built are considered part of the 2024 model year.
"Acura adjusted appropriately to the changing political and market conditions. It takes true leadership to be able to do this," Paragon Acura general manager Brian Benstock told Car Dealership Guy. "In fact, we can credit Acura with listening to its dealers. This is an important step in moving forward. The best is yet to come."
The Acura ZDX and the Lincoln Nautilus are indirect competitors. While they're similarly sized luxury crossovers, the ZDX is all-electric, while the Nautilus utilizes either the turbocharged 2.0L EcoBoost I4 or the optional 2.0L Hybrid setup. Their price point is comparable, too - the ZDX starts at $64,500, but with the $7,500 Federal EV Tax Credit applied, that puts it at the $57,000 mark, within striking distance of the $53,995 Nautilus Premiere. However, the credit will no longer be available as of September 30th, 2025.
2024 Lincoln Nautilus
Instead, Acura is considering pivoting to hybrid vehicles in response to market demand. For its part, Lincoln will likely do the same, although it's never going to be an all-EV marque, as the idea was shot down by Ford CEO Jim Farley himself. Farley is resistant to the idea of offering a relatively inexpensive Lincoln hybrid model, though, focusing on creating an affordable EV instead.
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