Acura puts its 'True Touchpad' Android UI in the 2019 RDX
This prototype RDX has a refined version of the 'Precision Concept.'
In 2016 Acura showed off its "Precision Cockpit" concept that included a touchpad with 1:1 mapping to a central display. It's supposed to improve on both touchscreens, which can require an awkward reach from the driver to somewhere out of their line of sight, and existing remotes that try to copy a mouse-controlled UI.
Now the company has announced that technology is coming to the 2019 RDX branded as a "True Touchpad." This Android-based car OS is the first use of a touchpad with absolute positioning in a car, making sure that wherever the driver taps on the pad corresponds to what is shown on the central 10.2-inch screen, which is mounted high up, in the driver's line of sight. Combined with a new natural language interface and an interactive heads-up display for the driver, it's supposed to be easier to use than any car software we've seen before.
This upcoming version of Acura's luxury SUV has other changes as well, in a "top-to-bottom" remake that will launch around the middle of this year. It brings Acura Super-Handling All Wheel Drive (SH-AWD) back to the RDX, and includes an NSX-inspired driving dynamics system that lets drivers choose between Sport, Sport+, Comfort and Snow modes. Every 2019 RDX will include AcuraWatch driver assist features, while optional additions include the 4G AcuraLink WiFi hotspot and surround-view camera system.
An ultra-wide panoramic moonroof is standard, and the prototype is fitted with four thin ceiling-mounted speakers as part of its 16-channel, 710-watt Acura ELS Studio 3D audio system.
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