Honda is entering a new era in its electric journey, announcing that its first ground-up electric vehicle developed entirely on its own platform will be the 2026 Acura RSX. Unlike the Honda Prologue and Acura ZDX, which borrow their foundations from General Motors’ Ultium platform, the RSX will be pure Honda engineering from the wheels up.
From Concept to Production
The RSX is inspired by the Acura Performance concept shown last year. The sleek, coupe-like SUV is still cloaked in camouflage, but Honda has confirmed it will debut the automaker’s in-house Asimo operating system a software platform first teased at CES earlier this year.
Production is slated to begin in late 2025 at Honda’s brand-new $4.4 billion EV facility in Ohio, a joint venture with LG Chem. This marks the first model to roll out of the factory, underscoring the RSX’s importance in Honda’s long-term electrification strategy.
Why the RSX Matters
Until now, Honda’s only battery-electric offerings in the US the Prologue and the ZDX have been collaborative efforts with GM. While the Prologue has sold well, even outpacing the Chevy Blazer and Equinox EVs, it’s not a product of Honda’s own architecture.
The RSX changes that. “In RSX, we turn to an Acura nameplate that communicates fun-to-drive performance, a great name for a sporty SUV with a coupe silhouette for our first original Acura EV,” said Lance Woelfer, VP of automobile sales at American Honda Motor Co.
Resurrecting a Name with History
The RSX badge last appeared in the early 2000s as Acura’s version of the Honda Integra — a compact, performance-oriented coupe that developed a loyal fanbase. This revival follows Honda’s recent decision to bring back the Prelude as a sporty, two-door hybrid, signaling that heritage models are becoming a key part of its strategy to draw attention to its next-generation lineup.
The Debut of Asimo OS
One of the RSX’s headline features will be the debut of Honda’s Asimo OS, the company’s first step into software-defined vehicles. Named after Honda’s famed humanoid robot (retired in 2018), Asimo OS will allow over-the-air updates for key vehicle systems from performance tuning to driver-assist features enabling Honda to keep the RSX’s technology fresh long after it leaves the showroom.
Jessica Fini, Honda’s assistant VP for communications, noted, “It works out that Acura is once again, sort of the tip of the spear for electrification and our digital future.”
Part of a Bigger Push
The RSX is also a launchpad for Honda’s upcoming Honda Zero lineup, a family of vehicles designed to embody the company’s next phase of design, efficiency, and connectivity. The first of these will be the Honda 0 SUV, also running on Asimo OS.
With a dedicated EV platform, advanced in-house software, and production in the US, the RSX represents a pivotal shift for Honda. The company is betting that blending its engineering independence with Acura’s performance-driven identity will resonate with buyers ready for an electric SUV that feels distinctly Honda not a shared project.
The 2026 Acura RSX is expected to be unveiled in full next year, with production kicking off months later. For Honda, this isn’t just another electric vehicle. It’s the start of building its own EV future, one software-defined, performance-oriented model at a time.
