The Acura RSX Is Coming Back As An Electric Crossover And We Just Want To Talk

The Acura RSX was a nifty little coupe, right? With sharp looks, punchy K-series power, and liftback practicality, it’s great at commuting and still provides enough smiles to be worth picking one up in 2025. Well, if you have a saved search set up, you’re going to want to set up some additional filters because the RSX nameplate is returning later this year, and this time it’s attached to an electric coupe crossover. Hey, where’s that booing noise coming from?

Setting the name aside, this electric crossover actually sounds pretty intriguing. Unlike the ZDX, this incoming electric crossover will ride on a Honda-developed platform, be built by Honda in Ohio, and it’s arriving quickly. It’ll actually be the first EV to roll out of this complex, beating the Afeela 1 and Honda 0 Saloon to the punch, yet it’ll run the same sort of software as Honda’s bonkers wedge-shaped sedan. What’s more, it looks remarkably conventional, and establishing normalcy is generally a good thing. However, we need to talk about the name.

Why this, Acura? I understand that the RSX coupe of the 2000s might not be as loved as the Integra, but it’s still a car that’s looked back on fondly. A car with a huge grassroots enthusiast community dedicated to tweaking, tuning, and enjoying them. This is a good thing for brand heritage, but as any car person who’s been online over the past few years will tell you, rebooting nameplates of sport compacts as electric crossovers is already a pejorative meme. It’s an in-joke of some enthusiasts’ contempt for the direction the industry is heading in, and I can already see the angry comments flooding in.

Now, naming an electric crossover after a performance car wasn’t a huge problem for Ford with the Mustang Mach-E because the Mustang has a ton of brand equity, but the Acura RSX just doesn’t hold presence in the public conscious like that. It’s neither an archetype nor a greater mainstream symbol of identity. Most people who remember it are car people, whereas the Mustang is a part of American history. Think of it this way: Pepsi bringing back Crystal Pepsi generated a ton of hype, but the relaunch of Clearly Canadian doesn’t quite enjoy the same recognition.

If not RSX, what else would you call this electric crossover? An RLX? A VDX? An SLX? Screw that. A better naming strategy is right in front of Acura’s nose, and it would establish both similarity to an existing sporty vehicle in the model range and lean on heritage. Right now, the only other fastback product in Acura’s range — the Integra — uses an actual name. Names are great! So long as they’re distinctive enough, they’re usually more memorable than alphanumerics, and Acura’s had some great model names in the past. Since it’s 2025 and the crossover has replaced the sedan as the dominant body style in the luxury market, how about digging up another heritage nameplate with connotations of speed and strength, and calling this crossover the Acura Vigor?

The original Vigor was the predecessor to the TL, which essentially ended up being the predecessor for the TLX. This quirky five-cylinder sedan was a pretty sporty entry in the premium sedan space, leaning on engineering, frameless window hardtop styling, and a more engaging demeanor than the Lexus ES to distinguish itself. Plus, it had a great name, one that deserves a revival someday.

I get it, branding is hard. It’s tough to build recognition for a new name, and leveraging heritage is a fairly common play. However, it’s also something to be done carefully. Will naming an electric crossover the Acura RSX get people talking about it? Absolutely, but not all publicity is good publicity. I guess we’ll just have to see how this goes, shall we?

(Photo credits: Acura, Ford)

Support our mission of championing car culture by becoming an Official Autopian Member.

• Why The 2025 Acura ADX Might Be The Smart Choice Of Luxury Subcompact Crossovers

• The 2024 Acura ZDX Electric Crossover Comes Straight Out Of GM’s Ghost Kitchen

• The Acura RL SH-AWD Is An All-Weather Flagship Luxury Sedan That Won’t Leave You High And Dry

• The 2024 Acura Integra Type S Isn’t A Hot Hatch And That Just Makes It Even Better: Autopian Reviews

• Why Didn’t The 2025 Acura RDX Ditch Its Infuriating Infotainment Trackpad?

Please send tips about cool car things to tips@theautopian.com. You could even win a prize!