Acura ADX, A-Spec or A-Spec with Advance: what each grade adds and how to tell them apart

The ADX is Acura’s smallest SUV. It launched as a 2025 model on the same global architecture as the Integra, and the 2026 lineup keeps the same three steps: ADX, ADX A-Spec, and A-Spec with Advance Package. Acura 2025 ADX press kit; Acura 2026 ADX page. Every grade has the five-sided Diamond Pentagon grille, so the grille tells you nothing about which one you are looking at.

What every ADX shares

• Engine: a turbocharged, direct-injected 1.5-liter four-cylinder (a variant of the Integra’s), rated at 190 hp and 179 lb-ft. Powertrain.
• Transmission: a sport-tuned CVT with paddle shifters. It simulates gear changes (“Step-Shift”) under hard acceleration and downshifts early when braking, so it feels less like a typical CVT. CVT.
• Drive: front-wheel drive, or available all-wheel drive. Powertrain.
• Size: 185 inches long and 72.5 inches wide, with 37.7 inches of rear legroom. Cargo space is 24.4 cu ft behind the rear seats and 55.1 cu ft with the 60/40 seatbacks folded. Dimensions and cargo.
• Tech: a 10.2-inch digital instrument display and a 9-inch touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Tech.

EPA 2026 Acura ADX. AWD costs about 1 mpg combined. Acura credits part of the efficiency to an aero package: an active grille shutter, a front lip spoiler and an underfloor cover. Aerodynamics.

Some practical details matter on a test drive. The thin windshield pillars, door-mounted mirrors and low cowl are there for outward visibility. The center screen sits high on the dash, so the driver’s eyes move less to read it. Acura lists heated front “Body Stabilizing” seats meant to reduce fatigue on long drives, and the cargo lift-over height is just over 27 inches, which helps with heavy items. Cabin and cargo.

Telling the grades apart

Grade exterior specs. A-Spec models also carry A-Spec badges on the front fenders and the rear hatch. The Advance Package is where the interior really changes: leather with suede inserts, Google built-in with a three-year data plan, a multiview camera, and a 15-speaker Bang & Olufsen system that includes two headliner speakers and an 8.8-inch subwoofer. Advance equipment.

The 2026 model page lists the same split: 18-inch Pewter Gray machined wheels on the base ADX, while A-Spec adds black exterior accents, 19-inch Shark Gray wheels and LED fog lamps. A-Spec with Advance is a package on the same body. 2026 grades.

Why one clue is not enough

Acura sells Berlina Black 19-inch wheels as an accessory for every grade. Accessory wheels. Black wheels therefore don’t prove an Advance car, and badges are easy to add. Look for a consistent combination: fog lamps, wheel size and finish, lower trim color, badges and, inside, the speaker count and Google built-in. Then confirm against the original build record. Check drive separately, because FWD and AWD look the same from outside.

Paint is weak evidence too. The 2026 page lists Double Apex Blue Pearl II on A-Spec packages, but a blue car proves neither a year nor a package. 2026 colors. This article’s earlier press photographs were documented as 2025 ADX images but had been labeled 2026, so they were removed. A shape can carry over from one model year to the next, but a photo’s model year can’t be relabeled to match a headline.