Locally-produced SUV rolls out nationwide
The Valencia Red Pearl color and “halo finish” of the Acura 2020 MDX PMC Edition achieved through a four-day nano-particle paint process is one of the many ways that the locally-produced, limited edition vehicle stands out in eye-catching fashion.
Manufacturing technicians at Acura’s Performance Manufacturing Center (PMC) in Marysville, home of the NSX supercar, started production of the special edition luxury sport utility vehicle in January. Saturday, the SUVs began arriving at select Acura dealerships around the nation.
A total of only 330 of the hand-assembled units will be produced at the Performance Manufacturing Center— with 300 to be sold in the U.S. and 30 in Canada, PMC Manager Gail May said Monday. Production of the vehicles will continue through July.
The launch of this MDX PMC Edition follows last year’s local production of the TLX PMC Edition, with the 360 units also produced exclusively at the Marysville supercar factory.
“We are excited to be producing the MDX PMC Edition — it is a pristine vehicle that follows the success of the TLX,” May said. “There is a serial plate built inside every vehicle to show which number it is in our production.
“All of the processes that we utilize to make the supercars we are now utilizing for the MDX. They are hand-built and will receive the same quality control measures and in-line checks and inspections. We are proud of the careful work of our master technicians.”
The specialty vehicle made its a debut last April at the New York Auto Show, and later in the year at the Los Angeles Auto Show to rave reviews, May said. The MDX PMC Edition combines the features of the MDX Advance Package with the sporty character of the MDX A-Spec, and carries a manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $63,745, which includes $1,995 destination and handling.
“We were hearing really positive reactions at the auto shows; the feedback has been great and our enthusiasm has been building here at the performance center as well,” the PMC manager said.
Among the many comments that May has received regarding the vehicle, she related that many individuals react to the stand-out glow of the Valencia Red Pearl paint.
Keith Bullock, PMC paint technical leader, said part of what makes the paint so unique is the tri-coat process.
“The paint is so special,” he said. “The Andaro pigment nano-particle paint really sets it apart. We begin with the ground coat, and then a tinted clear coat, regular clear coat, and then additional clear coat to give it what we call our ‘halo finish.’ It has amazing depth and is applied in combination with our robots and master technicians.”
Bullock noted that many layers of quality checks are built into the paint process, including a special colorguard light to inspect for defects.
After the units make their way through the paint department, assembly, final inspection and then depart the Performance Manufacturing Center, careful attention is still taken with each of the special edition MDX units, which are “always under cover” when outdoors and are individually transported to auto dealerships, May said.
The three-row, seven-passenger SUVs with black Milano leather seats are powered by Acura’s 3.5-liter direct-injected i-VTEC V6 engine with 290 peak horsepower and 267 lb.-ft. peak torque, mated to quick-shifting and highly refined nine-speed automatic transmission and torque-vectoring Super-Handling All-Wheel Drive, according to a release.
May said the Performance Manufacturing Center, which opened in May 2016, employs approximately 50 manufacturing technicians, along with about 50 support staff members.
“Our highly-skilled manufacturing technicians have many years of experience and must meet a lot strict requirements and criteria,” she said of her staff. “They went through interviews and testing before being hired and also have received extensive additional training.”
In addition to this specialty edition SUV, five of the six Acura models sold in North America are made in Central Ohio, using domestic and globally-sourced parts, including the ILX and TLX luxury sports sedans (Marysville Auto Plant), the RDX and MDX SUVs (East Liberty Auto Plant) and the Acura NSX supercar, built to order at the Performance Manufacturing Center.
MDX assembly
Manufacturing technicians at Acura’s Performance Manufacturing Center in Marysville work in the assembly area Monday on one of the newly released 2020 Acura MDX PMC Edition that is limited to 330 individually numbered units. (EXAMINER PHOTO | MANDY LOEHR)
MDX paint
Manufacturing technicians apply paint in the base coat booth to one of the newly released 2020 Acura MDX PMC Edition vehicles Monday at Acura’s Performance Manufacturing Center in Marysville. (EXAMINER PHOTO | MANDY LOEHR)
MDx special edition
A line of 2020 Acura MDX PMC Edition units are readied for the assembly area of the Acura Performance Manufacturing Center in Marysville, also home of the Acura NSX supercar. (EXAMINER PHOTO | MANDY LOEHR)
MDX final inspection
Tim McPherson, a paint department technician at Acura’s Performance Manufacturing Center in Marysville, performs a final inspection Monday of a 2020 Acura MDX PMC Edition, one of 330 vehicles that will be sold in the U.S and Canada. (EXAMINER PHOTO | MANDY LOEHR)