The first-generation Acura RDX: The Shape of Things To Come

The first generation Acura RDX isn't a 10 on the unusual scale - it is a recent vehicle (sold new from August 11, 2006 to early 2012), sold by a major automaker, in a a traditional form factor. I've even ridden in one. What makes the RDX unusual is its turbocharged four-cylinder engine and status as a pioneering compact luxury SUV. 

At the time of the RDX's introduction, turbocharging was relatively rare outside of sports cars; in the 2010s, many mainstream vehicles began to use smaller-displacement engines with turbos in an effort to improve fuel economy. 

The RDX was also the second compact-sized luxury SUV introduced, following the BMW X3 by three years. At the time of the RDX's introduction, there were plenty of compact crossover SUVs - including Honda's own CR-V, which donated its platform to the RDX - and the Toyota RAV4, Jeep Liberty, Ford Escape, and Kia Sportage, to name a few. Following the RDX's introduction, Audi, Infiniti, Volvo, and Mercedes introduced their own luxury compact SUVs by the end of 2009.

Sounds like a formula for success. Honda's CR-V sold over 170,000 units in '06. The RDX was just as well-reviewed as its rivals. But sales weren't very good. The RDX sold 23,356 units in its first full year - 2007 - and less than 16,000 each year from 2008 to 2011. During this period, the CR-V hovered around 200,000. 

The main reason the first-gen RDX didn't sell well was the market. There just wasn't much of a market for luxury compact SUVs in the late 2000s and very early 2010s. Taking 2010 sales figures vs. 2018 sales figures:

BMW X3: 6,075 in 2010, 61,351 in 2018 (10.10x increase)

Audi Q5: 23,518 in 2010, 69,978 in 2018 (2.98x increase)

Infiniti EX35/QX50: 8,312 in 2010, 25,389 in 2018 (3.05x increase)

Volvo XC60: 12,031 in 2010, 32,689 in 2018 (2.71x increase)
Mercedes GLK/GLC: 20,946 in 2010, est. 87,728 in 2018 (4.19x increase)

The RDX, meanwhile, sold 14,975 units in 2010 and 63,580 units in 2018, an increase of 4.24 times.

The first-gen RDX was replaced with a more conventional design that included a non-turbo engine in spring 2012. Sales jumped from 15,196 in 2011 to 44,750 in 2013. But the new RDX, launched on June 1, 2018, includes a turbocharged engine, and sales are better than ever.