Acura MDX Sport Hybrid: The sleek sleeper SUV

The 2017 Acura MDX Sport Hybrid may look like a staid SUV, but it has a few tricks under the sheet metal. 

The Super Handling All-Wheel Drive system makes the Acura a blast to drive in the turns. 

Under the hood a 3.0-liter V6 puts the power to the front wheels, while there are two electric motors powering the rear. A third motor is integrated into the seven-speed dual-clutch transmission and is connected to the front driveshaft via gears. 

All told, the system puts out a respectable 321 horsepower and 289 pound-feet of torque

Super Handling All-Wheel Drive throws positive torque to the outside rear wheel while cornering, essentially helping the car to rotate in a more controlled manner.  

The hybrid system, however, can work independently of the gas engine, resulting in torque-vectoring that is always on. Additionally, the SH-AWD in the hybrid can also apply regenerative brake torque to the inside rear wheel, resulting in crisp turn in.

That S stands for Sequential. Press that button and you can shift the MDX from the paddle shifters. 

The MDX Sport Hybrid boasts four different driving modes to suit your mood.

The 2017 Acura MDX Sport Hybrid starts at $51,960 for the lower trim Technology Package and $58,000 for the Advance Package.

Keep scrolling for more photos of this fun-to-drive three-row SUV.