Acura ZDX at 2009 New York Autoshow photos

One of the more intriguing models to debut at the 2009 New York auto show was the Acura ZDX. Part hatchback, part crossover and part sporty car, the five-seat ZDX hits dealerships in fall 2009. Acura says it's designed for the growing Baby Boomer population, which is projected to stand at around 80 million in 2010, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

The ZDX features important crossover attributes like a high seating position in a distinctively styled package, said John Watts, Acura senior manager of product planning. Whereas the automaker's seven-seat MDX crossover is geared for families, Watts said the ZDX is aimed at empty-nesters.

There are likely to be more and more such couples as Baby Boomers' children grow up and leave home. These are the buyers Acura is hoping to attract with the ZDX, Watts said.

Ed Kim, director of industry analysis at AutoPacific, also sees Baby Boomers as likely candidates to buy the ZDX, but said he thinks it has the potential to raise Acura's profile among luxury buyers, too.

“[Acuras have] been good luxury vehicles in well-established segments," Kim said. "ZDX is something completely new, and as such it has the opportunity to really help Acura, as a brand, get noticed."

That's not to say the ZDX heralds a complete shift in what future Acuras will look like.

"Our understanding of Acura's future product lineup is that they for the most part are sticking to the segments that they play in," Kim said. "This is the only one that we know of that breaks segment ground."

Pricing for the ZDX hasn't been announced, but Watts says it'll be positioned above the MDX in Acura's lineup. That means it'll likely have a higher starting price than the MDX's $40,990 base price. It wouldn't be out of the question to see it priced similar to Infiniti's FX35, which starts at $42,150. A price like that would make the ZDX significantly less expensive than the BMW X6, a crossover with similarly sporty styling and a starting price of $55,900.

It remains to be seen whether luxury car buyers will embrace an Acura like the ZDX, but in BMW’s case, its more traditional X5 crossover handily outsold the X6 through March 2009, according to Automotive News. Kim, however, said he doesn't think sales should be the primary measuring stick for the ZDX.

"I don't expect it's going to be a really high-volume product," Kim said. "I don't think it's meant to be. If it succeeds in drumming up interest in the rest of the brand it will have done its job."

Tell us what you think of the ZDX in the comments. We'd especially like to hear from any Baby Boomers as to whether they could picture themselves in one.