hokietl

I think that the MMC RL will have the 3.7L under the hood with the new 6 sp AT,
interior will have ventilated seat such as the Canadian model. Exterior styling will be a bit more aggressive...

kssod

Cadillac certainly has turned it around across their product line. Lincoln is essentially dead. An inside source told me the goal for the new MKS was to be like a BMW 5 in handling, and that at the last minute they changed to be like Lexus ES. Classic example of upper management tying the hands of the engineers, and not having a clear objective for the product.
If the 09 RL has more power, and improved styling (subjective) I'll trade my 06 RL in the fall.

lindros2

What online source will be the first to carry the updated RL (presumably around 10am) ?

elessar

SpicyMikey

Bulletin: Acura just announced they have changed their mind and will now be debuting the RL at the NY show in march. Can you believe that?!?!?!?




NOT.......Gotcha!

jazz_123

Yo kid please dont front with your black card. You dont even have one and you going to talk smack about koreans? Saying they can sure steal. Please everyone in the car design world works off each others design. Shit did they patent those designs no.
"Imitation is a form of flattery kid"
And Hyundai is huge in korea! Everyone in Korea basically drives one! They sell madd expensive Hyundais in Korea in which they dont sell here. Well see how the new one does!!

cai06

The live webcams are back online. . very slow refresh though

You have to turn 180 degrees (south). I can only see a TL type S, MDX and
a LeMans Acura car, can't see the main Acura stage

levon1830

http://www.caranddriver.com/autoshow...rl.html?al=257



2009 Acura RL - Auto Shows

The dynamic improvements are what excite us. Not the new beak.
BY ALISA PRIDDLE, PHOTOGRAPHY BY AARON KILEY AND THE MANUFACTURER February 2008

We always look forward to world debuts and the Acura RL’s entrance at the 2008 Chicago auto show was no different.

The luxury flagship was redesigned inside and out, and we were anticipating more flash for a car that had some character, but didn’t provoke swivel-head reactions when you saw one on the road.

And now we’re confused. We’re not sure what the RL is trying to be stylistically. Its bloodline to the new Honda Accord is blatantly obvious especially as the Accord has grown to full-size dimensions. The problem with this familial resemblance is the Accord is an affordable family vehicle while the RL is supposed to telegraph luxury and fine quality and suggest to Accord drivers that they should work harder to achieve RL status.



The 2009 RL also seeks to cement its ties to its siblings, such as the MDX SUV. We called the grille goofy on the MDX and it strikes us as even less appropriate on the RL given the way it accentuates the car’s beak. And the angular lines of the nose are at odds with the rounded rear. Acura calls the look athletic and aggressive, with better aerodynamics.

On a more positive note, the headlights and door handles resemble those on the European Accord that will be sold here as the Acura TSX.
Looks Aside, the Car Promises to be Better

Acura execs in the past have said the new RL must address issues such as interior room and comfort, with styling an also-ran in the must-fix race. Mission accomplished as there is more rear-passenger room, and we are promised redress of confusing cockpits of the past with larger, more clearly marked buttons for an easier-to-use HVAC system.

But, when it comes to dynamics, we still expect the car to excel. Power comes from the larger 3.7-liter V-6 from the MDX producing 300 horsepower and 271 pound-feet of torque. Acura claims that this V-6 is its first SOHC use of its VTEC valvetrain actuation for both the intake and exhaust valves. We would be remiss if we didn’t note this is a luxury flagship without a V-8.

We also appreciate confirmation of a quicker-reacting Super Handling All-Wheel Drive (SH-AWD) system that uses torque vectoring to make the outside rear wheels faster in aggressive turns. Acura takes an excellent system and makes it even better, we hope.

For 2009, RL upgrades also include revised steering; higher-rate coil springs; larger rear stabilizer bar; improved shock absorbers; and new, 18-inch aluminum wheels in place of the 17s on the current car.

The car also has a new version of the automaker’s Sequential SportShift five-speed automatic transmission, which includes new paddle shifters on the steering wheel. We’d have hoped a “new” version of the transmission might include a sixth forward ratio, but, alas, it does not.
Relax, Let the Car Pamper You

There are more creature comforts, such as AcuraLink weather and traffic rerouting and active sound control. All RLs have a climate control system that uses GPS and solar sensors to set the temperature, adjusting for the car’s location and how much sunlight is warming it. The front seats are ventilated and Acura’s Bose-based stereo, arguably best-in-class according to audiophiles, is upgraded to include Bluetooth, USB connectivity and more.

The new RL goes on sale this spring. It will be offered in three trim levels: RL, RL with Technology Package (includes a satellite-based navigation system, rear-view camera, real-time traffic and weather, and active front lighting system, to name a few); and RL with Technology Package Plus which adds Acura’s Collision Mitigation Braking System, adaptive cruise control and genuine wood in the trim.

We can only hope the new look of the RL grows on us—but we suspect we won’t care once we’re behind the wheel.

SPUDMTN

Press release on www.acuranews.com

neuronbob

Whisky....Tango....Foxtrot...... is that pic the one?

At least there's more torque. Waiting for more pix.

dwboston

That grill is hideous. The improvements are nice, but WTF is up with the grill?

Touge

Love the new engineering, but on the looks I'm a bit disappointed. Bumper looks like from a TL Type-S with MDX grill.

lindros2

I'm buying an Audi. This is disgraceful.

dwboston

I have to agree. Good lord is that thing ugly. The new Accord even looks better than that. And here I was worried that I would love the new model so much I'd want to get one. No way. The 05-08 is a work of art compared to that thing. That just screams "design by committee". What a disappointment.

taitando

Wow, can we say "Strike 3, you're out!"? I like the technical improvements, but damn, that thing is fugly. My '05 looks way sexier.

SpicyMikey

Agree. They made the nose worse for sure. Aside from that mistake, I see nothing else radically different on teh outside. Can't believe there's no better photos of the car yet. This is a horrible washed out image with no shine. Let's see it from the show in a better color

kssod

What a style mistake, looks like a bird beak,

eaglewatch

Fugly.

dwboston

Maybe it's a ploy to make everyone appreciate the styling of the 05-08. I can't believe someone thought that front end was a good idea.

TampaRLX-SH

KILL IT BEFORE IT BREEDS!!!

I am so happy I bought the 2006 RL. It will certainly keep me happy until the 3rd Gen arrives.

And if the Acura designers are off crack by then I may buy another one.

This not only destroys the elegance of the current model, it poorly attempts to mimic other Acura model styling cues whch look like stuck on afterthoughts. That beak looks like a cover up used on a test mule.

Is there an RL under all that fuss?

Hate it, mean it. The few engineering / content changes would not make me tolerate that medusa.

SpicyMikey

I'm going to wait until there are some REAL photos of the car inside and out. I still can't believe THIS is the one photo Acura decides to provide in the press package. They're idiots on multiple levels sometimes

lindros2

If you hack away at the URL, you can see the rear end -- I finally found one that I hate more than the BMW 745i (E65/E66 before the refresh):

http://www.vtec.net/news/news-image?...09rl_pr-09.jpg

Someone mixed RL w/ Honda Civic w/ MDX w/ BMW.

And the results were NOT good.

One feature note (no pun intended) - XM Note is the DUMBEST name for something. What is it? I have no f-ing idea since search results for "XM Note" (with or without a (R) symbol) yield only financial results.

dwboston

True story. The 2009 RL was the inspiration for the monster in "Cloverfield".

Much like Tampa, this means that I keep my RL for another 2 years and hope that the 2010 redesign delivers. Otherwise it's off to Audi or Lexus.

SpicyMikey

Could it be a joke? Seriously, that photo doesn't seem real. Also, where are all the candid snaps from the show. Have they even revealed the actual car yet or have they just released a press package? It would be nice to have some photos and comments from attendees rather then a press release

Very weird guys

lindros2

No it's true... unfortunately...

darmok

More photos:

Jalopnik's live photos

Acura's media photos

It's not bad at all from the rear. The rear taillights that looked exactly like the '06/'07 Accord Coupe taillights were why everyone kept saying the RL looked like an Accord. The front grille is hideous. It's a Lincoln MKS with a mouthguard. Why didn't they keep the existing front grille and put the new rear on?

geronimomoe

Looks like a cross between the Camry and the Accord.. Fugly..

SupaRookie

man....I thought it was an Accord with a Acura badge. I guess I can wait until the 05-08 to go down in prices now.

CarbonGray Earl

It looks like an Accord ate a Saturn that was humped by a Camry.

When the next FMC?

edit: actually the back looks good, but that front grill is a bit much of a statement. Maybe it will grow on me though, when I see it in person.

Pan0k

Same here. Base on the exterior picture, I am glad that I bought 2nd generation of RL (2006 RL BTW). The only thing I would like to change of the 2nd G RL is the back of the car. I guess what kills me based on the picture is the GRILL. That's what kill me with the MDX also. Wonder what the inside and the instrument panel will be like.

lindros2

In reading the press release, I thought they made major changes to the interior. You know what? They did *NOTHING*. Case in point: it *STILL* has the stupid "blank" plastic piece to the right of the mirror adjustment.

Basically they took the European (Legend) and/or Canadian (RL) features/details like the "straight gate" shifter w/ leather cover and cooled/heated seats.




This car will continue to not sell, and Acura/Honda only has itself to blame. In business you have to take calculated risks, and the only risk they took was slapping on the heinous front grill.

TampaRLX-SH

If anyone finds a video with audio of the debut, I want to know which was louder, the laughter or the screams of horror.

Good job Acura, you now even managed to alienate your fan club.

neuronbob

The interior ROCKS. I love the shifter knob. Much more sporty. Still too many buttons, but if the VR is the same, the buttons don't matter.

The exterior, though.....man am I glad I own a 2006. I mean, REALLY glad. The rear is not too bad, but the front....is unspeakable.

dwboston

I will say that the grill looks less horrific on the black and red models in the pictures shown so far, but just awful on the silver. The tail of the car isn't that bad but there's no way I'd ever buy one with that grill.

Rob144

Withhold judgement....withhold judgement....withhold judgement......

Oh, I give up.

At first glance, I uttered "uh-oh". At closer inspection my stomach turned. Back to my original thought that the first release of a model captures the original thinking, and that major MMC's just mess things up.

I was driving to work today wondering how they'd "beef up" the car and if they'd raise the hoodline. They did, and the organic sweep of the front end is gone, and with it the drop-away view from the cockpit.

The passenger compartment appears the same, the doors the same. I'm wondering if they added rear seat room by thinning the front seats and scooping out the back a little more. The chrome strips are gone from the bumpers and door guards. It looks like the trunk lid is turned up a bit more. The side spoilers look les integrated, as well.

Someone please tell me its just a Chinese copy of the RL.

SpicyMikey

FMC is supposed to be in 2010 or 2011 depending on who you talk too.

At least I feel a bit better after looking at teh glossy photos from the show. I still don't really like what they did to teh front but it could be worse. The back looks better. The stock wheels are an improvement. Great to hear about teh HP boost with the J37 being inserted. However, I agree with others, where's the improvement inside? I don't see anything except the Wood Steering Wheel and shifter. Is that standard now instead of an option?

SPUDMTN

By no means a real looker, I'm saving my opinion till I see more of this thing.

Everything is improved save for the front of this car. And even then, it's a pretty conservative rework.

---

As for XM Note--sounds like a pretty cool feature. From the press release, Acura says:

"The RL's audio system includes a new Note function for XM® Radio that makes it easy to identify songs for later remembrance or purchase. With push of a button, the Note feature can capture a 10 second portion of up to 30 different songs, along with text indicating the song title, artist name, and XM® channel."

elessar

That makes it sound like there's a hard drive for music, which is a good thing. I also like the full iPod/USB integration. But please tell me that "zebra-wood" crap is NOT going to be the only option for the wood trim, like in the MDX. That's more of a deal-breaker for me than the new grille.

lindros2

Acura/XM - ever heard of a camera phone? That's what I use. And it's free.

Regarding the interior, it really WAS ripped off the UK Honda Legend (the poorly-designed lighter pop-up moved to the left side). This is truly funny or stupid, depending on your view:




So "MMC" = "rip off pieces from other markets and give them fancy marketing names."

taitando

Some of the criticisms for the '05-'08 used to be how designers left the rear end as an after thought. The Front end was awesome but they just got lazy as they got to the rear. Another critique was how the car looked similar to an Accord and was often mistaken for one. Now the opposite is true. The front end has been left as an after thought and, what's this? Yup, starting to look like the new Accord. Again