Fabvsix

Wake up Acura!!!!! That's looks very nice!

hondamore

The new Genesis is a sharp looking car, but all of those styling points come with compromises in the interior. The sloped back half of the car will eat into the rear seat space - especially headroom. The Genesis looks much narrower than the RLX meaning that shoulder room, hip room and trunk capacity are all compromised. Acura built the RLX with the driver and passengers in mind, the Genesis is designed for those on the street corner looking at it. If external validation is more important to you than comfort, reliability and function, then the Genesis is a great choice. I have no doubt that the new Genesis will sell well as there are a lot more buyers who can not afford a luxury brand and are forced to choose Hyundai. I'm also sure the new Hyundai AWD system will be as sophisticated as a WWII Jeep (when it works).

saturno_v

The Genesis is not an RLX competitor...the Genesis really belongs to a higher segment....and I say that as Acura owner....Acura management is still wandering in la-la land if they think they will go anywhere with that fart on wheels....

iforyou

iTrader: (1)

Yea...I sat in a Tesla S before. From the outside, I thought this is a very large car. But I was surprised for the lack of rear head room. And I'm only 5'8".

037

you really should look into the current Genesis before you judge the one that didn't even come out yet.

It's already larger than the RLX, tall drivers can sit comfortably with a 6 footer behind them, ever heard the saying that it has more rear leg room than a 7 series?

As far as the stupid AWD mention, it's probably going to come out as late as their 8 speed transmission they built in house and even more terrible than the 2.0 Turbo they have running.

I'm sure their AWD won't be anything fancy like E-SH-AWD but it will torque vector non the less. Hell, they already have it running on the 6-7 seater Sante Fe.

037

forgot to mention, I can afford a more expensive car, I just don't see why I should spend more. Acura is not giving me a reason just yet, will wait for the E before I can decide.

iforyou

iTrader: (1)

Don't know about the others but I don't think it's fair to compare the regular SH-AWD with the Magna's brake-based torque vectoring system.

037

SH-AWD system was used since 2005 without major updates, do you have some sort of scientific proof that the new systems are less effective?

disclaimer: SH-AWD was the main reason I got an RL in 2009.

iforyou

iTrader: (1)

I was referring to Santa Fe's Magna's torque vectoring system.

It's true that the mechanical SH-AWD hasn't changed much since launch. There are variations of the system to cut cost so that the system can be implemented in the RDX, MDX, and TL.

Malibu Flyer

Here is the N Y Times review. Pretty similar to others. I nice shout out to the Hybrid RLX as something to wait for at the end of the video.

http://wheels.blogs.nytimes.com/2013...-the-rlx/?_r=0

George Knighton

December. :-)

TSX69

Tested" Lane Keeping Assist System Steers Acura Ever Closer to Self-Driving Cars
with video

http://www.techhive.com/article/2056...ving-cars.html

I was driving with 1 finger on the steering wheel. The 2014 Acura RLX that I was barely controlling remained centered in its lane, even around a slight bend in the road, as if guided by an invisible force. I turned to my wife: “Look, no hands!” She smiled—and winced. She wasn’t sharing my appreciation of the Lane Keeping Assist System (LKAS) that makes the Acura RLX 1 of the most intelligent cars on the road.

The new lane-keeping approach: steering not braking

Lane-keeping isn’t really a new feature: Mercedes-Benz and Infiniti already offer an intervention system that puts you back in the lane. However, these earlier systems corrected you, usually by applying slight side braking.

Along with the 2013 Audi S6, the 2014 Infiniti Q50, and the Mercedes-Benz S550 and C-Class, the 2014 Acura RLX is 1 of the 1st cars to use electronically controlled steering that can maintain lane centering. (It’s also available in the 2014 Acura MDX.) Acura’s LKAS uses a camera mounted above the rear-view mirror to watch the lane markings on the road, and adjusts the steering to maintain a center position in the lane. You turn it on by pressing 2 buttons on the steering wheel, and it operates at highway speeds of 45 to 90 mph. (The Mercedes-Benz S550’s system works at speeds from 0 to 124 mph.)

Acura’s LKAS is a helpful aid for everyday driving at present, and it offers a tantalizing glimpse at how close we’re getting to a car that can steer itself. Although self-driving or autonomous cars remain many years away, many of the basic technologies required for these vehicles have been available for a while. “Lane assist is absolutely another step towards fully autonomous driving,” Ed Kim, vice president of industry analysis at AutoPacific, told TechHive.

The Acura RLX is 1 of the 1st cars with a lane-keeping system that guides by steering, not braking.

While Kim calls technology like LKAS a bridge between past tech and future tech, he also cautions that it’s mostly a safety feature. Systems like Acura’s LKAS are designed to supplement your own steering, making gentle nudges that you can always override.

After using it for a little while, however, you feel as though the car might just be ready to take over for you. And let’s admit it: The interesting—and fun—part is doing what you’re not really supposed to do, which is to take your hands off the wheel completely and see how the car will manage on its own.

“Lane-assist technology is a critical element in realizing self-driving capabilities and automated steering in particular,” Thilo Koslowski, vice president and lead automotive analyst at Gartner, told TechHive. “Having the car understand what lane you are in and staying in that lane is a big safety accomplishment and crucial for self-driving.”

Hands on, hands off

The lower-left button on the right side of the steering wheel enables lane keeping.

I tried the Lane Keeping Assist System on the RLX, both with hands on the wheel, and—briefly, carefully—hands off. Conditions varied. I drove during both day and night. I covered ground on major highways, but also ventured on an old country road.

The Acura LKAS needs clear lane markings to work. On a country road where the lane markings are not as pronounced, LKAS will actually turn itself off. And during 1 test with light rain, the RLX sometimes had trouble seeing markings and veered to the side.

At 1 point, with my hands on the wheel, I found myself on a stretch of road that narrowed suddenly for a construction zone. As I was driving, the RLX automatically kept me centered—there was little chance I’d brush against a pylon. In another case, a long trailer truck was inching into my lane from the right. The RLX didn’t move to the left, but kept me well centered. Wind was not a problem: Slight gusts simply caused the RLX to correct the centering a bit. On tight curves, the lane-keeping system actually made my own steering easier, keeping me on course.

Hands-off on the highway, I was impressed that the LKAS could handle slight curves on major highways on its own. It actually seemed to work best in this situation, as though the system were rising to the challenge.

I timed how long the Lane Keeping Assist System could maintain the lane for me. In most cases, the car stayed the course for about 15 seconds. The top time was 45 seconds. Even if the LKAS didn't veer, it would inevitably detect that my hands weren’t there to help. With a flashing steering icon and a beep, it would threaten to turn itself off unless I put my hands back on the wheel.

When Acura’s Lane Keeping Assist System is turned on, an image of lane markings appears in the center of the instrument cluster. The lane markings turn white when LKAS is actively operating.

One surprise: I activated the car’s turn signal, and the LKAS tried to keep me centered even as I tried to change lanes. Most lane-keeping systems I’ve used will notice your signal and not resist the lane change. Acura confirmed that its LKAS remains active even if you signal. As noted before, the gentle nudges of the LKAS are very easy to override.

Recently, I tested a 2013 Audi S6 under similar hands-off conditions on the same road. The S6 also maintained proper lane centering for long stretches—in my tests, about 20 seconds or so. But other automakers are more conservative: When I tried the lane-keeping feature on the 2013 Lexus LS, a sensor checked whether my hands were on the wheel and disabled lane-keeping when I wasn’t in direct control.

Who or what will be driving in the future?

Lane-keeping is as close as we’ll get to autonomous cars for a few years. Ford has experimented with a technology called Traffic Jam Assist, announced last summer. Cadillac announced a technology called Super Cruise last year as well. Both automakers have trumpeted tests of these systems, which allow hands-off driving for long stretches, but neither company has provided clear information on when they’d ever be deployed in production cars.

In the meantime, we still have the Lane Keeping Assist System, which accurately maintained its lane centering, even with my hands off the wheel for brief periods. In fact, the lane-keeping system worked so subtly and helpfully that I missed it when it was disabled at lower speeds.

TSX69

2014 Acura RLX Advance Notes

SENIOR ONLINE EDITOR RORY CARROLL: It's really tempting to say “RLX, don't do it,” but I can't. It's a good car, a comfortable commuter in the mold of the last Toyota Avalon. Unfortunately, I can't recommend it over other cars in its class.

Let me explain:

The styling is far less offensive than the more-beaky Acuras of the past few years, but it's that's about the best thing that can be said about it. It's extremely bland in places and a little confused in others. The headlights are 1 of the places where it looks confused. It's not that it's an ugly car. It's that for $61,345 there are so many better looking, better driving options.

The RLX driving experience is as vanilla as the exterior styling. I didn't have a chance to push it hard, but I never felt inspired to, either. The car will get up and run if you need it to, but it's not exactly quick. The handling is dull. There's Acura's new Precision All-Wheel Steer system, which doesn't do anything as far as I could tell. Oh, wait. It steers the rear wheels of a car that has a badge reading “P-AWS” on the back of it. P-AWS sounds like the name of a rejected pitch for a cartoon show about kittens that run a secretive government agency. But it's not as though the RLX drives poorly. It's just that every other $60K luxury car drives a lot better, except, I suspect the Lexus GS, which I don't remember having driven.

DIGITAL EDITOR ANDREW STOY: I can't really blame Acura for erring on the side of caution when it comes to the styling of its new flagship. After all, the snaggletoothed beak of years past was an attempt to do something different, to break from the mold, and it backfired spectacularly. But, wow, if there's a less visually exciting large sedan on the market today, I'm coming up blank. The interior follows suit: It's easily the most luxurious Acura interior I've ever experienced with lovely, buttery stitched leather covering all the touchpoints, but if the badges were removed you'd have no idea what kind of car you were in.

Acura's V6 is still beyond reproach, but the company has elected to stick with a 6-speed automatic despite many of its competitors at this price point offering 8-speed autoboxes. I'm not necessarily in the “more is better” gearing camp, but Acura has programmed its automatic for leisurely shifts in standard mode; they're not particularly subtle for a luxury car either. Sport speeds things up a bit and is by far the preferred setting for interesting around-town driving.

1 of the oddest things about the RLX is its suspension tuning. Ordinarily we're able to comment on general grip and overall ride quality, but this Acura has such a weird combination of soft jounce (the upward compression part of suspension motion) and super-damped rebound (when the wheel heads back down after a bump) that even my wife commented, claiming the car felt like a roller coaster at its apogee every time we hit a bump.

Then there's P-AWS, Precision All-wheel Steering. While I'd be in the driveway with a plastic putty knife trying to chisel that stupid acronym off the rear fascia as soon as I got the car home, I was able to feel it in action. I had to perform a mini slalom to avoid a series of Detroit's infamous potholes, and the car really ducked around the obstacles well -- I could feel shades of my old 4-wheel steer Honda Prelude but without the odd sidestep that car used to exhibit on initial turn-in.

Acura has a ton of competition at the $60,000 price point, including excellent offerings from Lexus, BMW, Audi and Infiniti. More troubling, if consumers are willing to consider a non-premium brand, the RLX has significant competition at the $45,000 price point, too: The Toyota Avalon Limited. Not only is the Avalon more visually exciting inside and out, but it's just as nice a driver in 90 percent of the situations an average owner will find themselves.

I mentioned my 4-wheel steer Prelude earlier: It was a great car, and you know what it said on the B-pillar? 4WS, because, you know, that actually made sense to customers.

My best friend at the time had an Acura sedan. That was a great car, too. You know what it said on the decklid? Legend -- a name that actually made sense to customers, too.

EDITOR WES RAYNAL: Like the MDX I drove a week or so ago, this new RLX reminds me a heck of a lot of the old RL. I pulled in to my usual coffee stop this morning and a guy said “boy, all the cars look alike these days…” So yeah, it doesn't exactly stand out in a crowd but it's got a smaller schnoz -- I guess that's good.

The interior is nice, well built, good materials, and a lot more room in the back seat compared to the RL, something Acura's “big” sedan needed. Acura brags about cutting the number of center-console buttons and indeed there were too many. But to me all they did was move all those functions to the screen. It's hard to figure out how to accomplish things. Not an improvement, in my opinion.

This is not a bad driver. The styling is watered down some and that's OK for some people, I guess. It's a good-looking car for the most part. $61K is a bit steep for my tastes, but it's loaded to the hilt. As I said it's not a bad driver for trundling around town and blasting up and down the freeway; it gets up and goes when you want and returns decent mpg.

I maintain Honda builds among the best engines in the biz. This thing is just a smooth gem. Inspiring? Not really overall, but competent. I agree with the above that the all-wheel steer didn't seem to do anything near as I could tell -- this thing basically pushes in corners like most other front drivers.

2014 Acura RLX Advance

Base Price: $61,345

As-Tested Price: $61,345

Drivetrain: 3.5-liter V6; FWD, 6-speed automatic

Output: 310 hp @ 6,500 rpm, 272 lb-ft @ 4,500 rpm

Curb Weight: 3,933 lb

Fuel Economy (EPA City/Highway/Combined): 20/31/24 mpg

AW Observed Fuel Economy: 24.0 mpg

Options: None

TSX69

islandbeef

islandbeef

Not sure if this was posted yet. This reviewer defends Acura's design language and calls out the negative reviews given by other car journalists (at 2:50).

neuronbob

^^^^
That's a decent review.

George Knighton

The people who are critical of the RLX suspension always seem to be people with no Honda connections.

I believe that where Acura continues to make a mistake is that it's building cars for people who are moving from one Honda to another one.

This market expects for a car to feel a certain way, and I think that Acura is designing cars for these people instead of trying to capture people from other markets.

They seem to be trying to keep their Honda people instead of trying to convert people from Lexus to Acura.

If that makes sense. Perhaps I explained it badly.

Anyway...I think that for an FWD car the RLX handles just the way that somebody moving from an Accord or TL would expect that it should feel.

George Knighton

Reliable and low key, at a price scores of thousands less than the competition.

By George, I think he gets it.

:-)

Unfortunately, that's probably not going to sell more cars. What they will do is keep the previous Honda Accord driver in the family.

neuronbob

Well, there are millions of Honda Accord drivers. So if all of them decide on an RLX instead of an Accord Touring model (aka all the bells and whistles of the RLX without the fancy stereo and PAWS, for $25k less)...... Just saying.....

islandbeef

Tom Voelk does a review for the NY Times.

islandbeef

islandbeef

jhr3uva90

Dumb girls are not sexy.

bluedevils95

That chick was dumb!!! But i do like the RLX and can't wait to get one of these. Maybe like 5 years but they might have something better by then.

neuronbob

That was the worst review ever. I couldn't make it all the way through. I hate to say it, but that review was just dumb. Even if they were kidding in that review, the joke fell flat.

UGH!

islandbeef

Go to 6:56, interesting Consumer Reports group discussion regarding the RLX.

George Knighton

I don't think the RLX is a very good looking car, either, but CR people are not going to "get it" until the SH-AWD hits in a couple of weeks.

Also...I don't think all that many FWD buyers are going with the Advance Package that they keep criticizing because it pushes the car to 61,000.00.

MSRP for the Base is 48,000.00 and MSRP for Tech Package is 59,500.00.

At those prices, they seem like they compete a little better against cheaper cars but.... CR did "get it" that Acura does not intend to sell too many of these. I'm predicting that the SH-AWD version might be seen as a sort of best buy in its class, especially for performance oriented enthusiasts, but it's still not going to be "luxury" like a Lexus LS means luxury.

Krell Audio puzzles me because ELS is still pretty good against the competition, if you ask me. If you mostly listen to satellite, the Krell is a step ahead, though. I've never heard satellite sound as good as it does on the Krell, so I suppose there's some complicated way of decompressing the signal. If you listen mostly to iPod then I think the ELS will do you pretty well.

islandbeef

islandbeef

islandbeef

TSX69

2014 Acura RLX
Same Book, Different Cover

Earlier in the year, I reviewed a powder-blue Volkswagen Beetle Convertible, and I witnessed a group of high-school-aged girls ogling the car as it sat in my driveway. In my head, I found it to be a funny-yet-fitting scene that I didn't think of again until a 2014 Acura RLX showed up in my driveway. This time around, an elderly neighborhood couple stopped to give the big Acura sedan a closer look. The RLX is trying to shed past stereotypes of its predecessor, the Acura RL, just like the Beetle. Hoping to avoid becoming the de facto "grandpa car," Acura has completely reworked – and renamed – its flagship sedan.

As the bookend to the new entry-level ILX, the addition of the 2014 RLX might give Acura its strongest sedan lineup ever as the automaker looks to break the cycle of being a middle-of-the-road luxury brand. Stepping up to the big-boy table isn't going to be easy, though, as the competition keeps getting tougher. Forget cars like the Mercedes E-Class and BMW 5 Series, the Acura RLX is going to have its hands full with the likes of the Cadillac XTS, Lexus GS and Hyundai Genesis, not to mention a strong consortium of lower-priced, mid-luxury sedans like the Hyundai Azera, Toyota Avalon and Chevy Impala. The 1 thing all of these cars have in common is a reputation for being an old man cruiser.

I spent a week with the new RLX to see if it could shake the stigma of its outdated predecessor or if it would just leave me searching for the nearest early bird specials.

Compared to the ultra-anonymous RL, the 2014 RLX is a sharp car, but line it up against other luxury sedans and it's clear that Acura has played it very safe with this sedan's design. The RLX does have an assertive face with a toned-down version of Acura's signature shield grille and those attention-grabbing LED headlights. These "jewel eyes" might add a little too much busyness to the RLX's face, but they definitely help the car stand out in a crowd, while the sculpted front fenders add some athleticism to the design.

Unfortunately, as your eyes move down the rest of the car, there's very little to get excited about. The doors have a similar slab-sided styling to the RL, and the rear view is a major letdown for us, with those chrome-wrapped reflectors that attempt to mimic exhaust outlets, an uninspired decklid and taillights that look like something that found on a Chevy Malibu or Subaru Impreza. We more easily understand when volume cars like the Honda Civic receive timid redesigns so as not to alienate their hundreds of thousands of repeat customers, but we think Acura really missed the opportunity to get daring (maybe not ZDX daring) to attract more style-driven luxury buyers. It has, in effect, carefully updated the look of the outgoing RL, whose only inherent wildness amounts to its "wildly unsuccessful" sales run.

As is the case with most current Acura products, the lineage to the Honda brand is easily recognizable inside the RLX. This starts right at the dual-hooded instrument panel, which closely resembles what you will find inside a Honda Accord. That's not to say that this car feels anything like the plebian Honda, but there's just not enough 'wow factor' inside the RLX to separate them completely in the minds of buyers. Compounding this issue is the fact that the RLX fails to offer a panoramic roof. In a similar baffling move that left the option of a navigation system out of the sportier ILX 2.4, we have to wonder how Acura could have left out the option of a big glass roof on its begging-to-be-loved flagship. For a car wanting to play with the big boys in its class, this omission for an all-new model is a head-scratcher.

What the RLX's cabin lacks in visual pizzazz, it makes up for with roominess and refinement that truly defines this car as a luxury sedan with excellent infotainment technology to boot. On the technology front, the dual screens are a helpful tool to see and control vehicle information. The top screen displays navigation info, which can be controlled using the lower touchscreen, with the latter also controlling the audio, phone and other functions. Despite the screens offering haptic feedback, Acura still leaves plenty of hard buttons – something plaguing other trick infotainment systems (especially from Cadillac and Ford) – and the only primary function to annoyingly go without a hard button is the climate system's fan speed control. Acura's high-tech cabin is still very user friendly by offering numerous levels of redundancy for the driver, as systems like the navigation and audio can be operated using the touchscreen display, the large center knob or through voice commands.

Compared to the RL, the wheelbase of the RLX has been stretched by 2 inches and the car is almost that much wider, equating to a substantially roomier cabin for all occupants. Up front, the seats are wide but supportive, but it's the rear seating that might be the best place to sit, with ample room to stretch out on long trips and rear and side sunshades on higher level trim lines. Adding to the comfort, all but the base model get nice perforated leather and the upper trim levels receive acoustic glass. Added to all of the other sound-deadening measures, the RLX is left with a whisper-quiet cabin.

That is, until you turn the volume knob up on the optional 450-watt, 14-speaker Krell Audio system. The highlight of this package is the upgraded 'ultra-premium' sound system that 1-ups Acura's top-notch ELS audio system with the higher-quality Krell speakers and amps. The system delivers a crisp, clear sound that is probably better than most living room setups. But you're going to pay for it.

At $48,450 (in base form and not including the $895 destination charge), the RLX is a great car, but the as-tested price of our Krell-equipped RLX rang in at $57,845. That's not an easy pill to swallow even in this segment, and this wasn't even the highest-priced model. Go full boat, and you're looking at the RLX with Advanced Package and a price tag north of $60,000. There are a plethora of luxury sedans to cross-shop when you start playing the "What can I buy for $60,000?" game. As much as Acura would like to think the RLX will compete against rear-wheel-drive German sport sedans, this new 4-door compares better to the aforementioned Lexus GS, Cadillac XTS and maybe even the Audi A6. The problem, of course, is that except for the rear-drive GS, all of the other cars listed here offer an all-wheel-drive system.

Acura's Super Handling All-Wheel Drive (SH-AWD) system may have been 1 of the only reasons to justify the purchase of an RL – it was standard equipment on that car – but, for now, the RLX is only offered in a front-wheel-drive configuration. Sending power to the front wheels is a 3.5-liter V6, which, while smaller than the RL's engine, is more powerful and more efficient. The 1st Acura to utilize direct injection and cylinder deactivation, the RLX puts out 310 horsepower and 272 pound-feet of torque – not much of an increase in power over the RL's 300 hp and 271 lb-ft, but big gains in fuel economy partially make up for it.

Official EPA fuel economy estimates for the RLX stand at 20 miles per gallon in the city and 31 mpg highway, compared to 17 mpg city and 24 mpg highway for the 2012 RL, but there's no doubt this could have been even better had Acura ditched this 6-speed automatic transmission for a more advanced transmission, like the 7- or 8-speed gearboxes that are now commonplace among luxury automobiles. Many of these added-speed transmissions are tuned for squeezing every last mpg from the car, but the RLX's 6-speed automatic still exhibited a tried-and-true feel with every up and downshift being exactly where they should – neither too soft nor too harsh.

Down the road, the RLX Sport Hybrid, making its official debut at the LA Auto Show this week, will bring with it the all-wheel-drive system and 7-speed dual-clutch transmission that this car needs to be competitive. In the meantime, however, Acura buyers wanting a big sedan are stuck with this front-wheel-drive model. 1 redeeming factor that has Acura built into the RLX is the new Precision All-Wheel Steer (P-AWS) system. An acronym that might be better suited for a Jaguar, this system helps the RLX feel less like the front-driver it is by adding some steering assistance to the rear wheels. The rear wheels are able to steer with or against the front wheels depending on vehicle speed, which helps make the RLX easier to maneuver in low speeds and a little more nimble in corners. Taking things a bit further, the rear wheels are also able to angle inward (toe-in) during hard braking to bring the RLX to a stop more quickly. We suspect that last feature isn't particularly good for tire wear, but if you're getting that much use out of it, you're probably putting some good wear on the tires anyway.

The RLX still feels like a front-wheel-drive sedan with a hint of torque steer on hard takeoffs, and if you can get past this FWD curse, it's a decent car to drive. Delivering a smooth and quiet ride that's expected from such a luxury sedan, the suspension setup errs on the side of comfort over handling, but it does so without ever feeling too cushy or disconnected from the road. As we noted during our 1st Drive back in February, the RLX provides some level of fun on twisty roads, but is much more in its element while driving through the city or on long road trips.

That being said, the direct-injected V6 has great power and offers acceleration at just about all engine speeds, whether taking off from a dead stop or passing a car on the highway. If you want a little more, just knock the shifter over into Sport mode for more aggressive transmission shift points as well as quicker throttle and steering response.

The RLX feels much smaller than it actually is thanks to its light-yet-responsive electric power steering that delivers amazingly tight steering maneuvers. Top that all off with a solid brake system that lets the 4,000-pound sedan perform impressively quick stops, and Acura has a well-balanced luxury sedan on its hand with plenty of comfort and just a dash of fun.

With blinders on, the RLX is a big step forward for Acura, but looking at the fullsize luxury sedan segment as a whole, its shortcomings make any improvements over the RL seem less remarkable compared to its rivals. This is, after all, a segment filled with established German sedans and a growing number of high-quality offerings from Asia and the US.

While the RLX didn't blow our minds, it has managed to put up stronger numbers with buyers in its short time on the market, at least compared to the old RL. In just its 1st 3 months on the market (through June), the RLX had already sold more units (1,564) than the RL sold in all of 2011 and 2012 combined (1,475). That minor achievement notwithstanding, the RLX has only sold 3,780 units through October, which still puts it at the bottom of the Acura heap – excluding the discontinued ZDX. It's yet to be seen how the car will resonate with the newer and younger buyers that Acura so badly needs, although based on what I saw in my driveway, it's still your grandfather's Acura. But maybe I shouldn't judge a book by its cover... at least when it comes to my neighbors. I've since spotted that same elderly couple checking out a Subaru WRX STI parked in my driveway. So there's that.

TSX69

ProtoType Civic Type R Steals the Show

Honda has been accused of sitting on its engineering laurels of late. The Technology Day proved that it has been doing anything but twiddling its corporate thumbs. While everything shown/driven during the day was not exactly cast in stone it was fairly described as being concrete in the process of drying — everything was too far down the engineering pipeline to be an exercise.

The production RLX Hybrid and its Super Handling All-wheel-drive (SH-AWD) is, in a word, superb. It is blindingly quick and the credit goes to 2 important things. The 3.5-litre V6 engine is good for 310 horsepower and 272 pound-feet of torque. Then there’s the electric side. The 2 rear electric motors contribute 36 hp each, while the front motor adds another 47 hp to the pot. In the end, the RLX SH-AWD has a net system output of 377 hp and 377 lb-ft of torque. Even as employed in a large sedan the system has the wherewithal to blow away many sports cars.

The beauty of the system is the manner in which it delivered its ride-on-rails feel. The mechanical version of SH-AWD was good; the electric system is much more accomplished. It not only overspeeds the outside rear wheel in a corner, it applies a negative torque to the inside wheel, which delivers some regenerative braking to top up the 1.3 kilowatt/hour lithium-ion battery. This action reduced the amount of steering input and the need to dab the brake heading into a corner. Around the test track the turn-in proved to be as crisp as it was immediate.

Beyond its handling/performance capabilities the RLX Hybrid can drive on electricity alone and, because of its configuration, has on-demand all-wheel-drive. The 7-speed twin-clutch transmission added to the sense of overall refinement. The shifts, which can be initiated through paddle shifters, were quick and when Sport mode was selected it sharpened the throttle response and shift speed, delayed the upshifts and firmed the steering’s feel.

All of this bodes extremely well for the up-coming NSX. While the engineers were coy, some information did slide by their tight lips. To begin with, it will adopt much of the RLX SH-AWD’s technology — specifically the electric motors, battery and power electronics. The biggest changes are found in the gasoline side and layout. Where the RLX has its engine mounted up front with 2 of the 3 electric motors powering the rear wheels, the NSX will be exactly the opposite — 2 electric motors driving the front wheels, while a new engine and the 3rd electric motor power the rear wheels.

In this application, the gasoline power will come from a twin-turbocharged 3.5L V6. Honda did not mention output, so I will use some extended thinking. The Civic Type R’s 2.0L VTEC Turbocharged 4 produces 280 hp (see later), which gives it a power density of 140 hp/litre. Using this as a base, the 3.5L twin-turbo V6, which should enjoy a similar power density, could have as much as 490 hp. And this is before the 3 electric motors have contributed — and they are likely to have more juice, too.

The NSX will also earn an all-new twin-clutch transmission (no mention of the number of gears, but it, too, is expected to have more than the 7 in the RLX). Shoehorn all of this leading-edge technology into a lightweight chassis — it will likely be a blend of aluminum and carbon-fibre reinforced plastic — and you have the makings of a seriously raucous ride. It all served to whet my appetite.

The star of the day was, without question, the prototype Civic Type R. This, given Honda’s rather conservative approach, is radical by any standard. It starts with what’s under the hood — the aforementioned 2.0L, VTEC Turbo 4 and the 280 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque it generates. Fire the power through a 6-speed close-ratio manual and a sticky set of P235/35R19 tires and you have the makings of a monster.

Pulling out of the pits, I ran up through the 1st 3 gears and got ready to merge onto the high-speed oval — I was doing about 75 kilometres an hour. Standing on the gas saw the front wheels spin as the Type R blasted fourth and towards the first high-banked corner. From here it was around the 4-kilometre banked oval at the limited top speed of 200 km/h (the road-going car will be capped at 250 km/h). Now, all of this was done in normal mode.

A button on the dash engages the R mode. This firms the steering and adjustable suspension, sharpens the throttle and puts the vehicle stability management system into its track mode. It, according to the engineer riding shotgun, allows the driver to have more “fun.” At the time of writing, the final Type R’s specifications were yet to be firmed up. For example, will the brake system use Honda’s own design, or the four-piston front Brembos on the test car? Regardless, this is a car that will be built and sold. It MUST come to Canada. Ford Focus ST? VW Golf GTI? The Civic Type R will show both a clean set of wheels.

There were 2 other equally compelling versions of the VTEC Turbo to test. The 1st was a 1.5L four that made 201 hp and 192 lb-ft of torque. It, in the Civic mule, proved to be a truly workable engine. It had great low-end punch and it was very strong through the mid-range — turbocharged torque always has this effect. As a replacement for the current naturally-aspirated 2.0L engine used in any application it will work like a charm, providing more power and better fuel economy. You can’t ask for much more.

The other VTEC Turbo was a 1.0L 3-cylinder. In spite of its diminutive displacement it still pushed 127 hp and 147 lb-ft of torque, which was enough to whisk the Civic test mule to 160 km/h with surprising ease. Even when married to a CVT (and I am not a fan of the continuously annoying gearbox), it worked perfectly. Well enough, in fact, to maybe get me over my CVT aversion.

neuronbob

So the new electronic SH-AWD is even more the shiznit than the mechanical SH-AWD was? Kewl. Can't wait to see what happens with some sticky tires.

neuronbob

C&D preview. No driving experience, but some positive comments...

2014 Acura RLX Sport Hybrid SH-AWD: One V-6, Three Electric Motors, 32 mpg [2013 L.A. Auto Show]

When Acura first introduced the 2014 RLX sedan as its replacement for the RL, the brand only released the front-wheel-drive version, promising that a sportier all-wheel-drive model was on its way. That promise has finally been fulfilled at the 2013 L.A. auto show, where Acura is debuting the Sport Hybrid Super-Handling All-Wheel Drive–equipped RLX. It also released more info on the car, which is due to go on sale this spring.

Okay, so that name is a bit of a mouthful, but the gear that comes along with it is just as complex. As we’ve previously reported after driving a Sport Hybrid SH-AWD–equipped Honda prototype, the RLX gets a trio of electric motors—two on the rear axle and one integrated into the 3.5-liter V-6’s seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission—versus the front-drive RLX’s solitary V-6 and six-speed automatic. Total system power stands at around 370 horsepower (final figures are forthcoming), with the V-6 contributing 310 ponies, the front electric motor providing 47 horsepower, and each rear motor contributes 36 more. Each rear wheel is powered by a dedicated electric motor, and the RLX’s brain can distribute torque between the two for rear-axle torque vectoring. Of course, on the hybrid side of things, the front motor recuperates braking energy to recharge the RLX’s lithium-ion battery, and an engine stop-start system minimizes fuel use at stops.

While Acura claims the RLX’s Sport Hybrid setup will be capable of 0-to-60-mph sprints “comparable with competitors’ V-8–powered machines,” perhaps the car’s most important performance measurement has to do with fuel economy. The regular, front-drive RLX is EPA-rated for 20 mpg in the city and 31 on the highway; Acura has revealed that the RLX Sport Hybrid musters an impressive 28/32 mpg. Although the hybrid’s highway efficiency isn’t that much higher than the front-drive RLX’s, the city figure is a whopping 8 mpg better. That’s huge, and all the more impressive given the added weight of the electric motors and battery.

Aside from better urban fuel economy, the RLX Sport Hybrid SH-AWD model also gets Acura’s first electronic push-button gear selector and a new head-up display. The latter projects hybrid-system information, navigation instructions, trip functions, and alerts from the driver-assistance systems onto the windshield ahead of the driver. Like the regular RLX, the Sport Hybrid SH-AWD gets Acura’s Jewel Eye LED headlights, two giant instrument panel displays, and a host of safety technologies.

Final pricing has yet to be announced, but figure on the RLX Sport Hybrid requiring a couple-thousand-dollar premium over the front-drive RLX. One thing’s for sure: We’re looking forward to driving this unique sedan, especially given the similarities between its powertrain and the running gear in the upcoming NSX.

TSX69

The 2014 Acura RLX is a Hybrid with Legit Cornering Chops

The 2014 Acura RLX Sport Hybrid SH-AWD probably marks the 1st time a carmaker has turned to hybridization in order to enhance handling. And by doing so, Acura’s newest RLX isn’t merely the “eco” version of its flagship RLX. It’s the better of the 2 cars, hands down.

That’s our takeaway even though we only had a short take with it on the test track here in Japan, where the car will be introduced at the Tokyo Motor Show tomorrow.

1 reason for this is that it gets a truly unique hybrid setup. Under the hood is a 310 hp iVTEC V6 and an electric motor. At the rear wheels, there are 2 inboard motors that not only provide propulsion but, in a corner, create incredibly precise, astoundingly quick torque vectoring. This differs from any system that works through the brakes or mechanically; Acura’s 3-Motor system can provide negative torque to the inside rear wheel during cornering while also overdriving the outside rear wheel. The results are hyper-fast reflexes and a far sportier feel than we’ve ever found behind the wheel of the Honda premium brand’s conventional SH-AWD vehicles.

Total output from the hybrid system is 377 hp, and gumption is driven through a new and also unique dual-clutch 7-speed transmission with a torque converter. This is different from, say, a VW/Audi DSG in that the torque converter is used to smooth shift shock on upshifts (downshifts are rev-matched). We didn’t have enough time with the car to reach any sort of verdict on how the paddle shift system will work in day-to-day driving, but it’s certainly faster than any traditional auto box, although downshifts are limited to 5000 rpm, which is far enough below redline (6400 rpm) to also tell you that this isn’t quite as flexible a transmission as a true manual.

Still, Acura said their reasoning behind the new hybrid system/7-speed DCT is to grow the brand in a sportier direction and to make hybridization seem more—not less—aggressive. The RLX is still a softer-riding car than, say, an Audi S6, but with this new setup, it’s gone from a strict highway mile-gobbler to a car that feels a lot more agile than you’d assume from the size. We’re anxious to see what the skid pad says, too.

And as Acura wants to emphasize (they did so repeatedly), this luxury sedan comes without a punishing V8 fuel economy: 28/32/30 mpg (city/highway/combined).

Timing for the new RLX should be around late summer/early fall in the US; Acura announced the car will go on sale as a Legend in Japan in the fall of 2014.

Honda/Acura will be debuting a hybrid compact sedan this coming spring in Japan; it was unclear if that will mean bringing AWD hybridization down from the RLX Sport Hybrid to the existing ILX. There’s already a front-drive ILX hybrid in the US, but in that segment, nearly all the luxury marques are AWD or RWD, so giving new love (and uncannily quick-steering AWD) to Acura’s intro-level car would certainly be a boon to the brand.

George Knighton

Very encouraging stuff so far! :-)

How do we think enthusiasts will feel about not being able to select a particular gear?

getakey

"hybridization" - is that even a real word?

neuronbob

Late summer/early fall? What the what? The MT article must have been written months ago.....but the Tokyo Motor Show they are referencing is currently ongoing. They missed Acura's memo....

islandbeef

Apparently, they want the purchase numbers to continue climbing for the regular RLX. With the announcement of the AWD version, the impatient may jump at the regular versions instead.