TSX69

I meant bad is in poor. I am not an enthusiast in the traditional sense around here so I do not care much about 0-60 times but I have been seeing a lot of people hoping for below 5 seconds; 22mpg just seems way off for the 30mpg advertised. Hopefully those numbers will not be the norm of reviews ... this 1 managed 31mpg:

CGTSX2004

iTrader: (1)

MPG for most short-term test drives end up being significantly lower than advertised since the reviewers tend to flog the cars pretty hard.

As for performance, I think the use of the electric motors down low to boost low-end torque output and give a more immediate sense of thrust is a good decision. To get the kind of power delivery needed to sustain that kind of performance at higher speeds would require a battery pack like the Tesla Model S with significantly higher output, and a lot more expense and engineering. Plus, the ability to control the torque vectoring of each wheel independently by computer will allow for a while lot of possibilities if the aftermarket ever cracks the computers. This bodes well for the NSX.

And if we look at the medium term outlook, the solid numbers from the RLX drive train as well as the introduction of a new 2.0L turbo for the Civic Type-R bode well for the upcoming TLX.

Malibu Flyer

I haven't seen any comment regarding the lack of the PAWS system in the Hybrid.

One of the supposed advantages of PAWS is to assist in parking since the turning radius is terrible. I know the main advantage of PAWS relates to handling while driving and therefore redundant in the torque vectoring Sport Hybrid but will the ease of parking be even worse than in the FWD model?

Any thoughts?

TSX69

If it helps, the specs say that the turning diameter is the same for PAWS & SH-SH-AWD:

http://acuranews.com/channels/acura-...specifications

Turning Diameter, Curb to Curb 40.5 ft 40.5 ft

TSX69

2014 Acura RLX Sport Hybbrid 1st Drive

When the 1st Honda Insight beat the 1st Toyota Prius to market a decade and a half ago, Big H both created a new vehicle segment in the U.S. and catapulted gas-electric vehicles into the mainstream. We probably don’t need to tell you that sales of such fuel-sippers subsequently exploded, or that the Prius became the darling of the segment, likely because it offered buyers the double bonus of having a back seat and not looking like a bionic tadpole.

But, technology aficionados that we are, we can’t help but wonder if the cars’ guts also had something to do with the Prius’s dominance. Honda’s hybrid system, dubbed Integrated Motor Assist, was very simple, while Toyota’s Hybrid Synergy Drive was more complex. It didn’t help that, in the intervening years, Honda pretty much stayed pat with IMA while the rest of the industry released ever more intricate and efficient designs similar to Toyota’s, with the Chevrolet Volt plug-in coming in as the hybrid-tech high-water mark. Well, until now.

Honda is back at the bleeding edge of hybrid technology, introducing a flurry of innovative systems across its product lineup. For starters, the new Honda Accord plug-in and regular hybrids share a groundbreaking and Honda-exclusive powertrain design that lacks a transmission. The system is anything but simple, yet it’s seamless and works very well in day-to-day operation. Further, the reborn 2015 Acura NSX will debut with its own hybrid powertrain with 2 electric motors driving the front wheels and a twin-turbo V-6 and another electric motor spinning the rears.

TMU Ain’t Just an Airport in Costa Rica

When the subject of this story, the Acura RLX Sport Hybrid SH-AWD—or SH-SH-AWD for short—was announced, many thought that it would share its hybrid guts with the NSX, only in reverse. That isn’t the case, except perhaps philosophically. The only common bit between the 2 cars is what Acura calls the Twin Motor Unit (TMU). In the RLX SH-SH-AWD, the TMU is fixed to a rubber-isolated subframe at the rear axle, and is what enables the RLX hybrid to offer 4-wheel drive via 2 identical 36-hp, 54-lb-ft electric motors that are coupled together by a planetary gear set.

Below 78 mph, each motor can supply torque to its assigned wheel independently via yaw-inducing torque vectoring or they can work in concert to contribute thrust or braking. Above 78 mph, the TMU can still perform the torque-vectoring trick, but it ditches its acceleration and deceleration duties. Controlled via electronics and connected to the rest of the powertrain only via wires, the TMU also means there’s no driveshaft. It’s also unique among torque-vectoring differentials in that it can deliver torque to 1 tire while the other pulls torque (or, put another way, produces negative torque) and feeds the energy into the regenerative braking system.

As you dive for an apex, you feel the SH-SH-AWD’s TMU fend off understeer and re-vector the car just as well as the mechanical-based SH-AWD (Super Handling All-Wheel Drive) system did in the old RL, which was replaced by the RLX. The TMU is also doing the lifting at every step away from a stop; the RLX hybrid can operate as a pure electric, rear-wheel-drive car up to about 50 mph provided you’re gentle on the throttle. (So, no, you can’t do lurid drifts.) Another caveat to RWD awesomeness: Range in this mode is limited to just a mile or two from the 1.3-kWh lithium-ion battery. If it doesn’t deliver fun or long, silent cruises in the moonlight, the EV mode does allow the 4350-pound Acura to score highly on the EPA’s city mileage test, where it notched 28 mpg. That’s an improvement of 40 percent over the front-drive, non-hybrid RLX. The hybrid’s 32 mpg EPA highway rating is just 1 mpg better than that of its conventionally powered sibling, which is to be expected given that a hybrid is most beneficial in urban driving where it can recapture and use electrical energy more often.

The Engine Bone’s Connected to the Motor Bone

Acura got creative with the other half of the powertrain, too, a 310-hp, 3.5-liter V-6 that’s nearly identical to the 3.5 in the front-drive RLX. Small changes to the camshaft profiling net 1 additional pound-foot of twist, with all 273 lb-ft delivered 200 rpm higher, at 4700. Engine torque is routed to the front wheels through a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic. A 47-hp, 109-lb-ft electric motor is integrated into the transaxle, although it’s not in the typical meat-of-the-sandwich location seen in most hybrids, where the motor sits between the engine and the gearbox. Rather, it’s at the most outboard location and fixed to the odd-gear input. When the transmission is in an even gear, motor torque is routed through the odd shaft to the wheels. (Worth noting: This isn’t the gearbox that will go into the NSX. The RLX is a transverse application versus the supercar’s longitudinal layout.)

The front electric motor’s main tasks are to generate electricity and to start the engine. It adds torque to the accelerative mix when the driver requests full throttle, but that’s it. Producing 377 total system horsepower, we think the RLX hybrid should come within a tick or 2 of the 10Best- and comparo-winning Audi A6 3.0T, with a quarter-mile time of just below 14 seconds and a 0-to-60-mph time of around 5 seconds. The front-wheel-drive non-hybrid RLX turned in a time slip with 14.3- and 5.8-second results.

Acura says the transformation to hybrid adds 357 pounds, including extra standard content such as a head-up display and LED fog lamps. From a dynamic standpoint, the extra mass isn’t noticeable to the driver thanks in part to the torque-vectoring and in part because 198 pounds—132 of which is assigned to the TMU, and 66 to the battery—are piled atop the rear axle, shifting the fore-to-aft weight balance from 61/39 percent to 57/43.

Driving the Thing

Now that you’re well and truly versed in how the car works, here’s how it all adds up: very nicely. As we found with the front-drive RLX, the SH-SH-AWD version is a very competent luxury sedan, with a supple ride over all but the harshest impacts, a well-fettled interior, and heaps of convenience technologies. We also can’t remember driving a car that’s subjectively quieter. Measures that include sound-insulating glass and noise-cancelling resonators in the wheels—which Acura claims reduce mid-range noise by 8 decibels—essentially reduce any and all sounds from the outside world to mere whispers. The cabin is as airy and roomy as in the non-hybrid, of course, addressing 1 of the largest gripes about the RL, although that also means you must deal with the RLX’s obtuse secondary controls and confounding split-screen center stack.

The steering is mostly devoid of feedback, but it’s accurate and smooth throughout its range of motion and seems to fit the RLX’s serene cruising nature. We really have only 1 major gripe here, that being the very touchy brakes, which deliver a head-tossing jerk to occupants at even the slightest tap of the left pedal. We’re interested to see if we can get used to it with more time behind the wheel.

Sport Hybrid pricing has yet to be announced, but expect the base hybrid, which includes the optional Tech package of the front-driver, to retail for about $60,000. That’s roughly $5000 more than a front-drive RLX with the Tech package, a veritable deal if you consider the sheer amount of cutting-edge powertrain hardware here. The Advanced package, with its active cruise control, lane-keeping assist, astonishingly good Krell audio system, and more, is likely to run another $6000.

Audi’s surge toward the top of the luxury sales charts has proven that affluent buyers will accept front-drive-based AWD cars, and the RLX can stand toe-to-toe with the segment’s traditional leaders in terms of features and amenities. Ultimately, then, the way the RLX looks may be its biggest impediment to greater success—its conservative styling is fairly derivative and blends in with some sedans costing half as much. Yet if the Toyota Prius taught us anything, it’s that a visually unexciting car can sell like crazy trading on its technological prowess. We’ll find out soon whether the SH-SH-AWD goods are enough to convince buyers when this model hits Acura lots in the spring, and we’d suggest playing up the fact that the car shares a very important piece of hardware with a supercar. Doing so certainly won’t hurt.

Specifications >

VEHICLE TYPE: front-engine, 4-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door sedan

ESTIMATED BASE PRICE: $60,000

ENGINE TYPE: SOHC 24-valve V-6, 310 hp, 273 lb-ft; 2 AC permanent-magnet synchronous electric motors, 72 hp, 108 lb-ft; AC permanent-magnet synchronous electric motor, 47 hp, 109 lb-ft; combined system, 377 hp, 377 lb-ft; 1.3-kWh lithium-ion battery pack

TRANSMISSION: 7-speed dual-clutch automatic with manual shifting mode

DIMENSIONS:
Wheelbase: 112.2 in
Length: 196.1 in
Width: 74.4 in Height: 57.7 in
Curb weight (C/D est): 4350 lb

PERFORMANCE (C/D EST)
Zero to 60 mph: 5.3 sec
Standing ¼-mile: 13.9 sec
Top speed: 130 mph

FUEL ECONOMY:
EPA city/highway driving: 28/32 mpg

TSX69

2014 Acura RLX Sport Hybrid 1st Drive

What It Is
A hybrid version of the RLX with more power and better fuel economy.
Best Thing
Excellent cornering and turning thanks to Acura's new Sport Hybrid Super Handling All-Wheel Drive.
Worst Thing
Outdated navigation, interior accents.
Snap Judgment
It's a capable performance hybrid with unique capabilities, but we think the market for this vehicle is limited.

When we tested the gas-powered Acura RLX, we were impressed by its value, but the market has tended to favor flashier luxury cars like the popular BMW 5 Series and Mercedes-Benz E-Class. Acura's new sedan may help reverse the trend. While the new Sport Hybrid retains some of the subtlety that defines the Acura brand, it takes things up a notch, perhaps putting Acura on the map for many performance-minded buyers. On the outside, it has the personality of an accountant but inside reveals a peppy V-6 engine and 3 electric motors for a total output of 377 horsepower.

The Acura RLX Sport Hybrid is somewhat in a segment of its own as a hybrid all-wheel drive sedan. On top of this, Acura's proprietary all-wheel drive system uses a separate power source to route power to the rear wheels, providing a boost in torque for better cornering and handling. This was a thrill when we drove the car through the twisty roads of Panoramic Highway.

Set to go on sale in the spring of 2014, the Acura RLX Sport Hybrid will be available with either the Technology or the Advanced trim levels. Pricing for the models has not yet been announced, but we expect the car to run several thousand dollars more than the traditional RLX, which is priced between $50,000 and $60,000.

Walkaround
Acura doesn't stray too far away from tradition, implementing a highly similar design to the traditional RLX and even its predecessor, the RL. The luxury sedan gives an overall impression of tame beauty, highlighted by its bright Jewel Eye LED headlights. The few visual cues exclusive to the Sport Hybrid model are subtle, including a dark chrome-plated grille, a revised lower front bumper with LED fog lights, slightly different wheels, and hybrid badging. Still, we wish it had a few more aggressive cues to distinguish it from its more mainstream counterparts.

Sitting Down
While a beautiful drive, it was also a long 1. Planted in the driver's seat of the car for the better part of 5 hours, we surprisingly had no complaints. The seats are wide, comfortable, and supportive, and there was plenty of room throughout the entire cabin. A large center console also provides plenty of space for front seat driver and passenger. Although overall the car produces an aura of modernity, the chestnut finish wood grain ages the cabin as does the outdated AcuraLink navigation screen on the model we tested. Thankfully, Honda is developing a new infotainment system for the 2014 Civic and 2015 Fit with smartphone-style controls that we hope will find its way into the Acura lineup (which, in our opinion, it already should have).

In the interior, drivers will enjoy plenty of advanced technology features and creature comforts. Milano leather swathes the seats, and front seat occupants will enjoy 12-way power heated front seats. Navigation, head-up display, and power side mirrors are also standard. The Advanced package adds several safety technologies including lane assist and braking systems as well as a high-fidelity Krell audio system.

All versions of the RLX Sport Hybrid come with an electronic gear selector instead of the standard lever. While innovative, drivers may prefer a more streamlined method. Putting the car in reverse requires pulling at the knob while other buttons can simply be pushed.

Driving
Driving the 2014 RLX Sport Hybrid is, by far, the most interesting part of it. Like other cars in the Acura lineup, the car benefits from Super Handling All-Wheel Drive. Traditional all-wheel drive cars use a front and rear differential with a center differential that mediates power to the rear wheels. These cars can apply braking to individual wheels when the steering wheel doesn't match the actual direction of the vehicle. But in Acura's all-wheel drive, power is applied directly to the individual rear wheels through "torque vectoring." This is essentially 4-wheel steering, providing the car with better handling, more cornering capability, and less front-end plowing otherwise known as understeer.

This system evolves further in the RLX Sport Hybrid. Since the Super Handling All-Wheel Drive does not rely on an engine but instead derives its power from a lithium-ion battery pack and two rear-mounted electric motors. This setup further enhances torque—acceleration feel—and steering. It also works in off-throttle situations during braking, recapturing energy and driving it back into the battery pack for future use when rear-wheel power is needed.

We were able to test the Acura alongside its competition on the route, and we found some noticeable differences. We drove the Lexus GS 450h hybrid sedan, probably the closest competitor, and we found the steering was not as responsive as the Acura's. Steering was pretty much on par with the Audi A6 quattro V-6, a non-hybrid, all-wheel drive model.

Overall, the Acura is powerful and stable, although it didn't glide over potholes and road imperfections. The cabin remained quiet throughout the trip regardless. Along with a 30-mpg combined fuel economy rating, the car also benefits from responsive braking, smooth steering, and a workhorse seven-speed dual-clutch transmission.

Summary
Capable, comfortable, and composed, the Acura RLX Sport Hybrid has a unique set of capabilities that should appeal to performance-minded buyers. But will it? Those who concern themselves with pure horsepower will likely gravitate toward the 445-horsepower BMW 550i xDrive or other flashier models. The Acura RLX Sport Hybrid is a worthy car, but with its understated styling and hard to understand technology, it may be relegated to 2nd-class status in the marketplace.

Basic Specs
3.5-liter direct injection V6, 1.3 kWh lithium-ion battery, 3 electric motors, 7-speed dual clutch transmission, all-wheel drive, 377-hp, estimated $65,000 price, 28 mpg city/32 mpg hwy

JM2010 SH-AWD

Nice reviews. This is a good car.

George Knighton

Yup. I bought a TL in December 2009 and about to get rid of it with already having 85,000+ miles on it.

I drive too much to consider leasing.

And I drive enough that I want something "livable" and "reliable" more than anything else.

TSX69

2014 Acura RLX Sport Hybrid SH-AWD Drive Review

What is it?

Acura's 2nd-generation Legend, released for 1991, was 1 of the most physically attractive vehicles of the decade, regardless of class or type. Its replacement was something called the RL, a car that's never quite grabbed the public's imagination and yanked the way its predecessor did. Rap star Ludacris still proudly owns his '93 Legend. The high hats at Honda's higher-end marque are hoping the new RLX will inspire similar levels of devotion, especially the top-spec RLX Sport Hybrid SH-AWD. The “SH” of course, stands for “Super Handling.” The Japanese penchant for adding “super” as an, ahem, superlative continues sans abatement.

The tech involved in Acura's new flagship is pretty impressive. Pulling a page from the Tommy Ivo playbook, the RLX Sport Hybrid features four powerplants. Up front, there's a 310-hp 3.5L V6. Behind that is a 47-hp electric motor. Connected to the rear wheels are 2 36-hp motors capable of independent operation. Think of it as a hyperactive limited-slip diff, capable of underdriving the inside wheel in a corner using regenerative braking while juicing the outside wheel to hustle the back end of the car 'round the bend. All 3 motors are capable of feeding power back into the 1.3 kWh battery pack. Maximum combined output stands at 377 hp and 377 lb-ft of torque.

The interior is big-feeling and made of stuff befitting the class. It's not quite as deluxe as a Mercedes-Benz E-Class, nor as functionally lovely as the Audi A6, but it holds its own with the BMW 5 Series and betters the Lexus GS.

The styling? It's straight out of anime. 1980s future-dystopia cop-drama anime, to be exact. The 20-eyes-total headlamps will no doubt please Glenn Danzig. In fact, we could absolutely see the former Misfits frontman bopping down to the local Ralphs for cat litter in a black RLX.

What's it like to drive?

It's big, softish, and fast. We didn't realize quite how fast the thing was until we climbed back in after taking a spin in the GS 450h and A6 3.0T Acura had on hand for comparison. While the Lexus and Audi offered a more planted, sporty drive, Highway 1's corners appeared just that little bit faster in the Acura.

The seats are comfortable enough. If the car were suspended in a more taut fashion, we'd ask for more lateral bolstering. As it is, the car's speed seems secondary to comfort, which the Acura delivers in spades. In the bends, there's a measure of body roll, and the steering could use just a touch more heft. Everything in the RLX has the feeling of being on some sort of odd little microsecond delay; it's as if somebody turned up the reverb on your driving experience.

1 exception to that is Acura's new twin-clutch gearbox. It's stellar. The rev-matched shifts are nearly imperceptible and the computer's brain aggressively (and intelligently) swaps cogs downward during assertive driving. It may well be the next-best thing to Porsche's justifiably-ballyhooed PDK. It will, however, occasionally override the driver's inputs in a way that Zuffenhausen's system simply doesn't.

Acura claims 30 combined mpg is available from the RLX Sport Hybrid, but we couldn't get close to that figure in admittedly spirited driving. From San Francisco into Marin, we averaged under 20 mpg, rather depressing for a hybrid — especially when we were relatively sure the less-complex A6 would deliver superior numbers over the same course. And it most definitely would with the new 3.0L twin-turbo diesel under the hood.

Following in the steps of Germany's Burmester, who recently began lending their knowledge and brand to Porsche's top-spec audio systems, American audiophile favorite Krell cut a deal with Acura to do the high-end sound system in the RLX. The mids and highs are as lovely and clear as anything we've heard in a premium OEM setup, but the bass is a bit woofy and boomy, more appropriate for a kid in a Civic. Tigra and Bunny might be pleased. Fans of The Dan? Less amped.

Finally, if you'd like, the big Acura will drive itself, sort of. Cars equipped with the uplevel Advance package feature a semi-autonomous Lane Keeping Assist function that will steer for you on straights and through gentle bends. We didn't find it to be quite as good as Mercedes-Benz's similar feature. None of these systems are truly ready for mass consumption, but employed intelligently by the driver, they can work.

Do I want it?

Though Acura's pinned its target on the rumps of the 5 Series, GS and A6, as well as their respective siblings a class up, the 2 cars the RLX Sport Hybrid really competes with are the Lincoln MKS and Cadillac XTS. The Japanese techno-bruiser delivers a put-together cushiness that those 2 cars aspire to but don't quite nail. Acura may have aimed at the segment stars, but what they've come up with is an ideal for the American also-rans to chase.

2014 Acura RLX Sport Hybrid SH-AWD
On sale: Spring 2014

Base price: $59,000 (AW est.)

Drivetrain: 3.5-liter V6, 310 hp, 270 lb-ft; 3 electric motors: 1x 47 hp, 109 lb-ft, 2x 36 hp, 54 lb-ft; 1.3 kWh battery pack (377hp, 377 lb-ft maximum output), 7-speed automatic transmission; AWD

Curb weight: 4,300 lb

0-60 mph: 5 seconds (est)

Fuel economy: 28 city/32 highway/30 combined (mfr. est)

TSX69

Road Test

If our impressions on this side of the screen are accurate, Acura’s flagship RLX is probably entirely missing from your shopping list. Its first problem is its styling—the RLX is simultaneously derivative and awkward. Neither is a good thing for a luxury car.

Secondly, Acura added an X to its name and dropped the predecessor’s all-wheel drive, which makes almost as much sense as dropping the “Legend” badge in the 1st place. The RLX’s P-AWS active rear steering helps keep the big front-driver from feeling like a big front-driver in the corners, but it does nothing to eliminate embarrassing wheelspin at red lights—to say nothing of helping it through winter weather. Which, of course, is the reason luxury buyers like their cars (and crossovers) with all wheel drive.

That’s now solved with the RLX SH-AWD, a new all-wheel-drive version. It’s also a hybrid, but unlike the Acura’s main competitor, the Lexus GS450h, it doesn’t drive like 1. It uses 1 of the most sophisticated powertrains extant—a direct-injected V6 up front (310 hp) mated to a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic (Acura’s first) that includes a 47 hp electric motor. The motor takes start/stop duty, alternator duty, and can assist or regenerate power.

Thrust at the rear wheels is an ingenious rear unit that houses two 36 hp electric motors, each controlling 1 wheel. The computer can perform full torque-vectoring regardless of what’s happening up front. (Read a full breakdown of this technology here.)

Acura introduces a new gear selector on the RLX Hybrid—something that always seems like an unnecessary innovation, but at least the new “shifter” works well and is logical in its operation. The hybrid RLX also features the line’s 1st head-up display, and it’s colorful, bright, and clear.

The RLX’s defining feature from behind the wheel is its quietness. The gas engine starts and stops entirely imperceptibly, and were it not for the tachometer, you’d often not know if it's running. For smooth off-the-line performance, the hybrid moves off the line using the rear wheels, reserving the front electric motor’s torque to start the gas engine if necessary. Since the DCT’s clutchpack isn’t charged with moving the car from a stop, this system suffers from none of the off-the-line non-linearity that affects most other dual-clutch transmissions.

What’s more impressive is that Honda’s 1st DCT’s shifts are—I don’t use this term lightly—perfect. They’re quick but not too much so and are almost completely imperceptible. Other DCTs shift well, too, but to see this level of refinement in a 1st-generation system is impressive. Okay, the transmission as a whole isn’t perfect: In 1 instance, the transmission took an eternity to downshift for a full-throttle pass. It went from 7th to 4th, stopping at each gear in between, but wouldn’t allow the engine to actually kick in until all the downshifts were done. But for the most part, the transmission was really well behaved.

The braking experience is less so. As is typical of so many hybrid systems, the blended brake system lends a grabby, nonlinear feel to the brake pedal. And to make matters worse, Acura’s pedal doesn’t respond quickly to sudden applications—the opposite of what we want in a panic situation.

The steering is very light—a bit too light, with very little effort buildup as cornering loads increase—but accurate, though very little information comes back to the driver. What does is most likely to be torque steer. But the system’s path accuracy is especially commendable considering it’s coordinated with torque vectoring at the rear. The RLX isn’t sporty, but it’s at least capable on back roads.

And very comfortable. Ride quality is excellent, though large bumps do upset the front suspension. The cabin is very quiet even at triple-digit speeds, and Acura’s 60-degree V6 makes lovely intake and exhaust noises. (Though in fairness, some of that is enhanced through the stereo speakers—especially in Sport mode.)

Whatever. Honda does active sound management better than anyone else, and when it works this well and in a luxury sedan, I don’t care where the music is coming from. The V6 is always quiet except for when you want to hear it, and then it sounds snarly, refined, and powerful. And you certainly hear no strange noises when it’s running on 3 cylinders to save fuel at highway speeds.

The RLX doesn’t feel obscenely fast despite its 377 hp total system power rating. Part of that is due to the quietness—its velocity is deceptive. Part is due to the transmission starting out in 2nd gear, even at full throttle, in normal mode. It’s a relatively short gear (it maxes out at 50 mph), but it makes off-the-line squirts dramatically less enthusiastic.

Enter Sport mode, and the transmission will engage 1st gear when you come to a stop. This very short gear (it’s all over by 29 mph) helps the RLX spin its front wheels off the line and take off with gusto. Sport mode also instructs the DCT to bang off perfectly rev-matched downshifts as you brake into corners.

Driver assistance aids like an active lane-keeping assist function are no better nor worse than other such systems: Let’s call them a work in progress, though the full-speed active cruise can definitely reduce driver interaction in traffic. And an available high-end Krell Audio Package offers suitable volume (and terrific imaging) to drown out those around you, though we found its bass response a bit disappointing.

The 1.3-kWh lithium-ion battery takes up a substantial amount of trunk room (reducing cargo capacity from 15.3 to 12 cu ft), and its position atop the rear wheels means there’s no trunk pass-through. But the RLX’s back seats are big and comfortable and the view out—both to the sides and forward—is lovely.

Best of all, the RLX’s all-wheel drive system, unlike all others, increases fuel mileage instead of costing at the pump. Compared with the front-wheel-drive RLX, EPA fuel economy projections jump from 20/31 mpg to 28/32. And though Acura hasn’t yet finalized pricing—the RLX goes on sale in the Spring of 2014—we expect the new model to be within $10,000 of the front-drive car. That’s a lot of extra money, but the all-wheel drive, added power, and better fuel economy significantly add to the RLX’s appeal. Now, if we could just do something about those awkward-looking headlights …

Guitaryojedi

I thought theres a Trunk Pass Through.
Am I wrong???

Guitaryojedi

Sorry, forgot this.

Cargo Carrying Versatility
The RLX Sport Hybrid has a fully finished, 12.0 cubic-foot trunk (compared to 15.1 on the two-wheel drive RLX with Krell Audio and Advance packages). An underfloor storage compartment provides added space for small items. The acoustic properties of the trunk and the rear deck speakers were specially engineered to create the best possible sound performance from the three available audio systems. To allow room for longer items, a locking trunk pass-through is provided. A cargo net with a network of anchor points help keeps trunk cargo securely in position.

Rocketsfan

Good question. I've read a couple of reviews now that state specifically that there are no rear folding seats and no pass-through, but like you stated, Honda's press release says there is a trunk pass-through.

TSX69

Malibu Flyer

The reviews for the Hybrid have been very positive. What I would like to know is when the actual car will show up at my local dealer.

I thought the initial news from Honda indicated that the car would be in dealers in Dec. while informed rumors indicated by Dec. 15th. Well here we are yet I have seen nothing indicating when the car will appear. I just want to do a test drive so I can decide whether to wait until Spring or move on to an Audi A-7.

Colin -- have you heard anything from Honda about the timing of the hybrid coming to your dealership??

CGTSX2004

iTrader: (1)

My local dealer here in the Boston area is hearing rumors of early to mid Q2, so probably around the April or May time frame here on the east coast, which might mean a bit earlier out west.

Edward'TLS

What is the official launch date for the hybrid RLX ?

037

if you can swing an A7, as a lease, I'd be all over that. The car is beautiful.

Now if you're thinking super long term...I guess you'll have to wait. The MDX is a nice long term car, I hear.

JM2010 SH-AWD

Evidently some of them are in the states now. My wife and son saw one in our area last week tooling around with dealer plates.

neuronbob

Edit: I'd love to test drive one for sure.....

TSX69

The Acura RLX Sport Hybrid Has the Coolest All-Wheel Drive System
We Aren't Just Twisting Your Tires

Making an all-wheel-drive car from a front-driver is relatively simple: take power off the transmission, send it to the rears, and voila! You now have a car that will plow through a foot of snow.

“Plow” being the operative word. It won’t want to turn—this layout often does nothing to help mitigate understeer—and it’ll be both slower and less efficient than the car you started with.

It’s taken a lot of engineering to make front-biased all-wheel-drive cars want to turn, and Honda perhaps did it best with its SH-AWD system. The SH, of course, means Super Handling, and it wasn’t a misnomer—the system’s torque-vectoring rear differential could distribute power to one rear wheel or the other, simultaneously helping the car turn and taking best advantage of the available traction. It’s a transformative system.

Go ahead, take an Acura ZDX onto a race track. You’ll be astonished as the big, front-heavy brute flings itself neutral on its way out of every corner. As long as you’re feeding power to the rear wheels, the moon rover-looking thing goes immediately neutral. Surprise, but the ZDX is more throttle-steerable than some sports cars.

Oh, so you’ve never considered taking an Acura ZDX on track? You’re not alone there, which is perhaps why so few people realize just how good the SH-AWD system is. The people who actually notice the benefits from it tend to be, say, drivers of the Acura MDX—soccer moms who just want their car to get them around town in a snowstorm.

And it’s in the around-town driving where SH-AWD, like every AWD system, has its drawbacks. Its extra weight and drag means slower acceleration and more fuel consumption.

Until now. Honda has just solved those two dilemmas by taking the SH-AWD torque-vectoring philosophy and adding electricity. The system debuts on Acura’s new flagship, the RLX, and it’s called Sport Hybrid SH-AWD.

Up front, things change around a little. The front-drive RLX’s new 3.5-liter direct-injection V6 stays but earns revised cam profiles for smoother start/stop. The base car’s 6-speed automatic is ditched in favor of Acura’s 1st dual-clutch auto. The unit, which is the same size as the automatic, also contains a 47 hp motor/generator that replaces both the starter and the alternator. And, of course, works to assist the V6’s output.

Energy is stored in a 66-lb, 1.3-kWh lithium-ion battery stored over the rear wheels (and reducing trunk space considerably.) The battery is also connected to the TMU at the rear, the Twin Motor Unit, which is the most important piece in the new RLX.

Weighing only around 130 lbs, the device contains two 36 hp electric motors, each connected to a rear wheel. The system can operate the 2 motors independently, which means they can both accelerate the car or slow it down and regenerate electricity in the process. But they can do one thing no other hybrid-electric system can: continually vary the power of the wheels independently from one another.

1 wheel could, for example, be at full regen while the other is at full power up to a maximum of about 1000 lb-ft of differential torque. This creates a significant yaw moment on the car. That’s a fancy way of saying “it’ll turn the car using the rear wheels.”

Best of all, the system doesn’t need engine power to operate, so it can adjust the attitude of the rear of the car under acceleration, cruising, deceleration, or even with the gasoline engine switched off. (The ZF torque-vectoring differential in some BMWs and Audis accomplishes the same thing.)

Part of the beauty of the system is that the motors are fairly small, made possible by gearing them down. A planetary gearset couples the motors to their respective wheels at a 10.38:1 ratio. The problem with that is that at about 78 mph, as the motors reach 11,000 rpm, they begin to produce too much voltage for the electric systems to handle reliably.

The solution is to decouple the motors from the rear wheels at high speeds—which is also a boon to efficiency. (And let’s be honest—you don’t actually need 4-wheel drive at high speeds. If you’re spinning your front wheels at 80 mph, you may as well start dialing 9-1-1.)

Decoupling the motors from their wheels, though, would eliminate the SH-AWD’s system from performing torque-vectoring—and that would change the RLX’s cornering behavior dramatically. The solution is to remove the motors’ ability to assist or regen (and thus slow their rotational speeds) but not remove their ability to remove torque from one side and add it to the other.

And that’s where things get crazy. The TMU’s 2 motors operate on a single planetary gearset with a single ring gear that’s held in place by an electrohydraulic clutch. Each motor’s torque enters through its own carrier gear, is multiplied, and then heads to the axle via that side’s sun gear.

At 78 mph, the clutch releases, allowing the ring gear to spin. However, thanks to the miracle of planetary gears, if the motors exert different levels of torque on their respective carrier gears, they experience equal and opposite forces. Meaning the system can transfer torque from one side to the other—albeit only in equal measures. Key point: torque-vectoring is still possible.

Bigger point: the system is genius.

Even bigger point: You neither hear nor feel any of this happening from the driver’s seat. Hybrid-system operation continues, just using the front motor to assist and to regen, and when speed descends through 75 mph, the rears are recoupled.

The takeaway is that the all-wheel-drive RLX is more powerful than the base car (377 total system horsepower versus 310 hp), it remains impressively neutral in corners (and the base, front-wheel-drive car uses active rear steering for neutral cornering, so it wasn’t an understeering pig to begin with), and it gets better fuel economy. EPA city jumps from 20 to 28 mpg, and even highway mileage increases by 1 to 32 mph.

It’s a win-win.

Except for a few things. For one, the blended brake system has a grabby, non-linear and slow-to-respond brake pedal. 2nd, the battery pack takes up valuable trunk space, decreasing overall cargo capacity from 15.3 cu ft to 12, and there’s no pass-through for large objects.

Oh, and there’s 1 last point: This all-wheel-drive concept needs to make its way into cars where it matters. The forthcoming NSX will use a similar system. In the meantime, it’s a shame that hybrid SH-AWD, like its mechanical predecessor, will likely never makes its way into the lexicon of most enthusiasts. Because they probably won’t be buying a derivatively styled, 20-headlight luxury sedan. Those who do buy the RLX SH-AWD will probably just tell their friends, “It goes well in snow and gets good gas mileage.”

Sure. But they’ll have missed the point.

George Knighton

My TL did surprisingly well on the track, although it was certainly no competition for my dedicated track car.

I hope the reviewers are right about the price, but I am beginning to suspect that the initial reports are optimistic and that the car's going to cost a little more. There are some very expensive parts in the RLX, and I don't think they're going to price it to lose money at production point, which they have had to do in the past (the ITR).

Speaking of the ITR, even if the price really is very low, around 66000, that doesn't necessarily mean I'll be able to find one.

In December 1999 I had to drive from Richmond VA to Atlanta GA to get an ITR. It was very affordable at under 26000, a very good buy for what it did.

But you still couldn't find one easily.

Maybe I'm trying to justify to myself having just bought an RLX Advance. :-)

db22

Oh, and there’s 1 last point: This all-wheel-drive concept needs to make its way into cars where it matters. The forthcoming NSX will use a similar system. In the meantime, it’s a shame that hybrid SH-AWD, like its mechanical predecessor, will likely never makes its way into the lexicon of most enthusiasts. Because they probably won’t be buying a derivatively styled, 20-headlight luxury sedan. Those who do buy the RLX SH-AWD will probably just tell their friends, “It goes well in snow and gets good gas mileage.”

Sure. But they’ll have missed the point.

It's a good article but I disagree with the last part. I think those that buy the SH-SH-AWD will be the enthusiasts and people in the know regarding this vehicle, I.E. members of this forum. People "who don't know" will buy an E350.

JM2010 SH-AWD

The more I read about the engineering in this car, the more impressed I am. Wow. This hybrid RLX is a knock-out. The slightly different wheels do a lot to improve the looks. The CBP model photographed in the R&T article is beautiful.


I'm afraid that R&T may be right, however. Most people I know who drive an SH-AWD car think it's only for aiding traction in snow. Acura has not done a great job of explaining the dry-road magic of SH-AWD.

neuronbob

This was one of the downfalls of the 2G RL. It had the best torque vectoring system on the market, one that assisted dry-road handling significantly, and Acura seems to have made no dent in explaining it to the unwashed masses.

I hope they get the marketing on this one right. The tech in the Sport Hybrid is just this side of magical.

Like I say every other post, I must try this out. And I say this, having daily-driven LS-powered, RWD, low-tech greatness for five years.

Hey Acura, how about giving ME, an enthusiast, a Sport Hybrid to try for a few days? Pretty please? Can I pull my moderator strings to get it done?

037

I think your wallet will speak louder than any mod strings you come up with.

George Knighton

I think that dealers will all have their training demo vehicles before the end of January.

TSX69

2014 Acura RLX Sport Hybrid
w/ Video

Having already driven and reviewed the 2014 Acura RLX this year, colleagues Steven Ewing and Jeffrey Ross poured several thousand words into apprising it, then someone took the safety off the Comments and flipped them to "Fully Automatic" because those 2 reviews and 4 brief posts were hit by more than 1,200 of your deeply felt sentiments.

People care about Acura.

Roughly half of those comments were in reply to news of this car, the 2014 RLX Sport Hybrid SH-AWD, a sedan that intends to show that Acura cares, too. Underneath a skin almost imperceptibly different from the standard RLX, the 1 that has given us P-AWS (Precision All-Wheel Steer), is a Super Handling All-Wheel Drive (SH-AWD) system that replaces the mechanical components it relies on in the TL and MDX with computerized sophistication and 3 electric motors. Top that off with more power, and the aim is to provide a machine that does a better job of getting Acura a starting spot in the premium luxury game than the erstwhile and now all-but-forgotten RL that the RLX replaces.

In February 2013, Ewing wrote of the RLX, "It's a vastly improved vehicle that, in a vacuum, is excellent." After a day of twisty bits outside of San Francisco, we have no problem breaking the vacuum seal, getting the RLX Sport Hybrid out in the environment and still declaring it excellent. Problem is, we just can't see how it's excellent enough to beat the competition at the price (still unknown) Acura will want for it.

Since thousands of words have already given their short, san-serif lives to describing the exterior and interior of the RLX, we think it unnecessary to belabor a 3rd opinion on the styling details. The exterior differences between the standard car and the RLX Sport Hybrid are the grille being cast in dark chrome, front LED fog lights placed in a revised lower fascia, 19-inch 10-spoke aluminum wheels that have been designed to reduce cabin noise by up to 7 dB, hybrid badges on the fenders and an SH-AWD badge on the decklid.

There are several big changes in the cabin, however, all meant only for this car. 1 of them is a heads-up display, Acura's 1st, that can project the state of features like the SH-AWD system operation, tachometer and turn-by-turn navigation just above the hood. Another is the Reactive Force Pedal, a video game kind of accessory that modifies pedal feedback to help the driver use the proper amount of engine power for the conditions. In the snow, for instance, it will provide more resistance to mildly dissuade your right foot from asking the tires to do too much.

The other is the electronic gear selector – also Acura's 1st – that replaces the conventional shifter in the front-wheel-drive car. Going further than simply pressing a button or turning a knob, the various gears get their own methods of engagement: Park and Neutral are square plastic pushbuttons, Reverse is actuated by dipping a finger into a hollow and pulling a switch backwards, Drive comes by pressing a shiny, round button that is illuminated by a ring of green light when engaged. Reverse is the only unusual technique, and the whole thing would take you less time to figure it out than it did to read this paragraph.

But there's a new servant that answers those gearshift commands, and that's where we get to the part where the RLX Sport Hybrid says, "All right, boys – showtime!"

The mollifying bodywork hides a reversed rendition of the powertrain we'll get in the coming NSX: a 3.5-liter V6 up front shifts through a 7-speed dual-clutch transmission, aided by an electric motor for driving the front wheels and 2 electric motors in back propelling the rear wheels.

The 7-speed dual-clutch transmission is packaged with a 35-kilowatt (47-hp) motor that boosts power to the front wheels, as well as gathers regenerative energy from the front wheels and the engine to juice up the 72-cell, 1.3-kW lithium-ion battery pack in the trunk.

The Twin Motor Unit in back is 2 27-kW (36-hp) electric motors separated by a clutch, each motor driving 1 of the rear wheels and able to operate separately. They can send positive (accelerating) and negative (decelerating) torque to either wheel and boast a torque differential wider than that of the mechanical SH-AWD setup, increasing the sedan's handling abilities and gathering energy for the battery pack. All 3 motors are ruled by the Power Drive Unit 'brain' under the center console, and the 2 in back operate independently of the 3.5-liter V6.

Trunk space is somewhat compromised compared to the standard RLX, with the Intelligent Power Unit located behind the rear seats dropping cargo space from 15.3 cubic feet to 12, but there is underfloor storage that provides another 0.4 cubic feet.

Instead of 310 horsepower and 272 pound-feet of torque in the gas-only RLX, the Sport Hybrid gets 377 total system horsepower and 377 lb-ft. The result is a much quicker car in a straight line – Acura doesn't go in for official 0-60 mile-per-hour times, so we're not sure by how much yet – and through corners, and better gas mileage thanks to assists from the electric-motor-enabled EV mode, cylinder deactivation during steady-state driving and idle stop. The standard RLX gets 21 city, 31 highway and 24 combined miles per gallon, while the RLX Sport Hybrid gets 28 city, 32 highway and 30 combined.

The RLX Sport Hybrid gets even more out of the ingenuity because of model-exclusive details like increased torsional rigidity and rear lateral stiffness compared to the standard sedan, a center of gravity that is 8 millimeters lower and a different weight distribution because of the battery pack and Twin Motor Unit: whereas its FWD sibling has a front-rear balance of 61 percent to 39 percent, the Sport Hybrid is slightly more balanced at 57-43 front-to-rear.

Heading north out of San Francisco on a meandering route to Petaluma, the RLX Sport Hybrid possesses all of the finishing-school behavior you'd expect of a luxury midsize challenger. From a stop, a revised cam profile helps the engine restart smoothly, active control mounts and a dual-mass flywheel do their jobs to maintain composure when the gasoline engine is in 3-cylinder operation, and acoustic glass mutes the din of a grubby world.

The only bit of naughty business comes from the brake pedal, which isn't nearly as progressive as we like. An electric servo setup, the traditional hydraulic brakes are electronically controlled and supplemented by negative torque applied to the front and rear wheels by the electric motors. In many cases, the electric motors will do most of the braking, with the friction units called in as backup or at low speeds for the final run to standstill. Acura says it was designed "to operate seamlessly with none of the rough engagement feel of competing systems," but that wasn't our experience.

Once out on an open stretch of challenging coastal road, however, that minor transgression was forgotten entirely as the SH-AWD system revealed what it can do. The 4 wheels can be made to do a number of rotational dances at the command of their electric-motor overlords, all depending on throttle position and placement in a corner or on the straight, and the result is a sedan that handles beautifully.

The transmission adapts to vigorous use and will hold any 1 of those 7 gears higher into the rev range when you put on your Serious Face, but you can press the Sport button to ensure a clear line of communication, sharpen the steering and throttle response and get rev-matched downshifts. Hard charging also seems to loosen up the ECU controlling those front brakes, which, by the way, use larger discs than on the standard RLX and 2-pot calipers, instead of single-pot units.

The Short Cut video reveals how involved it gets, with the display screen showing the road we were driving on the left and the various torque applications on the right. For a sedan that, from the outside, begs to be rode hard and put away wet about as loudly as, oh, any other Acura or Honda sedan (read: barely audibly), the handling might be better than any of its competition. The SH-AWD's efforts are further bolstered by flat cornering enabled by the dual-stage dampers and the friction brakes going to work during extreme turn-in maneuvers.

http://hss-prod.hss.aol.com/hss/stor...-hybrid-fd.jpg

For proof, Acura brought a Lexus GS450h and an Audi A6 3.0T Quattro Tiptronic for back-to-back testing on a stretch of Highway 1 laid out like Chutes and Ladders. The great thing about such roads is that you don't need to break the speed limit to find most cars' handling limits because tight curves are better at slowing you down than signs. Shame, then, that the Lexus ran itself out of the competition by the 3rd corner; even in Sport+ its electronics didn't appreciate our cornering speeds. The stability program repeatedly cutting engine power only made it easier for us to hear the chirping and squealing tires.

Driving the RLX Sport Hybrid and the A6 Quattro back-to-back was the eye-opener. We'll refer to Steven Ewing again, who sampled the Mercedes-Benz E350 and BMW 535i during his 1st Drive of the standard RLX with P-AWS. He wrote, "In terms of a FWD large car, the Acura is easily best of the bunch, but you just can't match the rear-drive dynamics and precise steering of the 5er. And while 1 wasn't available to test, we're willing to bet that the Audi A6 with Quattro would stomp all over the whole group."

To this driver, there no more than the width of a piece of paper between the performance of the Acura and the Audi, and our top choice could have gone either way depending on which second you asked us for our opinion. We didn't get to a point – nor a corner – where we thought either car was obviously faster, but it must be said that the Acura was slightly less fussed to drive as fast (if, indeed, we were going as fast – these weren't timed runs). Nevertheless, there was a difference, and it goes back to what Ewing wrote about the BMW he drove: "you just can't match the rear-drive dynamics and precise steering of the 5er." The Acura is every bit as good as the Audi – and might be infinitesimally better – but it was noticeably less fun. Not by much. But noticeable.

Here's the difference in our memory of the event: right now we remember how good the Acura is, whereas we remember driving the Audi. At heart, it's the same philosophical argument that hovers over the driving experiences of such supercars as the McLaren MP4-12C against the Ferrari 458 Italia and the Nissan GT-R versus the Porsche Turbo, only this time we're having it about an Acura RLX Sport Hybrid. That, by itself, is a stellar victory for Acura and the RLX Sport Hybrid.

The powertrain package also throws up a stiffarm to accusations – the kind found among those aforementioned 1,200 comments – like "1 day Honda will realize people want a V8, and not a V6," and "FWD is a compromise." As far as compromises and defining what people want, perhaps you should click over to Autoblog's BMW and Mercedes-Benz pages to read the daily news of their front-wheel-drive offerings. What convinced those 2 RWD stalwarts to make sweet love to Beelzebub in order to spawn FWD bastards? Because, after making their reputations with RWD credentials and German construction, they discovered they had done the job so well that the aspirational hordes actually buying their cars had no idea which wheels did what and didn't care as long as it had the right little circle in front.

What enthusiasts want is a car that delivers on its promises, is fun and, ideally, handles better than we have a right to expect based on its price and market position, and we don't care if an automaker harnesses the power of sunshine and dead sea creatures to do it... as long as it has a manual transmission. But that's another story. Performance-wise, the RLX Sport Hybrid is a 1st-rate drive.

The problem is that you have to dig through all of that milquetoast styling to get to it, which you can only do after forking over what will probably be Audi money. The sticker on the A6 that Acura brought to the event was $63,495. The front-wheel-drive RLX P-AWS from our Review was $57,845 and the model in our 1st Drive was $61,345. Even minus those 2 extra cylinders and perpetual-motion driveshaft, the RLX Sport Hybrid is good enough to earn the attention of anyone who appreciates proper handling, but based on its exterior styling and Honda cues, it would have to be the kind of person who doesn't mind eating a filet mignon off a paper plate. All right, so that's a tad harsh, but the point stands.

That buyer, by the way, is just the one Acura refers to in the 2012 Strategic Vision survey that showed the number 1 purchase decision for luxury buyers last year was value for the money, with manufacturer reputation coming a close 2nd. Of course, those buyers are out there – Acura has sold about 4,400 RLs and RLXs so far this year. But in spite of Strategic Vision's findings, those buyers are a minority, because the central point of luxury is largely antithetical to the idea of value for money. For proof, note that the 911 Turbo outsells the much less expensive GT-R, the E-Class outsells the less expensive 5 Series and much less expensive A6, and the A6 – which only does a 3rd of the business of the E-Class in the US – has always done multiples of RL/RLX sales.

Acura says the competitive set is "hybrid and/or all-wheel-drive versions of Audi A6, BMW 5-Series, Infiniti Q50, Lexus GS, and Mercedes-Benz E-Class." The target buyer is a married, 48-year-old man with a median household income of at least $200,000 and who works in finance, real estate or health care. Those are the same customers buying the competition, but in the RLX Sport Hybrid, Acura is pitching a wolf in sheep's clothing to people who mainly want a sheep that's been branded with the right badge... or a wolf.

We're glad Acura made the RLX Sport Hybrid, since it was good to get into 1 of the brand's cars and utter a genuine, "Yeah!" We were right, too, when we said that the 2014 RLX Sport Hybrid "is the V8 alternative we've been waiting for." But that's because it is the heavier, detuned-yet-fiercely-handling harbinger of the Acura NSX we really want.

Malibu Flyer

Thanks for posting this review. It has more about the driving experience than some of the other reviews. I particularly enjoyed the video. It is the closest thing yet to actually sitting in the driver's seat of this Acura "performance" car.

Can't wait to try a test drive in the near future.

hondamore

+1 to everything Malibu Flyer said.

neuronbob

+2

That is the best of the bunch of reviews posted, and the most articulate about the driving experience.

TSX69

2014 Acura RLX Hybrid 1st Drive

The 2014 Acura RLX Sport Hybrid offers all-weather traction and V-8-like performance, with the fuel-efficiency of a 4-cylinder.

That's 1 way to sum up this tech-loaded luxury flagship, which will begin reaching Acura dealerships next spring. But after spending a few hours driving it, we can attest that's not this model's raison d'être.

What is that? To put it as simply as possible, the Sport Hybrid has fantastic handling. And it's the technology behind why it handles so phenomenally well that separates it from any other luxury hybrid—and any other sport sedan, really.

Like an overly modest Olympic athlete, the RLX Sport Hybrid doesn't freely flaunt its talents. Ease your speed up in a series of tight switchbacks, as we did, and you simply work up to a disconcerting shriek of the tires, as the front wheels plow and this big sedan understeers slightly.

It would be quite the shame if we had simply left our introduction to the RLX Sport Hybrid right there, and written this off as a quick but hardly athletic luxury sedan. But we'd gotten a taste of what this special hybrid all-wheel-drive system could do out on the track in Japan last year, so we pushed on for that.

Instead, drive it like you stole it, as they say, and what you think was a ragged edge wasn’t that at all; using what feels like physics-defying magic at the rear wheels, the RLX reads that as a sign to send power selectively to each of the rear wheels—the outside rear wheel especially—nudging your trajectory back right where it should be.

It's rather unsettling at 1st, because you feel that nudge from the driver's seat, but not through the steering wheel. But the novelty doesn't wear off. We can see the RLX's attributes being just as useful on a weather-slicked highway, making an emergency maneuver, as we can on the mostly empty backroads where we test-drove the RLX.

Nudges you back on course, doesn't scrub off speed

No, the system won't make the RLX feel like a rear-wheel-drive sport sedan, but that's not the intent; instead, it nearly instantly banishes all the understeer, and makes it neutral. You don't slow down; tires aren't howling; stability control isn't buzzing; it merely works its magic and you barrel through, dynamically confident and still at full boil.

At those moments it feels like the system is doing more than keeping you stay on track; it's actually nudging you faster. And it's fast. We'd venture to say that, by power to weight (even though the Hybrid is about 350 pounds heavier than the standard RLX, at just over 4,000 lb.), it's 1 of the fastest sedans through the curves, at any price.

Acura's so-called Super Handling All Wheel Drive system was already 1 of the best on the market—because it can essentially steer with its rear wheels, sending more power to the outer rear wheel in a corner. Now it's effectively taken that system a step further with strong electric motors at the rear wheels; between the rear wheels, 1 can deliver forward torque while the other can counter it by smartly engaging regenerative braking at the same time.

1st, we should give you a little background on how Acura pulls all this off. Under the hood, there's a version of Acura's 3.5-liter V-6, with i-VTEC variable valve timing plus VCM (variable cylinder management). It's hooked up to a new 7-speed dual-clutch automated manual gearbox with integral electric motor. That motor system makes 35 kilowatts and 109 lb-ft and serves not only as motivation for the sedan in low-speed and lower-load conditions but a way of filling in the gaps between gears and smoothing shifts.

But that's only part of it. Mounted at the rear subframe is a so-called Twin Motor Unit that includes two 27-kW, 54-lb-ft electric motors, with a clutch in between. That allows torque from both motors to be sent to 1 of the sides in some situations, or for 1 motor to be boosting and twisting forward while the other is resisting and recovering energy through regenerative braking.

Altogether, while the V-6 makes 310 horsepower and 273 lb-ft of torque, the Sport Hybrid system makes 377 hp and 377 lb-ft.

With sophisticated electric controls that can recognize the difference between performance driving and slippery conditions, Acura allows 7 different drive modes, including moving using the rear motors only on gentle launches and lower-speed cruising, using combinations of the engine and front motor in higher-speed cruising and moderate acceleration, and using all 4 wheels during aggressive acceleration. Likewise, there's a traditional AWD mode that allows a little slip for snowy driveways.

So smooth, the way it blends power sources

While you might hear the V-6 chime in as you're accelerating, it'll be hard to distinguish exactly when it started back up. The RLX Sport Hybrid has 1 of the smoothest engine restarts we've found in any hybrid—thanks in part to a motor-controlled active engine mount system, and to a special vibration-quelling strategy that closes the intake valves momentarily on startup. There's also active noise cancellation inside, which helps keep the cabin quiet and free of unwanted boom and whine. Sound-insulating glass and a special noise-reducing wheel design pitch in as well.

A battery pack—actually, a so-called Intelligent Power Unit, with 72 lithium-ion cells for 1.3 kWh and 260 volts—is located at the far front of the trunk, just behind the rear seatback. That eliminates the possibility of folding seatbacks—or even a pass-through—but it doesn't interfere with rear-seat space, and it still leaves the trunk space of a generously sized compact sedan or smaller mid-sizer.

The RLX Sport Hybrid interior has all the comfort and space of its front-wheel-drive sibling—already a package that offers more space in back especially (best in class, they say) compared to any of the German luxury sedans close to its size. Ride quality is also great, thanks to Amplitude Reactive Dampers that allow that sharp handling response while soaking up minor imperfections.

Inside, the cabin appointments and interface are virtually the same as for its front-wheel-drive counterpart; but the RLX Sport Hybrid is also the 1st Acura model to get a new electronic gear selector, located on the left side of the center console and just beside your right knee. And the head-up display that's offered here is a step up from most, allowing a customizable display that even allows you to keep abreast of the torque vectoring, wheel by wheel.

1 other interesting piece of technology in the RLX Sport Hybrid is the so-called Reactive Force Pedal, with which the accelerator can not only allow different levels of sensitivity but also feel like it's sprung more heavily or lightly. While Sport Mode turns that (and Active Cylinder Management) off—instead allowing a traditional, more linear feel—in other situations it will push back with more force to help you get better fuel economy, or when any of the RLX's many active-safety systems sense danger.

Like an electric car, with the soundtrack of a gasoline sport sedan

Altogether, in either of the modes (there are just 2 here, regular and sport), the powertrain feels perky and responsive, however, and when you put your right foot into it the RLX gathers velocity with the steadiness and near-instantaneous response of an electric car. You hear the dual-clutch gearbox knocking off shifts and changing the tone of the engine's intake note, but you don't feel the shifts—just a smooth, uninterrupted rush of power. And quick stabs of the accelerator bring out quick coordination between the electrics and the gearbox to make sure you don't miss a beat.

Over in Sport mode, the transmission always felt half a beat ahead of us, downshifting a gear or 2 the moment we lifted and dabbed the brakes—and making us feel like we'd use the steering-wheel paddle-shifters a lot less here than in most other sport sedans.

While we were left wanting for steering feel—it centers nicely, but there's really none here, and the ratio feels too long—the RLX Sport Hybrid has 1 of the most confidence-inspiring brake-pedal behaviors we've ever experienced in a hybrid model. It's not quite up to non-hybrid standards, but quite easy to precisely stop exactly where you want.

The down side of this system is that it doesn't reward finesse. You need to push the car dynamically to really feel the benefits of the system, as it's effective but completely unobtrusive otherwise. If we have 1 complaint about the system, it’s the obvious: It makes it so easy to push the limits and drive irresponsibly that it removes some of the learning. And some of the fun.

The up side, of course, is that it recasts the hybrid system as a true asset to performance driving—not a hindrance to it.

The other big benefit, of course, is fuel efficiency. Acura emphasizes that performance is the priority with the RLX Hybrid; yet if you drive it very gently, you could do surprisingly well on a gallon of gas. EPA ratings stand at 28 mpg city, 32 highway (30 Combined). Our observed 22 mpg over 2 different driving loops—mostly enthusiastic driving on back roads—didn't show anything close to that, but we're eager to see what the RLX Sport Hybrid will do in everyday driving.

Acura sees the RLX Sport Hybrid's competition including the Lexus GS450h, the BMW ActiveHybrid 5, and the Mercedes-Benz E400 Hybrid—as well as the Audi A6 3.0T. We had access to an A6 3.0T and a GS450h on the drive, and found that while the A6 was more 'intuitive' in the corners at 1st go, the RLX was unquestionably quicker—and frustrating power-delivery delays sapped any fun from the GS Hybrid, compared to the others.

Underwhelming in some ways—but performance isn't one of them

Based on our drive, the RLX Sport Hybrid underwhelms at 1st, but then overdelivers in a spirited drive. It's a car that will confound you in its presentation (its conservative interior and frustrating infotainment interface are still low points) yet wow you when it's pushed to perform—and quite possibly prove you wrong.

The powertrain of the Sport Hybrid, by the way, provides a special preview of what's going to be installed in the upcoming Acura NSX—only with the gasoline engine powering the rear wheels there, the motor system in front, and a lot more power per pound, of course.

If your reaction after a fast, enthusiastic drive in 1 is anything like ours, you'll probably find that it takes your preconceptions of what a hybrid should be, and of what a sport sedan should be, and shakes them up.

That's a very positive trajectory for Acura, and a great sign for the NSX.

Shotgun

Motor Authority and AutoBlog's preliminary reviews appear to be balanced, unbiased and credible! A refreshing difference and one where "objectivity", for the most part, clearly ruled the day...

iforyou

iTrader: (1)

The overall conclusion seems to be that the RLX AWD is objectively an excellent car with great performance, excellent fuel efficiency, strong feature set, nice interior, and good ride comfort. On top of that, it seems to be one of the best handling mid-size luxury sedan on the market and it's a blast to drive. All the car is missing is a really nice exterior design. It would be nice if there's a "gran coupe" version of the RLX (i.e. 6 series gran coupe, A7, CLS, etc).

hondamore

As many forum members predicted, the RLX SHAWD certainly appears to be an amazing feat of engineering but it will still struggle for large volume sales due to it's conservative styling and lack of snob appeal. That said, the lucky few loyal Acura buyers or true enthusiasts who purchase one will absolutely love it and think that they died and went to heaven every time they push the start button.

TSX69

Acura RLX Hybrid Tech-Tastic

Acura receives plenty of criticism for being a premium brand without a production V-8 engine.

But finally the marque has an offering for its detractors in the form of the new 3-motor RLX Sport Hybrid, on sale spring 2014 in the U.S.

The sedan, based on the new-for-’13 RLX, brings not a V-8 but rather V-8-like power to the brand.

The RLX hybrid’s 377 hp and 377 lb.-ft. (511 Nm) of torque bests other V-6 hybrids’ output, such as Lexus’ 338-hp GS 450h and Infiniti’s 360-hp M Hybrid, and gives the car a sporty personality the standard RLX lacks.

Buyers should not be scared by the word “hybrid.” WardsAuto’s test of the model here in early December proved it is the least-hybrid hybrid we have ever driven.

There’s no noticeable shock from the engine restarting out of stop/start mode, no grabby brake feel and scant electric-motor whine, except at very slow creeping speeds.

The RLX Sport Hybrid has the RLX’s 310-hp 3.5L direct-injected V-6 and, as with most hybrids, an electric motor up front. The 35-kW (47-hp) unit, integrated into the 7-speed dual-clutch transmission, also acts as a generator and makes 109 lb.-ft. (148 Nm) of torque from 500-2,000 rpm.

What is groundbreaking are the car’s twin rear motors, each generating 27 kW (35 hp) at 4,000 rpm and 54 lb.-ft. (73 Nm) of instantaneous torque.

The rear motors, laid out left-right between the wheels, take the place of the rear differential for Acura’s Super-Handling All-Wheel-Drive system and drive the car at launch and during low-speed cruising, as well as provide regenerative braking during deceleration. It’s a similar idea to Bosch’s motor-driven rear axle seen in the Peugeot 3008 diesel hybrid in Europe.

The rear motors can send positive torque to the outer rear wheel and negative torque to the inner rear wheel during cornering, with more torque transmitted as needed in tight maneuvers.

All the power pathways are illustrated in a nifty torque-vectoring display available on an Acura-first head-up system or the center stack’s top screen.

In back-to-back tests against the GS 450h and an Audi A6 3.0T, the RLX hybrid is the most stable cornering above 50 mph (80 km/h) and the electric AWD quells, although not necessarily eliminates, the understeer prevalent in the front-wheel-drive non-hybrid RLX. The A6 has the worst handling of the bunch in our tests, rocking and rolling through the switchbacks like Santa’s overstuffed sleigh.

RLX Sport Hybrid Chief Engineer Hitoshi Aoki says the car can travel on electric power alone (all 3 motors feeding the car’s 1.3-kWh lithium-ion battery pack) up to 50 mph for 2 miles (3 km), presuming a fully-charged battery.

We confirm this, but 1 must keep close watch on the torque-vectoring display to notice time spent in EV mode. Transitions between engine and battery power are imperceptible, and the car lacks a typical “EV” indicator light on the gauge cluster.

Most drive time here is spent in Normal mode (there’s no Econ mode, as Aoki says Normal is fuel-efficient enough). But in the afternoon, we switch to Sport mode and the car comes alive.

Tip-in is much more eager and acceleration faster, though fuel economy suffers.

A low-speed leg, along the Pacific Coast Highway to the nearby coastal town of Marshall nets a 32-mpg (7.4-L/100 km) average, besting the RLX hybrid’s 30-mpg (7.8 L/100 km) EPA-estimated combined rating. The Sport-mode route returns 25.5 mpg (9.2 L/100 km). That’s not great, but it’s still better than the EPA-estimated averages seen in non-hybrid V-6 sedans, including the gasoline-engine-only RLX’s 24 mpg (9.8 L/100 km).

Another bit of standout technology on the RLX Hybrid is the car’s 7-speed transmission.

Honda’s 1st DCT sets the standard for the gearbox. If it wasn’t for tachometer needle movement you’d never know shifts were occurring.

The RLX Hybrid’s interior is a mixed bag.

The space is roomy and comfortable. Front seats are nicely contoured, not wide and flat as those in the A6 and GS 450h. Rear legroom is ample, even in the middle seating position, although outboard headroom is tight.

The sedan has Acura-typical great fit-and-finish and some nice attention to detail, including sharp metal-look speaker grates on doors.

But it falls short of other V-6 hybrid competitors and some V-8 models due to cheaper materials.

Grab bars are hard plastic, not wrapped with leather or a similar soft material; wood trim is fake, not the real deal, and door padding is on the thin side.

But perhaps the biggest flaw of the RLX Hybrid is it shares a center-stack layout with Honda, the overwrought dual-screen system.

The latter dinged the Accord in this year’s Consumer Reports annual reliability survey and for good reason: You’re never quite sure which information you should be seeing on which screen, or how the info on the screens is getting there.

And the menu structure is needlessly complex. It should not take 2 screen touches to turn off the air conditioning.

For Acura to be considered a true luxury brand it needs to craft a unique, simplified center stack, and not employ 1 from its lower-priced sister brand.

The flaws are glaring, especially with Acura hinting it will price the RLX Hybrid at $60,000-$65,000.

The 48-year-old male, married, healthcare/financial services/real-estate professional target-buyer has a lot of choices at that price point, including BMW’s AWD, high-mileage 535d sedan and Mercedes’ E550 4Matic, as well as the less expensive Mercedes E250 diesel and E400 hybrid models.

The RLX Sport Hybrid technology is worth $60,000-$65,000, but the Acura badge can’t command the same premium as BMW or Mercedes. We’ve seen the brand unsuccessfully try to compete dollar-for-dollar with the Germans before, most recently with the slow-selling ILX compact sedan.

If Acura can get the RLX hybrid’s price down a bit, improve the interior and market it well, it has a shot at getting the credit it deserves for this technological marvel.

cschweinsberg@wardsauto.com

'14 Acura RLX Sport Hybrid
Vehicle type 5-passenger, AWD compact car
Engine 3.5L direct-injected V-6, all-aluminum head/block
Power (SAE net) 310 hp @ 6,500 rpm (Total system: 377 hp)
Torque 273 lb.-ft. (205 Nm) @ 4,700 rpm (Total system: 377 lb.-ft. [511 Nm])
Bore x stroke (mm) 89.0 X 93.0
Compression ratio 11.5:1
Transmission 7-speed dual clutch
Wheelbase 112.2 ins. (2,850 mm)
Overall length 196.1 ins. (4,982 mm)
Overall width 74.4 ins. (1,890 mm)
Overall height 57.7 ins. (1,466 mm)
Curb weight 4,312 lbs. (1,956 kg) with Technology package (4,354 lbs. [1,975 kg] with Advance package)
Price TBD
Fuel economy 28/32 mpg city/hwy est. (8.4-7.4 L/100 km)
Competition Infiniti M Hybrid, Lexus GS 450h, Audi A6 3.0T, Mercedes-Benz E550, BMW 535

PHP Code:

Pros     Cons
Good fuel economy for 377-hp car     Pricier than some comps
Roomy, comfortable interior     Honda look-alike center stack
Unique 3-motor design     Lots of tech-y choices in segment 


George Knighton

It's always going to be a problem for designers that Honda has an internal set of safety standards the efficacy of which nobody really understands.

It's one of the reasons why you don't see pillar less coupes, and it's also the main reason why Honda's smallest cars had to get away from the kinds of front suspensions that people used to love in old Civics, Integras, and other cars.

The extra metal and space that is available after the switch to McPherson can be devoted to a differently designed front crush zone.

That odd internal safety mentality also had to do with why the 4G TL arrived with such a high nose. They were a couple of years ahead of a safety standard that most other companies took their time with.

George Knighton

I have to say, though, that after you've seen more than one BMW Coupe upside down at Turn 3 with the roof smashed down to the door tops, you prefer and appreciate Honda safety standards.

:-)

George Knighton

Something that might disturb an older driver in an RLX PAWS car is the very slight but perceivable hesitation of the car as it decides in a carousel that you really mean to be turning, and that the car is not in the middle of an emergency and has to help you straighten out.

It's only ⅛ second or so...but it is perceivable to humans and it is ultimately limiting in a carousel situation.

But having said that, I have also tested an A6, just a couple of weeks ago, and for whatever one dumb old man's opinion is worth the A6 is worse than the RLX PAWS car, never mind the RLX AWD car!

:-)

George Knighton

Journalistic objectivity is a problem when it comes to modern automotive reviews.

I suppose it has always been a problem, and I remember having many, many discussions with automotive "personalities" that almost ended in an argument.

Some years ago there was an event at a local road course which somehow caused Brock Yates to be paddocked next to me.

We got into such an awful discussion about the merits of the Integra Type R and how it could be made to handle correctly, that I finally gave up and made him drive my car.

He had to admit that it "wasn't as bad" understeering as he expected, and he had to admit that it was a pleasantly driving automobile.

But he left that three-day weekend continuing to speak in public about how dreadful FWD as a platform was always going to be for sporting vehicles.



What can you do.

Now that we are in the YouTube era of automotive journalism, it's much, much worse and there are a lot of idiots out there supplementing their incomes by borrowing cars and talking about them.

I don't want to name names, but there are some really rather silly people talking about cars, people who basically do not know what they are talking about.