Simple is classy and understated can often be elegant. BWM is this way, Audi is to a degree. Not saying Acura produced the most premium looking gauge faces of the bunch but it's not really worth bitching about, either.

 

The IS gauge is brilliant in that all info is accessible with a flick of the eyes. The tach, speedo, everything. Short of HUD it is the best drivers focused display I've found.

 

But they're not the same company, Huandai owns 34% of Kia. While they share content they are two sister companies but not the same company. Similar to when Ford owned 33% of Mazda, and they also shared platforms (MX-6 and Probe). Common misconception.

http://globalpr.hyundai.com/prCenter/about/about.do

• Quote:

  Hyundai and Kia: What’s the difference?
  Kia Motors is the sister company of Hyundai Motor Co. Hyundai owns a controlling 34 percent stake in Kia. Together, the two brands form the core of the automotive operations of the Hyundai Motor Group, which also includes auto parts companies, such as Hyundai Mobis, and logistics companies, such as Glovis; as well as Hyundai Steel and Hyundai Engineering & Construction. Hyundai and Kia vehicles share platforms, powertrains and R&D facilities, to lower costs. Also, a small amount of cross-production occurs between Hyundai and Kia factories. However, Hyundai and Kia are completely separate in terms of management, sales, marketing, advertising, target customers, media relations and design. The Hyundai and Kia design studios are securely separated from each other.
  

 

Maybe because it looks like an 8-track tape could go into the stereo! (Which would be cool for playing Foghat's "Slow Ride" over and over on a road trip to Vegas.) I get what you're saying, actually. Something about it reminds me of my family's old silver Sony Trinitron TV, old school audio gear, and the angular lines of modern houses of the era. It has the vibe. Good call!

I drove a TLX I4 Tech yesterday, and had no issue with the gauges. I do like the floating needles in my TSX, but can't say I missed them.

 

The plain gauges, while no big deal, is consistent with the new traumatized Acura, after striking out sales-wise with their previous sedans. While it's debatable how many would actually base their buying decision on gauges, they've gone the extra mile to make sure that no one can possibly be offended by the styling of the TLX, inside and out.

Hey, people don't have to love the looks, buy they definitely don't want to lose sales because people hate the looks.

 

Interesting that you say you liked the 3G, but think the 5G is a step backwards. The one reason I love the new gauge design (which is the same as in the RLX) is because it is MUCH closer to the 3G gauge design. I never liked the 4G gauge design (and the ones in the TSX) because it felt candy and too cluttered. Or as someone else put it previously...."too arcade"

 

Once again: someone who understands simple business economics. You have to be profitable and generate revenue before you can take risks and explore/invest/expand, unless you have major VC funding or investors that are willing to pump more money in regardless of revenue/profit.

It's like some of the comments around here are the same as complaining to someone...."hey, why the hell didn't you buy a killer and exciting looking house, even though you don't make enough money to afford one?"

 

Look inside an ILX and RDX and yep, same gauges again. They took the sausage-of-different-sizes approach a bit too far. Whatever the reason (cost cutting, laziness, German envy), it's clearly a downgrade from their previous approach of unique dashes for each model. Ask someone not familiar with TL's which gauges came from the latest, previous, and oldest models and I bet the TLX's will always be in the middle or dead last.

3G:



3G MMC:



4G:



TLX:

 

I wish most manufacturers, Acura included, would stop making 160 mph speedometers. On the Accord the top speed is electronically limited to 125 mph. Even if it's slightly higher for the TLX, there's no need for 160 mph, because the needle can't even get to 140.

 

Thing is Hyundai holds a controlling interest in KIA & the two brands form the core of the automotive operations of the "Hyundai Motor Group".

The two brands have separate marketing, distribution and styling departments, but most of the engineering and testing of new vehicles is done under one roof at Hyundai’s 8,000-employee Namyang research and development center in Hwaseong, South Korea, where there’s no distinction between Hyundai and Kia workers.

Final product decisions for both companies are made at a monthly meeting of the joint Hyundai-Kia product planning department, which is overseen by the top management of both entities.

Chung Eui Sun, the only son of Hyundai’s chairman, Chung Mong Koo, was Kia’s chief executive in 2005-8, and he was made vice chairman of Hyundai Motors in 2009. The elder Mr. Chung received a suspended three-year sentence for embezzlement in 2007, though he remains in charge of Hyundai.

Personally looking at the two brands products the separation between them & the independence of Kia is a polite fiction. Korea has some very interesting business practices more so than Japan.

BTW you can add the Mazda pickup (FORD Ranger) to the list.

 

BMW has been very deliberate and staunch about keeping their speedos as is. They have been very similar since the 70s. The cars are more oriented towards performance and their philosophy is all about keeping it clear, easy to read, amber backlighting, etc. Their tech is always subdued. There is nothing showy about it and it is designed that way on purpose. 10yrs from now, all bets are; they'll stay the same.

But Acura comes from a different direction. An Acura buyer is expecting something different. It is a more tech forward brand that is not shy to show off it's wizardry. Now I'm not saying they have to go off the zany end like Cadillac or the MB S-class and replace everything with screens everywhere. Keep it analog, (for costs) but they could at least of had something to match the rest of the interior. Everything else looks upscale and elegant in the cabin and this is a cheap point. It's an area you look at EVERY time you drive the car. So yes they could have made something that matches the richness of the interior and elegant, but also tech forward. It's not something that would cost them SO much more so it's not about cost cutting. (we're not talking LCD screens here.) It's obvious they just didn't want to put the effort in to really want to design something unique like they used to. They realize that the majority of people don't notice or care. (they have hedged a lot of bets on that premise, lol) These gauges look like they are out of a Ford product 10yrs ago. As the previous pics show they really went backwards here.

 

I understand your reasoning to a certain point. Yeah, BMW keeps it clean and clear, but I don't think that is restricted to a "performance" look (see Lexus IS F-Sport). Acura's new speedos look very similar to BMW's and Audi's, but yet you say that Acura's looks like a Ford from 10 years ago and BMW is a performance look? Sorry, but that doesn't add up. I happen to love the clean, clear, elegant look of the new speedos. And I'm coming from a 3G TL, where it was pretty high tech for the time (2006).

 

I'm coming from a 2013 Accord - I thought the dash was very nice. I liked the giant speedo with the floating needle. Compared to that I thought the TLX's dash looked more conservative but not any cheaper.

In fact - looking at the TLX picture posted above I think it's a nice clean look. They clearly want to stay away from any "boy racer" type stuff - that doesn't cheapen the appearance IMO.

 

i also agree that it doesnt look cheaper.

it's just not as cool as before.

 

However they are still separate business companies similar to many automotive companies. Some are easy to understand (ie Aston Martin/Jaguar/Ford), some are very complicated (ie Audi/NSU/VW/Porsche) from a business structure POV.

If Kia was losing money and not in the interest of Hyundai parent company, they'd be sold off.

 

Haha - that is, without question - the coolest dash I think I've ever seen. It's also a complete trainwreck from a usability standpoint! I mean - the dial actually moves from side to side and things popup as a result!! Super cool but a horrible user experience!!

 

That's me, and possibly many other 3G owners. We wanted a change, so blame it on us.
There is only so much that you can do with a dash. White, blue, orange, or red background. Digital readouts, floating needles, overlapping guages, floating guages, etc. They did a blind customer survey of various designs and "we" chose the current design, with the provision that if the car sells well they can introduce a variation at the MMC, but no color matching with the seats.

 

I found it cool for the first 5 minutes but hey, I am not one to knock other's likes.

 

I wouldn't call BMW's approach necessarily a "performance" look either. It is just their own internal philosophy that they don't intend on changing. I've always thought their gauges are behind the curve too for years, boring. Yes they are functional but I would want something better aesthetically.

But what makes the BMW gauges look better than TLX is that they do have a more premium look. I know it sounds like I am just saying that from brand bias because they do look similar. But I am saying it purely from aesthetics, it may be something as simple as font and arrangement of the gauges. Why I said "Ford" is the way the fuel/temp gauges are arranged. Not very sophisticated, just as it would be like in an older car. Just aesthetics and just an opinion.

Even those Accord gauges look better. That doesn't look boy racer, it's just something innovative.

 

I think when you look at the current gen Acura gauges as being part of the "whole" and not just an individual piece to be compared to other gauges, that is where the styling comes through strong and makes most sense as part of the new "design language". Otherwise, yes - it is much more conservative and less "snazzy" when compared to other gauges, like the F-sport gauge (which I have to admit is pretty bad-a$$ for us techy guys)

I personally love the new gauge/instrumentation design, at least for me, it compliments the RLX interior just fine

 

^that def. doesnt look boring!

 

That looks really nice. I see some similarities with the TLX. I hope it's very similar, because that looks awesome.

 

Man, I miss my '92 Prelude.....

 

With the exception of the overall dashboard design and layout in the RLX (e.g. leather materials, colors, air vents, etc), all of the gauge components, center gauge MID, steering wheel components and controls, dual-screen, and even the physical NAV control buttons are all 99% identical to the TLX.

So yes, it should be a very very similar experience.

 

RLX gauges and nav look exactly the same as the TLX.

 

Those RLX interior shots are beautiful! I could live with that.

 

I think the look Acura was going for was classy, elegant, understated, traditional. The shaped metal needles on the tach and speedo are quite nice. While I personally prefer the floating needles on 2nd gen TSX, these work for the TLX.

 

A dash boards function is to provide clear easy to read required driving information. It should not be morphed into a video game designed to entertain you.

The Lexus panel shown earlier is a poster child for what is wrong with having high tech on the outside & not behind the scenes. IMHO the TLX has moved in the right direction.

 

How do you get the split screen on the nav screen?

Thanks!

 

 

Settings, Navi Settings, Guidance, Guidance mode, and Next Maneuver.

 

^ what he said.

Also note that the NAV screen changes from single to split screen mode automatically when it detects you are approaching your "next manuever". At the same time, the center gauge MID display will change to show similar guidance info, allowing you to keep your eyes better on the road.

Once you've completed that next move in the current route, the NAV screen switches back to single view with the MID switching back to what you had it set to (eg MPG, tire pressure, compass, oil life, etc)

 

You'll be happy if you like that. It basically looks like the TLX's twin.

 

Despite my nitpicking of the TLX gauges, I'll concede that they look better in person than in pics, as they have minute details and 3D effects that can't be captured on film.

And it looks like the floating chrome ring design began with the pre-Lehman V10 NSX (when they were aiming for Tier 1 status), so the "cost cutting" argument probably isn't true. From some spy pics back then...

 

 

Yep Holografique is right, on the whole it does look nice for sure. But it's mostly because the rest of the interior looks nice, as I said. I just think they could have made it a little bit better that's all. Not a deal breaker or some big deal.

 

^ I'd agree with that. I actually like the F-sport gauge, While it may seem impractical to some, I could see myself getting used to that. But I'm a die-hard techy so...

What I'm hoping for is that from here Acura slowly evolves the interior design overtime, with smaller and more "perfected" improvements, instead of these radical swings they do every 2-3 years, which IMO I believe is one of the biggest things that keeps hurting them as a brand. It's extremely difficult to build solid brand recognition with that amount of constant change in your language and messaging.

 

I like the Acura gauges a lot, but I really enjoy the TSX floating needles. That being said, all of Acura's gauges are better than this one from a competitor.



The ATS gauges are

 

You guys do realize-we'll never get a consensus on this......

 

If I had to guess, the 2-3 year thing is meant to improve price and usability. In theory, you can test gauges longer if you have a couple of years to design them.

At the same time, I see your point that the gauges probably could stand incremental upgrades year to year.