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The cars part of Honda's premium brand business continues to be a drag on the success of Acura. Without SUVs in North America and China, the upscale division would be in serious trouble. Clearly, more such models are needed.
Sedans Acura has only three sedans, and the US remains the main market for all of them. The only other major region where the brand exists is China, Honda having decided not to enter Europe or Japan. Acura is also missing from many other places where premium brands with suitable models can do well. That includes Russia, Brazil, Australia, India and South Korea.
The ILX is not having a good 2016, its sales in the US having fallen by 12% over the first three quarters to 11,747 units. In September, things turned even worse, deliveries plunging by 43% to 916 cars.
The 2TA series ILX is close to the end of its life, having been introduced in 2012. While this was Acura's first hybrid vehicle, there are now instead 2 other powertrains. The 4-cylinder engines are a 2.0-litre and a 2.4-litre, the 1.5-litre+electric motor hybrid having been discontinued at the end of American Honda's 2014 model year. That was due to poor sales.
American Honda builds this Civic-based sedan in the US, the Marysville plant also being from where China's ILX is sourced. Next year's replacement should again be manufactured in Ohio but the platform will change from that of the 9th generation Civic to the latest 1. Production is expected to commence in May for the 2018 model year. Cars should begin being shipped to China from mid-year.
Above the ILX sits the Accord-based TLX. Codenamed 2GV, this sedan replaced the TSX in September 2014. It will have a facelift for the 2018 model year, with a successor scheduled for release in calendar 2020. That car will use the same architecture as the next Accord and should be made at Marysville, which is where the TLX is manufactured.
The TLX is American Honda's best selling Acura sedan but sales are down by 18% for the 1st 3 quarters to 28,540 units. September was an especially bad month, deliveries plunging by 38% to 2,908 vehicles.
Acura's most expensive 4-door car, the RLX, is the twin of Japan's Honda Legend. Neither could be called a success. September US market sales numbered only 102, down 41% and YtD things also look bad, with the total being 1,053 deliveries, of which 158 were the Hybrid. A facelift is scheduled for the 2018 model year and if there is to be a replacement, this will appear in 2020.
In 2019, Acura should gain a sedan that's larger than the RLX. Tentatively known as the WLX, it would be sized and priced to compete with the Volvo S90, Cadillac CT6 and Lincoln Continental. The Precision Concept which premiered at January 2016's Detroit auto show is believed to be the inspiration for a potential production car's styling. There is growing speculation that the WLX may effectively replace rather than supplement the RLX.
In the US, the brand's sedans had combined sales of 41,427 units during the first three quarters, a YoY drop of 17%. The number for September was a troubling 3,964, a drop of 39%. CAAM does not report Chinese market sales of imported cars so there are no available data for Acura in that market.
SUVs The CDX, a Civic-based crossover and intended to be rival for the Audi Q3, Infiniti QX30 and BMW X1, is the 1st Acura to be built in China. It entered production on 29 July, following its world premiere 3 months previously at the Beijing motor show. The car is powered by a turbocharged 1.5-litre petrol engine in combination with an 8-speed automatic gearbox.
GHAC (Guangqi Honda Automobile Co., Ltd.) is Honda's partner for manufacturing of Acura vehicles. Guangqi is Chinese shorthand for Guangzhou Automobile. American Honda could really do with this model but for the moment, it is restricted to the People's Republic. GHAC says it would like to sell around 10,000 CDXs during the final 5 months of 2016. There were no CDX registrations in the CAAM numbers for August and at the time of writing, data for September had yet to be released.
At the moment, there appear to be no firm plans to add a smaller SUV to the Acura line-up though this may of course change. If the link to Honda was stronger, a theoretical BDX could take advantage of the enormous success currently being enjoyed by GHAC's Vezel (HR-V) and the closely related Dongfeng Honda XR-V. As Acura is tied to Guangzhou Auto, any potential build would take place as part of that JV. Honda will most likely wait and see how the CDX performs before making any commitment to adding a small Acura SUV.
The Audi Q5-sized RDX is one of the brand's 2 best sellers in the US (38,722 YtD), this model sitting below the pricier MDX. Like its larger brother, the RDX is powered by a 3.5-litre V6 though it has less power (279hp versus 290). The current RDX was introduced for the 2013 model year and is manufactured at East Liberty.
A facelifted 2016 model year RDX premiered at the Chicago auto show in February 2015 and there should be no further changes for the Civic-based 2AS series model until its replacement arrives in 2018.
The 2DU RDX will be based on the same platform as the latest Civic and the next Accord and again built in Ohio. GHAC might well add production of the next model alongside the CDX at ZengCheng #2 in Guangzhou. Could there be a hybrid or plug-in hybrid? Almost certainly. The same applies to the likelihood of a 4-cylinder engine being added but a diesel can be ruled out.
The MDX is Acura's best seller, with this SUV racking up just under 5,000 US market deliveries in September and 39,578 during the 1st 3 quarters of CY2016. The third generation model entered production at American Honda's Lincoln, Alabama plant in May 2013, the former MDX having been built at Alliston 2 in Ontario. American Honda sees the MDX as a rival for the Lexus RX and BMW X5.
American Honda announced the production switch in November 2011, stating at the same time that it would spend US$84m to expand the facility's engine and vehicle production capacity to 340,000 units annually. The plant also gained a 3rd stamping line.
Due to growing demand, Honda announced in February 2015 that it would begin dual sourcing the MDX from 2017 when East Liberty will add production. Honda is spending US$85 million on the Ohio plant for the addition of new welding equipment, the extension of vehicle conveyors and other changes required to support production of this large SUV.
The MDX has a facelift for the 2017 model year and should have no further changes. The 4th generation model is likely to be made at the same 2 plants, entering production in late 2019. Build in China seems unlikely. There will probably be a PHEV variant as well as a 4-cylinder petrol engine joining an updated V6.
Might Honda add another Acura SUV above the MDX? Something to take on the likes of the Lexus LX, Cadillac Escalade, Lincoln Navigator and Infiniti QX80? No, an XL-sized body on frame 4x4 would be anathema to the company. An additional model just above the MDX is a stronger possibility. For this to happen, the next MDX would become a 5-seater only and the 'NDX' would have seven seats. Is there enough potential volume in this segment for the Acura brand? Possibly not, is the brutal answer in 2016 terms, but should the brand be more successful in the US and China by 2020, a rival for the Mercedes GLS, future BMW X7 and Jeep Grand Commander could work.
NSX As noted in the previous feature concerning current and future Honda models, the NSX is not yet on sale in much of the world. Exports from the Ohio manufacturing base to Japan, for example, will not commence until January. Next for this supercar should be a convertible bodystyle, likely to added by 2020, and the replacement model will probably appear in 2023. Should Acura exist in Japan and Europe by then, the successor would for the 1st time be sold worldwide under one brand.
As for other sports cars, rumours of such models being under development appear from time to time, but there are not believed to be any current plans to add something in the Boxster/Cayman segment, as some claim.
Summary Acura is at a crossroads. Sales in the US have levelled off and without the RDX and MDX SUVs, things would be dire for many dealers. The brand delivered only 119,727 vehicles during the year to 30 September, which was a 9.3% fall in a rising market.
As for China, it's probably too early to tell what the future holds. 3 or more models need to be in local production by the early 2020s and a clear brand image defined well before then.
Honda management must decide what it wants its premium brand to be: join Infiniti and Lexus by moving into ever more segments while trying to gently lift prices, or else try to emulate Porsche by evolving into an SUV specialist which also makes a relatively small number of expensive sports cars and supercars.
Im not busting balls... I'm hoping Honda follows its trend of building cars that no one wants to buy, such as the ZDX, CR-Z, Element, RLX, TSX wagon....
A jacked up super car seems like their next logical step!
I'm late to the party, but the acronym soup thread is hilarious. Just thinking about those models nobody wants... in hindsight:
ZDX:
was ahead of its time. I think BMW is receiving more acceptance with that shape now.
CR-Z:
CRaZy ... it seems more like an experiment with the hybrid drive-train.
Element:
was genuinely unique. Owners really miss it, but there just weren't enough of them.
RLX:
Not unique at all. There are better sedans from other makes.
TSX Wagon:
I have one! It already existed in Europe as the Honda Tourer, so it wasn't a costly effort to bring to Acura. Wagons also get good press.
haha yes...I actually want a ZDX now....and the SUV coupe thing is getting popular...unfortunately Acura doesn't have the brand power (for various reasons) to attract buyers.
The CR-Z is nice but too niche. A 2-seaters with so little power is always going to be difficult. I'd imagine if the CR-Z came with a K20A with hybrid, it could've been a fairly interesting car. It probably still wouldn't sell well, but at least it conveys the message of sport hybrid better.
I thought the Element did okay from 2003-2006, with US sales figures over 50k-70k per year. Can't compare to the CRV, but it still adds a significant chunk of volume for a car based on the CR-V. It's unfortunate that when the 3rd gen CR-V came out, the Element didn't get updated, and so the sales declined rapidly.
I am pretty sure people here were screaming for a TSX wagon back in the days.....
RLX:
Not unique at all. There are better sedans from other makes.
At that price point, essentially 70K, the buyer has many alternatives to choose from (A6, GS, 5-series, Q50, etc.) and they likely income to purchase one tier higher as well (ie, choosing from 7-series/S-class/etc.). The car has no exceptional stand out points in any one field (design, power, luxury, brand prestige, etc.)
But it is unique in that the Sport Hybrid SH-AWD version of the RLX is essentially a NSX drivetrain backwards, with 3 electric motors assisting power and steering: 1 assisting the motor upfront and two in the back assisting each rear wheel. Total power is still not exceptional at sub 400hp for a 70k car and ppl are not aware of this. Though mpg/driving experience seems quite nice as noted by our own RLX Sport Hybrid SH-AWD forum section. The non-sport hybrid RLX indeed does not seem unique at all.
At that price point, essentially 70K, the buyer has many alternatives to choose from (A6, GS, 5-series, Q50, etc.) and they likely income to purchase one tier higher as well (ie, choosing from 7-series/S-class/etc.). The car has no exceptional stand out points in any one field (design, power, luxury, brand prestige, etc.)
But it is unique in that the Sport Hybrid SH-AWD version of the RLX is essentially a NSX drivetrain backwards, with 3 electric motors assisting power and steering: 1 assisting the motor upfront and two in the back assisting each rear wheel. Total power is still not exceptional at sub 400hp for a 70k car and ppl are not aware of this. Though mpg/driving experience seems quite nice as noted by our own RLX Sport Hybrid SH-AWD forum section. The non-sport hybrid RLX indeed does not seem unique at all.
Fair points... I had forgotten about the Sport Hybrid SH-AWD. It's just that the RLX is so non-descript it fails to make an impression. It must also be very quiet, so it should be named SH-SH-AWD.
And if you drive the RLX in reverse, does it become an NSX? Now *that* would make an impression.
Fair points... I had forgotten about the Sport Hybrid SH-AWD. It's just that the RLX is so non-descript it fails to make an impression. It must also be very quiet, so it should be named SH-SH-AWD.
And if you drive the RLX in reverse, does it become an NSX? Now *that* would make an impression.
lol yeah. It's a very understated car in all sense of the word now that you brought that point up. And it may reflect Honda/Acura's conservative car making....very conservative/understated exterior (no crazy front or back ends), no massive motor, no outrageous features/luxury in the interior, etc. etc. It's kind of like the jack of all trades and it probably does alot of different things very well but...doesn't really truly stand out as incredible/great in any one area that can be said when put up against other similar cars. Both Toyota and Nissan have luxury models with some quite changes in styling and drivetrain (Q50 Red Sport, GS-F, etc.)
haha yes...I actually want a ZDX now....and the SUV coupe thing is getting popular...unfortunately Acura doesn't have the brand power (for various reasons) to attract buyers.
The CR-Z is nice but too niche. A 2-seaters with so little power is always going to be difficult. I'd imagine if the CR-Z came with a K20A with hybrid, it could've been a fairly interesting car. It probably still wouldn't sell well, but at least it conveys the message of sport hybrid better.
I thought the Element did okay from 2003-2006, with US sales figures over 50k-70k per year. Can't compare to the CRV, but it still adds a significant chunk of volume for a car based on the CR-V. It's unfortunate that when the 3rd gen CR-V came out, the Element didn't get updated, and so the sales declined rapidly.
I am pretty sure people here were screaming for a TSX wagon back in the days.....
Personally not a fan of the SUV-coupe, so the ZDX, BMW X4/6 & MBZ Gxx Coupes do nothing for me. I do like the Mazda CX4 though, but it's not US available.
Liked the CRZ aesthetically, but have never driven one, have just always heard it's not as great of a drive as it looks. Maybe Ken with his SC CRZ can chime in?
Didn't mind the Element, the SC wasn't bad with the 'upgraded' interior.
Liked the TSX wagon, but not manual trans available
Personally not a fan of the SUV-coupe, so the ZDX, BMW X4/6 & MBZ Gxx Coupes do nothing for me. I do like the Mazda CX4 though, but it's not US available.
Liked the CRZ aesthetically, but have never driven one, have just always heard it's not as great of a drive as it looks. Maybe Ken with his SC CRZ can chime in?
Didn't mind the Element, the SC wasn't bad with the 'upgraded' interior.
Liked the TSX wagon, but not manual trans available
I had to google the Mazda CX-4, and yes, it's not bad looking! And I agree, even though the BMW X4/6 are enjoying modest success, I don't care for them either.
I find the CR-Z good looking, and as a hybrid with a manual, an interesting car. But the more practical Mazda3 approaches its mpg, and surpasses its fun and sportiness.
The wagon with a manual would definitely manage power delivery better, and balance the fun and practicality equation perfectly. I make do with paddles... but not the same.
At that price point, essentially 70K, the buyer has many alternatives to choose from (A6, GS, 5-series, Q50, etc.) and they likely income to purchase one tier higher as well (ie, choosing from 7-series/S-class/etc.). The car has no exceptional stand out points in any one field (design, power, luxury, brand prestige, etc.)
But it is unique in that the Sport Hybrid SH-AWD version of the RLX is essentially a NSX drivetrain backwards, with 3 electric motors assisting power and steering: 1 assisting the motor upfront and two in the back assisting each rear wheel. Total power is still not exceptional at sub 400hp for a 70k car and ppl are not aware of this. Though mpg/driving experience seems quite nice as noted by our own RLX Sport Hybrid SH-AWD forum section. The non-sport hybrid RLX indeed does not seem unique at all.
Yea, I'd like to have a RLX eSH-AWD. Would be even better if that drivetrain is offered in the TLX at a lower price point (plus lower weight too).
I'd also like a goose that lays solid gold eggs. Somethings will just never happen.
I don't know man, apparently it's going to happen for the MMC..just like the MDX. We will see...may be it will be like the MDX with the 3L instead though.
I don't doubt the TLX will get the upgrade. If not for the MMC, for the next gen, I'm sure. But it surely won't be lighter. I'd be highly surprised if it was cheaper.
Just start offering the damn NSX Twin Turbo V6s (detuned obviously) in the complete lineup of shawd vehicles already. Then and only then will they become more sporty like their advertising image wants them to look like and then it may make the decision more likely for me (and many others) to give them a chance and come back.
I don't doubt the TLX will get the upgrade. If not for the MMC, for the next gen, I'm sure. But it surely won't be lighter. I'd be highly surprised if it was cheaper.
thats where my previous comment stemmed from.
Oh I was referencing the RLX in terms of weight (also cost).
The RLX FWD Tech is at $54.5k with a curb weight of 3969lb.
The RLX AWD Tech is at $60k with a curb weight of 4312lb.
So, there's a price difference of $5.5k and weight diff of 343lb.
The TLX V6 FWD Tech is at $39.5k with a curb weight of 3596lb.
Theoretically, a TLX V6 eSH-AWD Tech would be $45k with a curb weight of 3939lb.
That would be cheaper and lighter than a RLX AWD Tech.
Originally Posted by fsttyms1
Just start offering the damn NSX Twin Turbo V6s (detuned obviously) in the complete lineup of shawd vehicles already. Then and only then will they become more sporty like their advertising image wants them to look like and then it may make the decision more likely for me (and many others) to give them a chance and come back.
That engine is bespoke and i wonder if it can be detuned to the point where it's cheap enough for a mass production $40k Acura.
It might be easier to design a engine based on the 1.5T or 2.0T (sort of like what BMW does with its 2.0T and 3.0T, that the are modular)?
Dude... that engine is fucking expensive. It would be cost prohibitive.
That's not to say they can't develop a "lesser" engine though, to do the same.
Let me clarify slightly, It doesnt have to be the hand built NSX engine but a similar version using similar specs/block etc......IF FORD can offer a DOHC Twin turbo V6 in just about every model that accepts a V6 or has a V6 option there is NO reason they couldnt come up with a solution that IS cost prohibitive that could be used across the line of sedans AND suvs to add a little spark to their lineup!
Let me clarify slightly, It doesnt have to be the hand built NSX engine but a similar version using similar specs/block etc......IF FORD can offer a DOHC Twin turbo V6 in just about every model that accepts a V6 or has a V6 option there is NO reason they couldnt come up with a solution that IS cost prohibitive that could be used across the line of sedans AND suvs to add a little spark to their lineup!
Let's hope so and I think this is reasonable. Many many car makers are going turbo now for higher hp without losing too much MPG. (new M5, new AMG, even the new Civic, etc.)
And if industry trend is anything to go by....it could mean trickling down of the technology into Acura sedan models (detuned/lower strung/non-bespoke) version of the NSX motor of course....maybe even a turbo version that may trickle down to TLX/RLX?........we'll see and only time will tell.
haha well that's quite a bit more than just "detuning"........
Im just more curious as to what is so special about a twin turbo v6 that makes just 500 hp that honda has to have someone else make it for them. I see NO reason they couldnt produce the engine themselves and it be every bit as good and far cheaper to build.
Because it's restricted right now and is built to handle way more power down the line, via model upgrades. That's why you should never buy the first few years!!
I'd imagine one possible reason is time frame. We all know the engineering team decided to go with a longitudinally mounted V6TT engine as opposed to a modified J series. Given the short time, may be they feel better to get a highly reputable company for certain components of the engine? If the block and heads were to be engineered and tested from the ground up by Honda only, it might take even longer? I don't know if cost is that much of a concern. May be Honda just wanted to give something special to the NSX owners. They would know that the engine is well engineered and unique. The output is most likely very restricted too. I'd think they don't want many overheating/limp mode issues at launch.
From what I've heard, in the near future, the ICE will get a 50hp bump, while the electric motors will contribute another 30hp (right now those motors are pretty much identical to the RLX) for a combined 650hp or so.
He said it'll hit production models within the next few years, what a joke!! They act like this technology is all-new and so striking. Reminds me of Mercedes Comand, only difference is Comand has been in Benzes for years and seems just as advanced as what was just presented. This isn't new technology, really disappoints me that Acura is choosing to stay behind competitors.
I'm not totally opposed to a trackpad in an Acura as long as it works as simply as my iPhone. If it is like Mercedes and Audi--that is, not too simple--then I'm out.
He said it'll hit production models within the next few years, what a joke!! They act like this technology is all-new and so striking. Reminds me of Mercedes Comand, only difference is Comand has been in Benzes for years and seems just as advanced as what was just presented. This isn't new technology, really disappoints me that Acura is choosing to stay behind competitors.
wait, so you're saying Acura should be ahead of Mercedes? You're on drugs, right?
yeah it may have started in Benz, but that trickle down effect seems to be coming into cars in the 30-50k range now. Why is that dissapointing?
wait, so you're saying Acura should be ahead of Mercedes? You're on drugs, right?
yeah it may have started in Benz, but that trickle down effect seems to be coming into cars in the 30-50k range now. Why is that dissapointing?
Never said they should be ahead, but that this technology is nothing new. And it won't even be in production cars (from what he said) until at least a couple years. New technology is in all brands now, regardless of luxury or mainstream. You don't have to be Benz to have a competitive infotainment system.
^^^
May be he's hoping Acura to be the leader in infotainment...
Anyway, I think if you want that 12.3" screen on a MB, you will need to get a E300, and add the most expensive premium pkg plus the 12.3" screen. You will need to pay $65k at least.
If Acura can offer something like this in a $40k car, I wouldn't mind.
Acura Precision Cockpit Previews Next-Generation Interior and Technology Direction
Nov 16, 2016 - LOS ANGELES
"Acura Precision Cockpit" fuses a sporty design with a next-gen touchpad-based interface and new Acura operating system
AcuraWatchTM driver assistance suite deployed in more than 70,000 vehicles to date, with Traffic Jam Assist on the way
Acura to advance standard application strategy for active safety and driver assistive technologies
Brand touts electrification, automated and connected vehicle achievements at AutoMobility LA
Acura today revealed a near-production interior styling and technology concept, the Acura Precision Cockpit, while highlighting three major themes in mobility innovation – electrification, automated driving and connectivity. Fusing an ergonomic design with a modern operating system and a touchpad-based interface that goes beyond traditional approaches, the Acura Precision Cockpit complements the exterior design direction revealed earlier this year in the Acura Precision Concept. Together, the Acura Precision Concept and Acura Precision Cockpit form the fundamental building blocks for Acura's future vehicle design.
Designed for Performance Driving
The Acura Precision Cockpit's seats, steering wheel and drive mode dial are inspired by the NSX, pointing toward a sporty future for the Acura brand. Brushed metal, natural wood, leather and alcantara finishes create a premium look and feel. Expressive surfacing and modern detailing, including copper amber LED lighting, accentuate the cabin's design aesthetic.
The instrument panel houses a wide, ultra-clear, 12.3-inch driver's display. It sports a double-layered structure covered in stitched leather surfaces, providing a lightweight and high contrast image. A matching center display is placed high in the cabin, in a visually elegant location, close to the driver's natural line-of-sight. Custom colors and animations match the mood of the driving mode selected by the driver – white for Snow, blue for Comfort, red for Sport and orange for Sport Plus.
The center display is operated through a curved touchpad that is optimally positioned in the center stack. The touchpad is ergonomically designed to eliminate the need to visually locate a button or a switch.
Seamless Man-Machine Connection
The Acura Precision Cockpit unlocks the benefits of connectivity and semi-automated driving technology, while enhancing the driving experience. For example, when automated systems are engaged, the digital meter in the driver's display utilizes a real-time 3D engine to support a dynamic layout that displays other cars and road objects recognized by the vehicle's advanced sensors, leveraging vehicle-to-vehicle communications to visually distinguish cars operating autonomously. An advanced vision mode leverages sensors to display cars, pedestrians, cyclists and other objects – even those obscured from vision – using artificial intelligence to predict future pathways. This mode builds human confidence in the car's automated driving systems.
Touchpad with Absolute Positioning
The Acura Precision Cockpit's touchpad uses absolute position mapping for the first time in the driving environment, combining the flexibility and usability of a touchscreen with the comfort and reduced driver distraction of a remote-based approach. A traditional touchscreen approach is intuitive and direct, but forces a compromised placement of the screen close to the driver and out of the driver's natural line-of-sight. A traditional remote-based interface – common in luxury cars – solves these challenges, but the interaction between the remote and the display is often indirect and clumsy.
With absolute positioning, the interaction with the touchpad aligns precisely with the actions on the main display. Every spot on the touchpad is mapped to a specific function on the main display, just like a touchscreen. Favorites are positioned along the bottom, and scrolling is positioned along the outer edges. A tap on the top left corner of the touchpad engages the content on the top left corner of the center display.
"Absolute positioning transforms the touchpad experience, making it personal, intuitive and particularly well-suited for premium, driver-centric, performance machines," said Dave Marek, Acura's executive creative director. "It's also designed to be quickly and easily adopted, as drivers become acclimated and comfortable in minutes."
Next-Gen OS, Seamless Choreographed Experience
The Acura Precision Cockpit also previews the Android-based, next-generation Acura OS that will power future production cars, providing secure access to mobile apps, data and content. With a clean user interface that clearly displays the information to the driver, the center display features two dedicated zones to help the driver quickly switch through settings including audio, weather and notifications. This allows the navigation app to always remain front and center. Bespoke animations and audio chimes were engineered to enhance the in-cabin experience.
Every element of the Acura Precision Cockpit – physical, digital and audio – was designed by a core engineering team working together to create a seamless, choreographed experience. A prototype system, the Acura Precision Cockpit will be evolved into the new interior design for production vehicles starting in the next few years.
Mobility Innovation
Alongside the reveal of the Acura Precision Cockpit, Acura highlighted achievements and advancements in the areas of active safety and electrification technologies.
The company announced that the AcuraWatchTM suite of active safety and driver-assistive technologies has now been deployed on more than 70,000 Acura vehicles. Next year, Acura will add Traffic Jam Assist to the suite in certain models, providing increased driver assistance and convenience in stop-and-go highway driving. Now offered as standard equipment on all 2017 MDX and 2017 RLX models, Acura also signaled its intent to eventually apply AcuraWatchTM as standard equipment on all core models.
A model of the second generation RLX development vehicle with automated driving systems was featured on the show floor. The automated RLX has been fitted with a suite of radar, Lidar, camera and GPS sensors, complemented by higher performance CPUs and GPUs, and improved cabling, heat management and circuitry. These enhancements have been combined with new, more intelligent software algorithms to support more complex testing scenarios.
The development vehicle is designed to achieve high reliability by fusing overlapping information together from various sensors. This concept, known as sensor fusion, allows test engineers to validate information from each signal with a higher degree of accuracy than can be obtained from any one of the sensors independently. For example, the vehicle's radar sensors are adept at detecting the relative position and velocity of off-board objects with pinpoint accuracy, while the camera system is best suited to help detect and identify objects based on size and shape. This same concept is applied in the AcuraWatch™ safety and driver-assistive suite available on all model year 2017 Acura sedans and SUVs.
Highlighting its application of electrified powertrains to enhance vehicle performance while improving efficiency, Acura displayed the production-based 2017 NSX that earned a class victory at the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb in June, its North American racing debut. Piloted by Nick Robinson, NSX Vehicle Dynamics Project Leader, the NSX negotiated the 12.42-mile course in a time of 10:28.82 to win the Time Attack 2 class. Next spring, Acura will introduce its third electrified vehicle, the MDX Sport Hybrid.
"Advances in electrification, automated vehicles and connectivity are fundamentally reshaping the future of mobility," said Jon Ikeda, vice president and general manager of Acura. "Acura is determined to leverage this massive shift to deliver unique expressions of performance to our customers."
Digital dials are great and all, but why not turn things up a notch? That's exactly what Acura is doing with its Precision Cockpit, unveiled at the LA Auto Show today. More than just an in-car infotainment system, the concept includes cabin elements borrowed from the NSX (such as the seats and the steering wheel), which show us just how future Acura motors will look and feel inside, along with how we'll interact with them. Acura's calling it a "choreographed in-car experience" (of course) and it appears that experience includes some clever technology.
The centerpiece of the cockpit, for gadget fans, are the two 12.3-inch display panels. 1 squarely in your line of view where your dials would go, and the other located right above the central stack. The line-of-sight display is where you'll find your virtual dials of course, but there's so much more going on.1 of the most impressive features is the built-in 3D engine, that serves up images of adjacent cars, pedestrians and cyclists, even those obscured from view claims Acura, in real time. But why not just look out the window? Well the Precision Cockpit leverages a slew of onboard sensors and artificial intelligence to point out the projected path or paths of other road users, so you can get a heads up on if that cyclist coming from your right is about to cross your path. There's not a lot of information on how accurate it is, or how it's figuring it out, but if there's a chance of it improving the safety of everyone, we're all for it.
The central display is where you'll find your more regular collection of infotainment options, similar to the panels you might find in other high end cars, such as the Mercedes S-Class (S65 etc.). That doesn't mean there's nothing new going on here, but Acura was most keen to talk about how you interact with it. This is where the "precision" in Precision Cockpit comes in.
In the central stack, right where you might expect to find a physical remote or a jog dial like you get in most premium vehicles, you'll find a curved touchpad -- a bit like on a laptop. The curved design gives your digits some form of "center" without looking, and the actual touchpad is mapped pixel to pixel with the central display. And, as everything has to have a fancy name, Acura is calling this "absolute positioning." But in short, it just means top right on the touchpad is top right on the screen. Which is mostly what you'd hope for anyway?
It's interesting to see a company plan ahead, not just for how it's in-car interface, but also how it will interact with the other emerging technologies. Acura's AcuraWatch suite of safety systems is already in many cars (70,000 according to the company), so it's not hard to imagine how the Precision Cockpit's use of artificial intelligence will bring a whole new layer to what's possible. There are also hints at integrating autonomous, and semi-autonomous features with the user controls. But for now, we're mostly left to do just that, as the Precision Cockpit isn't likely to land in a car any time soon, with the company hedging it's bets on a delivery date as "Starting in the next few years."
10-14-2016, 09:54 AM
Just Auto
That was one boring presentation.
The central display is where you'll find your more regular collection of infotainment options, similar to the panels you might find in other high end cars, such as the Mercedes S-Class (S65 etc.). That doesn't mean there's nothing new going on here, but Acura was most keen to talk about how you interact with it. This is where the "precision" in Precision Cockpit comes in.