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With a refreshed model for 2018, Honda is looking to pump some life back into its premier car. The updates include new sheet metal at the front and rear, and Acura's new diamond-pentagon grille replacing the unloved metal-beak look. There are upgraded materials inside the car, a new 10-speed automatic transmission on the base V-6 version and a simpler trim structure.
But with so few sales and an abundance of ultra-sharp competitors in the segment from the U.S., Europe and Japan, why does Acura bother?
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Beyond this midcycle refresh, the RLX (or something like it) does have a future within the Acura lineup, Ikeda hinted, though he wouldn't outright guarantee its return for the next generation.
2018 Acura RLX Sport Hybrid first drive: Still in search of its mission
November 13, 2017
Sedan sales are down across the board, almost nine percent last year and almost 11 percent so far this year. The reason – duh - is that everyone is going nuts for crossover utility vehicles. CUV sales are up, up, up. Everyone loves CUVs because they're roomy, practical, comfortable and they make their owners look like they have an active lifestyle, whether they actually do or not. So why would a car company invest in a sedan? Specifically, a sedan the sales of which are the worst in the segment by a pretty good margin?
“In the overall market, CUVs and SUVs are all the rage,” admits Acura VP of marketing Vicki Poponi, while noting that Acura offers the strong-selling MDX and RDX. “But there’s still a very precisely defined customer for these sedans, someone who is looking for the dynamic performance you can’t get in an SUV.”
Unfortunately for Acura, most of those customers are not buying Acuras. They are instead buying, in order: the Mercedes E-Class (50,896), BMW 5-Series (32,408), Audi A6 (18,686), Lexus GS (14,878) and, heck, 5,872 people even bought Infiniti Q70s last year. How bad are sales of the Acura RLX? One thousand four hundred seventy eight in the last calendar year. Mercedes sells almost 35 times as many E-Classes.
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Acura provided an Audi A6 for us to drive as well and, frankly, I liked the Audi better, at least when I pushed it hard on twisting mountain roads, which is what I did with both the Audi and the Acura. The Audi was more precise and had better control from the dampers. Sail over some whoops and the Audi ate ‘em up and kept steering. The RLX Sport Hybrid gave a little bit of wallow in those conditions, perhaps because of those softer shocks. It was fun to wallow that little bit, it required that much more involvement in the driving process, but the Audi was the better performer.
Would a V8 and rear-wheel drive save this model? Only a few segment competitors offer V8s. That question has been thrown at Acura since the Legend was launched.
“We have our own view of what a sedan should be,” said Poponi, calling it precision-crafted performance. “We have to follow our own beat. We see ourselves differently. We’re not like anyone else.”
The 7 series looks much more upscale and professional.
yep the rear of BMW 7 so much nicer . it has zero handling ability on regular tires.
you need 21inch rims for BMW 7 to make it even half decent look. the stock one is joke. I simply cant stand BMW interiors with oversize steering.
RLX is tall and imposing. and still outstanding aerodynamic efficiency. heavier noise reducing rims. much thicker seats than any one else.
Again, Tall and imposing should NOT be used to describe the car, especially in a good way like you seem to think it is. That is something left to describe a SUV, not a SEDAN!!!!!!!
they surely know a lot of Tesla/S class also have MDX at home. just look hillsborogh, Atherton, los altos etc. why do you think SF bay area Acura has more or less equal dealers to BMW and Lexus.
they can improve the cockpit with wide screen at top. there still space.
you must be blind if you think that interior is attractive.
there's at least 3 or 4 different colors going on in there, THAT DONT COMPLIMENT EACH other at all.
they surely know a lot of Tesla/S class also have MDX at home. just look hillsborogh, Atherton, los altos etc. why do you think SF bay area Acura has more or less equal dealers to BMW and Lexus.
they can improve the cockpit with wide screen at top. there still space.
Maybe because the BMW and Lexus dealers are more efficient at selling cars than the Acura ones?
Originally Posted by AZuser
Acura's not going to put a big ass wide screen "at top". The HUD in the 2018 Accord is going to trickle down to the RLX
I can't wait until more Honda features and design language trickles down into Acuras.
Lots of complaints about the old infotainment system, but Alex seemed to really like the driving dynamics of the car, so did Redline Reviews.
Surprising for this class of car, it still has faux wood. The infotainment looks awful in these videos too though - the screens look really outdated. Redline Reviews comment was - this infotainment system is from the mid-2000s.
Yea, the RLX is a nice car to drive and it's a nice car to be in. Pretty quiet. I quite like the interior too. It's good to see Alex gave it A- for handling, A+ for ride, and A+ for noise.
you must be blind if you think that interior is attractive.
there's at least 3 or 4 different colors going on in there, THAT DONT COMPLIMENT EACH other at all.
that red RLX side profile shot... man... that car looks like a Camry or something, from the side. It's just very plain... very 4x4... very I dunno... presence lacking
Even the bright red metallic paint job can't make the car say "wow!"
You know what it looks like? A great, safe, bet. At 60 large, or whatever these go for, I think people want a bit more jazz and pizzazz. Except for the 8 that adore every angle of the car.
"The luxury brand has said it will get down to four core vehicles: two sedans and two crossovers. The RLX full-size sedan is set to be discontinued given its poor sales. Moreover, Acura is refocusing on the NSX as its halo vehicle rather than a big sedan."
The 2020 RLX is going on sale soon, witness EE4Life’s threads in the RLX section on said 2020 RLX. Not sure when it actually phases out. The halo car will continue to be the NSX. Axing the RLX makes sense to me...the market has spoken.
On another note in my area there are used RLX's that are priced about the same as a used Accord (similar age and mileage). Not a bad deal if looking for a lightly used sedan that is not as common as an Accord. Way nicer interior.
They're great cars if you get one that doesn't have the navigation/audio unit quirks. Eventually I'll replace my RL with an RLX Hybrid though my fiancee keeps drooling over Pilots (kids, 3 dogs etc).
Actually, you have to avoid the 2014 PAWS cars with their clunky, noisy suspensions. 2015 and up are OK. Sport Hybrid is even better. What a sleeper mine was. Too bad it developed electrical gremlins. TLX has been rock solid for me other than the ZF9 that should be killed with fire.
It will continue to be sold in other markets as the Honda Legend.
It looks like time as run out for the Acura RLX, at least in North America. Automotive News reports that the luxury sedan is being axed from Acura’s lineup after the 2020 model year. It won’t completely disappear from existence however, as it will continue to be sold in other markets under the Honda brand where it’s called the Legend.
The news broke through a communication from Honda to its dealership network in North America. A representative reportedly told Automotive News that the company’s RDX and MDX SUVs are now the volume sellers for North American buyers, and that’s absolutely true when looking at Acura sales figures for 2019. The RDX was Acura’s best-selling vehicle last year with 62,876 units sold. Combined, RDX and MDX racked up nearly 115,000 sales. The RLX wasn’t nearly as popular. In fact, Acura reported just 1,019 RLX sales for the entire year. Yes, 2019 was rough for pretty much every sedan on the market, but RLX sales in 2018 – the same year it received a significant refresh – only amounted to 1,931 sold units. With such poor performance in the showroom, the writing was on the wall for Acura’s flagship sedan a long time ago.
11-14-2017, 12:10 AM
Thought it was an ILX....
