SPEAKER 1: In 2015, Acura introduced the TLX,
an entry level luxury sports sedan.
It replaced two other Acura models, the smaller TSX
and the slightly larger TL.
We'd liked its for its comfort, its reliability,
as well as its value.
But it never really was competitive against
the established German rivals.
I sort of considered it luxury adjacent
because it didn't have the performance or excitement
and interior quality of what you'd expect from BMW, Audi,
or Mercedes.
That may change with the all new 2021 Acura TLX
when it goes on sale this fall.
Prices will start right in the mid $30,000
range for the base TLX.
You're going to get a two liter turbocharged four cylinder.
That's good for 272 horsepower and 280 pound feet of torque.
It's going to feel more responsive, a lot more
exciting.
It's going to be mated to a 10 speed automatic transmission
that drives the front wheels.
Acura's super handling all wheel drive
will be available as an option.
And it's the new fourth generation SHAWD.
That means it'll be able to send up to 70% of available power
to the rear wheels, which is an increase of about 40%
over last generation.
Also, the response between shifting power
between front axle and rear axle will also be quickened up
in the order of about 30%.
The translation?
This new TLX will put a lot more power to the pavement.
This new TLX is all new from the ground
up with a much stiffer platform it's working with.
Gone are the front strut suspension
replaced by a double wishbone setup for better handling.
Sounds good, right?
We'll just wait until springtime.
That's when the Type S TLX comes out.
The TLX type S gets a 3 liter turbocharged V6
with much more power.
Acura isn't going into details just yet.
But if I were a betting man, I'd say
between 350 and 400 horsepower.
One can hope.
The Type S will be the first Type S from Acura
that's eligible for the super handling all four wheel drive.
In addition to that, the Type S gets upgraded brakes.
You have four brembo calipers with larger rotors.
The brake system itself is derived from the NSX
and its electoral servo system.
It eliminates the mechanical contact
between the pedal and the brakes.
Its brake by wire, but at least in the NSX,
we couldn't tell the difference.
And that's a good thing.
Sadly, I'm not allowed drive either of these today.
So we're going to have to wait a little while to see how all
these improvements stack up.
We do have plenty of time to talk about everything else.
So let's start with exterior styling.
Up front is a familiar Acura grill,
not far from the 2018 refresh of the last generation TLX.
There is an integrated radar emitter here
for the frontal collision as well as adaptive cruise
control.
And to me, it looks a little tacked on,
but does make sense because it has one
the widest spreads of a radar unit out there.
There are also some really nice, deep, sharp creases
in the hood that converge all at the top of the grill
just like the last generation TLX.
The TLX's profile best illustrates what's new with it.
Right off the bat, you can see it has a much longer hood.
Designers referred to this as the dash-to-axle distance.
That's from the bottom of this roof pillar
to the center of the front wheel.
It's much, much longer than the previous generation TLX.
Along the side, we have a lot of creases and surface treatments
to break up some of the sheet metal over here.
In particular, this crease here starts just
behind the front wheel travels all the way down and over
these rear haunches with the door handles following them.
These rear haunches are also much wider than before.
They lend it a much sportier appearance, which I'm all for.
Along with all these surface treatments,
it's just bigger overall.
There's 3.7 inches longer when it comes to wheelbase.
That's the distance from the front and rear axle.
Also the roofline has been lowered out 6/10 of an inch.
Overall, it gives it a sportier, more hunkered down appearance.
In a lot of ways, it reminds me of the four series Gran Coupe
from BMW.
And that's a compliment.
There are also echoes of BMW in the rear tail
lights and fascia.
In particularly, I like these cutouts here
in the bumper that breakup some of that space.
They suggest that they're air extractors
but they're just holding reflectors.
Now, you get too thin tailpipes on the regular TLX,
but on the Type S, you get four round pipes.
The width of the car increases by about 2.2 inches,
and the wheels are also pushed a little further apart.
The result?
A slightly bigger trunk at 13 1/2 cubic feet.
And it's a very usable space with remote releases
for the seat backs.
Overall, I think this new TLX is far more attractive
than the last generation.
It has the right proportions to give the sporty character
the designers were going for.
But let's see how that translates to the interior.
Inside, the TLX gets a major modern makeover.
The dash is much deeper with deeper creases with the screen
plopped right on top.
At the top of the center stack, we
have a lot of controls that are logically organized.
We have climate control buttons right here
at the top of the center stack.
Right underneath, a lot of the drive functions.
And then the infotainment controller
is right where your hand rests on the center console.
The big dial in the middle is for drive modes,
whether it's comfort, normal, or sport.
There's also a new individual mode where you can fine tune it
to your particular tastes.
That means you can have a softer ride
from the available adaptive dampers
while still enjoying the response
from the engine in sport mode.
The Type S will further benefit from a sport plus mode.
I've never been a fan of Honda's gear selector,
and well it's the same here as it is a Honda.
Now it actually is fairly easy to use once you're used to it.
I get it.
But to me, it takes up just about as much space
as a regular lever and it's not quite as attractive either.
On top of that, it's the same shifter, or something similar,
that you'd get in a Honda Accord.
And as much as I liked the Honda Accord,
I expect it's something just a little
more special in the Acura.
It's likely most people will have
a bigger problem with the infotainment system though.
They're using a touch pad here, much like what Lexus does.
And Lexus' system is regarded as one
of the worst in the industry.
According to our last rating of the Acura RDX though,
this does function better than the Lexus,
but it does take some time to get used to.
And even then, it's more difficult to use
than a standard dial or touchscreen.
The display is nice and bright and big at 10.2 inches,
and it's right in my sightline.
That means less distraction.
There's also an available head up
display right in front of me.
Other tech includes a Wi-Fi hotspot and remote monitoring
and control over the car through a smartphone app.
It also comes with the Acura Watch Suite of advanced safety
features.
These include frontal collision mitigation,
lane keep assist, adaptive cruise control,
traffic sign reader, and a drowsy driver monitor.
In other news, the TLX debuts a new front passenger
airbag with three chambers.
When it deploys, it looks a lot like a catcher's mitt
and functions much the same.
It's able to control the motion of that front passenger
just in case things go horribly wrong.
We're in the top trim of the TLX,
which means it gets this nice leather covered dashboard.
Otherwise, it's kind of a vinyl that's well textured.
There's also some really nice open pore real wood
here on the trim, on the sides.
And it's one of my favorites.
For me, if it's would trim, it has to be open pore and matte.
There's a decent amount of storage too.
These cup holders are well-placed,
and there's a very smartly located wireless charging pad
here.
Now, you can put your phone down and still close the lid,
and it's still somewhat visible.
It will have Apple CarPlay and Android auto as standard.
The bin here is pretty well sized,
as are the pockets in the doors.
So on a long road trip, you're not
going to be running out of places
to store your personal effects.
Of course, we're in a sedan.
So I'll have to check up the backseat as well.
I'm pleasantly surprised by the amount of space
I have in the back seat here.
And that's impressive for these four door coupes
that are permeating the market.
My head is just barely brushing the headliner.
I don't have that much space under the seat,
but my feet are in a good position.
And I have tons of knee room.
Outward visibility is also good, so you'll never
feel claustrophobic back here.
The first generation Acura TLX didn't have a shot
at taking on BMW or Audi, but the second generation redesign
definitely has some strong potential.
Of course, we won't know for sure
until we get to drive it for ourselves.
So keep checking back here for driver impressions
over the next couple of months.
Until then, for more information on the TLX
and all of its competition, head on over to Edmunds.com.
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