First Look 2021 Acura TLX And TLX Type S Debut With Poise And Power
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Acura gets serious about reviving its sporting heritage.
After some teasing and insider speculation, Acura pulled the virtual silk sheets off of the 2021 TLX, revealing an emotional sports sedan that doubles down on the brand’s resurrected “Precision Crafted Performance” philosophy. As the second model to sport the ethos, the 2021 Acura TLX is a four-wheeled reveille for the company’s future products and the first recipient for the reintroduced Type S nameplate.
Shine Like A Diamond
The 2021 Acura TLX impresses with its sophisticated new styling. The wheelbase is up 3.7 inches (94 millimeters), while overall length is up 2.9 inches (74 mm) and height is down 0.6 inch (15 mm). Most impressively, however, is a dash-to-axle ratio that increases 7.8 inches (198 mm). According to TLX Global Development Leader Marc Ernst, the rear-biased design was one of the team’s key concept targets, and it was important to achieve without sacrificing interior or cargo room.
The TLX’s stance is a key component to establishing it as a legitimate sports sedan, but details deliver as well. Acura’s signature Diamond Pentagon grille – first seen on the Precision concept – makes an appearance here, with an unusual pedestrian detection radar plate surrounding the large Acura logo. While we normally abhor such obvious sensor placement, the TLX’s treatment here is surprising and unique.
“Chicane” front and rear LED signatures recall the Acura ARX-05 prototype racer, and the headlights boast a simpler design than the outgoing TLX. A strong character line develops from the middle of the front doors and rises through the wide rear haunches. Unusually, the door handles rest directly on this surface development, meaning the front handles are several inches lower than the rears (which are also rotated slightly to match the body contour). It’s unusual, but we’ll concede that the peculiarity looks much better in person than in photos.
The hood features bold, boomerang-shaped surface accents and a thick “spine” that recurs again on the trunk, while a sculpted roof panel does an excellent imitation of Zagato or Italdesign. Stylists moved the license plate to the rear bumper, opening up real estate on the decklid for a big dessert plate of an Acura logo. From stem to stern, the TLX’s styling is bold, dynamic, and aggressive, and that’s just the base model.
Moving into the TLX Type S brings even more visual verve. Chrome gives way to gloss black accents on the grille, where an “open diamond” texture arrives to provide more cooling to the fancy new engine (more on that in a moment). Larger bumper-mounted air inlets serve the same purpose. A gloss black front splitter, rear spoiler, and rear diffuser enhance the Type S’ aerodynamics, and they’ll also be available in a carbon fiber finish. Two different 20-inch wheels are available: a standard 10-spoke design and a lightweight, forged Y-spoke inspired by the NSX.
Dynamic Duo
Powering all non–Type S versions of the TLX is a turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four donated by the RDX. Producing 272 horsepower (203 kilowatts) and 280 pound-feet (380 newton-meters), the turbo mill is up 66 ponies and an astounding 98 lb-ft over the old base engine. In fact, the new 2.0-liter engine is torquier and nearly as powerful as the optional 3.5-liter V6 found in the 2020 TLX.
Power-hungry types will want to sidestep the two-liter and head for the TLX Type S, which gets its motive force from a brand new, Acura-specific twin-scroll turbocharged 3.0-liter V6. The company wouldn’t cop to power or torque ratings but claims the engine will produce 50 percent more low-end twist and “dramatic gains” in peak power and torque output over the current TLX's 290-hp (216-kW), 267–lb-ft (362-Nm) V6. Don’t be surprised to see around 380 hp (283 kW) and 350 lb-ft (475 Nm) from the Type S.
Both engines come with Acura’s 10-speed automatic gearbox, although the Type S gets upgraded internal components to suit its more performance-oriented mission. The Type S also comes standard with the next generation of Acura’s Super Handling All-Wheel Drive (SH-AWD), which actively routes extra power to the outside rear wheels in corners to improve balance and reduce understeer. Front-wheel drive is standard on models powered by the 2.0, but SH-AWD will be available.
Inner Beauty
Acura took the design language of the RDX and scaled it up appropriately for the TLX, which will become Acura’s flagship sedan when the RLX is put out to pasture this year. A revised center stack includes controls for Acura’s unique 10.2-inch infotainment display that’s controlled via a touchpad interface. Volume and seek buttons have been relocated for easier use as well.
Courtesy: Brett T. Evans
https://www.motor1.com/news/425816/2021-acura-tlx-debut-review/
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