Acura has revealed its quickest, best-handling and most well-appointed sedan in its 35-year history - the all new 2021 Acura TLX.
The first Acura sedan fully designed around the brand's Precision Crafted Performance ethos with a model-exclusive body structure and chassis architecture, all turbocharged engine lineup, and an athletic stance with bold proportions, the new TLX delivers dramatic gains in both style and dynamic performance.
Additionally, the new TLX Type S will be the first Type S model to feature Acura's torque vectoring Super Handling All-Wheel Drive (SH-AWD) system, making it the best handling and most performance-oriented Acura sedan yet.
The new chassis heralds the return of double-wishbone front suspension to Acura's top-selling sedan, offering more precise handling and cornering grip, as well as greater mechanical compliance for improved ride quality.
The TLX chassis also incorporates multiple new performance-focused engineering upgrades, including a variable-ratio steering system, electro-servo brake-by-wire technology applied from the NSX and an available driver selectable Adaptive Damper System. The new structure uses 56% advanced, lightweight materials, including aluminium and press-hardened steel, more than any previous Acura sedan.
With a peak output of 268bhp and 380Nm of torque, the TLX's 2.0-litre turbo boasts the highest horsepower in its core competitive set, delivering dramatic gains in horsepower and torque when compared to the previous model's naturally aspirated 2.4-litre four-cylinder.
When it arrives in the U.S in early 2021, the TLX Type S will deliver power from an all new 3.0-litre, 24-valve, DOHC direct-injected and turbocharged engine developed by some of the company's most experienced powertrain engineers, including members of the team that developed the NSX's bespoke twin-turbocharged V6 hybrid power unit.
The new transverse-mounted V6 will be highly compact and lightweight, utilising a dual scroll turbocharger and electronic waste gate to deliver immediate, high-torque response. Compared to the outgoing naturally aspirated 3.5-litre V6, the new engine delivers dramatic gains in peak horsepower and torque across the engine's full operating range, including a more than 50% increase in low-end torque.
SH-AWD is also offered as optional equipment on the 2.0-litre TLX and comes as standard technology on the TLX Type S, the first Type S model to feature all wheel drive.
Acura's fourth generation SH-AWD system has 40% more rear torque capacity and 30% quicker front-to-rear torque transfer than the third generation system in the outgoing TLX.
The Acura SH-AWD system in the new TLX transfers up to 70% of engine torque to the rear axle during normal driving conditions, while continuously apportioning up to 100% of that rear-axle torque between either the left and right rear wheels. Additionally, the rear axle is continuously overdriven by 2.9%, which amplifies the yaw moment effect of left-to-right torque transfer, elevating performance through sharper and more accurate turn-in, and improved traceability when cornering.
The TLX's high and wide center tunnel and wrap-around instrument panel create a more personal and strongly delineated space for both front-seat occupants, while its wider body design enables true first-class seating comfort for both, with top-of-class hip and shoulder room.
The 2021 TLX provides for a more versatile and personalised driving experience through the use of Acura's Integrated Dynamics System, now featuring an Individual Mode, activated by pushing the Acura logo at the center of the drive mode dial.
As before, the system integrates a multitude of powertrain and chassis systems, accessed via the drive mode dial prominently positioned on the center console. Comfort, Normal and Sport modes, with Sport+ only on TLX Type S, will incrementally dial up the sporting reflexes of the TLX using pre-set programs for the Drive-By-Wire throttle, transmission, SH-AWD, electric power steering, available Adaptive Dampers and more.
