Acura 2021 TLX brings new style and performance
Acura has announced the quickest, besthandling and most well-appointed sedan in the brand’s 35-year history – the all-new 2021 Acura TLX. With a model-exclusive body structure and chassis architecture, all turbo engine lineup, and an athletic stance with bold proportions, the new TLX delivers dramatic gains in both style and dynamic performance. The second-generation TLX also marks the highly anticipated return of Acura’s Type S high performance variant after a decade-long hiatus. The TLX Type S, arriving next spring, will be powered by an all-new Acura exclusive 3.0-litre turbocharged V6 engine developed for Type S levels of 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. In fulfilling its mission as a thoroughly modern sport sedan, the 2021 TLX integrates a multitude of performance, comfort and connectivity technologies first deployed on the highly successful third-generation Acura RDX. These include a high-output 2.0-litre VTEC turbocharged engine, fourth-generation SHAWD system, award-winning Acura ELS STUDIO 3D premium audio and the latest iteration of Acura’s driver-focused True Touchpad Interface. Acura’s highly popular A-Spec sport package continues, adding distinctive sport appearance upgrades inside and out. Unique exterior A-Spec features includes Shark Grey 19-inch wheels, gloss black accents front to rear, darkened headlight and taillight treatment, and a pronounced rear decklid spoiler. The TLX’s athletic stance is grounded by larger standard 18-inch (+1-in.) wheels and available 19-inch wheels in various finishes, depending on trim. Performance-tuned 255-series rubber provides 20 per cent more lateral grip than the outgoing tires. TLX Type S models will be equipped with 20-inch split-10 spoke alloy wheels finished in Shark Gray. An optional lightweight wheel inspired by the NSX “Y-spoke” design will be offered alongside a high-performance summer tire, further increasing grip while reducing unsprung mass. Standard power comes from a 2.0-litre DOHC, direct-injected and turbocharged engine with VTEC, mated to Acura’s incredibly responsive 10-speed automatic transmission with Sequential SportShift. With peak output of 272 hp and 280 lb/ft of torque it boasts the highest horsepower in its core competitive set, delivering dramatic gains in horsepower (+66) and torque (+98 lb/ft). When it arrives in spring 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 twinturbocharged V6 hybrid power unit. The new transverse-mounted V6 will be highly compact and lightweight, utilizing a dual scroll turbocharger and electronic wastegate 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, more critically, in torque, across the engine’s full operating range, including a more than 50 per cent increase in low-end torque. Final specifications for the new engine, including power output, will be released closer to launch timing.