Acura tlx

6/10 Unique Handling

via TheDrive

Being a performance sedan, the Type S, among other qualities, is designed with a special focus on handling. This is enabled through the adoption of a performance-focused chassis that is characterized by the implementation of the double-wishbone front suspension. Notably, this suspension features two wishbone-shaped control arms which give more accurate wheel camber control as well as an increased tire-to-ground contact for great cornering grip and awesome handling precision.

via CarAndDriver

This gives the Type S a handling advantage over its rival models which adopts the older but widely adopted Macpherson strut setup.

Driving the Type S

These improvements alone would’ve made a pretty fun sedan, and possibly even one that’d be more in tune with the original Type S models—after all, the high point of the new TLX is its excellent chassis. Drop in the engine everyone wanted in the first place and you’ve got yourself an honest enthusiast special that doesn’t presume to be anything more than a ridiculously competent daily driver. This is where things diverge for the 2021 Acura TLX Type S. The car’s structural and suspension upgrades—not to mention its 4,200-pound curb weight and the ceaseless march of technology over the last decade-plus—make it a different animal today.

To run through the basics, new chassis bracing makes the Type S 13 percent more rigid than the regular TLX. Its front suspension is 40 percent stiffer to better take advantage of those double wishbones, with thicker stabilizer bars front and rear along with active dampers at all four corners. Handling is further altered with a re-geared power steering rack to increase responsiveness. Critically, the excellent electro servo brake system from the NSX, also found hiding on the base TLX and doing its best impression of a conventional system, is reworked here to actually feel and perform like the special piece of kit that it is.

Around town, most of that is unapparent in the best way possible. It’s absolutely not a car that punishes you, or even makes you mildly uncomfortable—the steering is a little quick but nice and direct, the power is immediate and plentiful, and even in Sport+ mode (one of four) the adaptive dampers don’t get anywhere near the punishing stiffness of a jacked performance car. The 10-speed is fast with its business when left alone, but now changes gears quickly enough to make using the paddles a worthwhile time even on a normal drive. The Type S’ increase in power and resulting poise is the biggest tangible difference compared to the normal TLX behind the wheel in normal driving situations, but there’s also an undeniable tautness to the car that makes it feel inherently more capable.

Which is a good thing, because it also feels every inch of its 75.2-inch width, and then some. Though it’s technically a midsize sedan, that figure is a full three inches wider than a BMW 3 Series and on par with an Audi A7. The dashboard design inside also accentuates the width, and as a result the TLX Type S drives like a pretty big car. Like the NSX, the interior also has a cocoon-type quality to it—not in terms of visibility, but in the slightly-detached feeling the TLX’s excellent build quality and purposefully polite manners can create at lower speeds.

Kyle Cheromcha
Kyle Cheromcha

But pick up your speed—say, a few hot laps around Laguna Seca, as Acura arranged to show off the Type S’ abilities—and there’s a lot to like here. The low-end responsiveness of that turbo setup is immediately noticeable, as is the way that SH-AWD setup promotes throttle steer in a fast turn; it’s incredibly easy to coax a little rotation out of it. Though you’ve got 10 speeds and the engine redlines below 6,500 rpm, I never felt like I was running out of room bouncing between third and fifth gear on the track, and once again the newly fast shifts were much appreciated. It’s not a stretch to say the gearbox approached dual-clutch speeds a few times when I really laid into it. Overall handling? Superb through the famed corkscrew, and not just for a front-wheel-drive-based car. The optional 255/35R20 Pirelli summer tires definitely help there, however.

What impressed the most are the brakes. Again, this is a big, heavy car at 4,200 pounds, and one that’s not really built for track days either. Yet whipping it around Laguna for multiple laps at a time, I noticed absolutely zero fade or other issues with those NSX-sourced servo brakes, and in fact fell more in love with them with each passing lap. If you can get over the brake-by-wire trust issues, which I do understand, they’re a delight to use and utterly confidence inspiring. The firm pedal is entirely predictable and fun to modulate; I also like playing with it at a stop with the windows down to hear the servos go brrr.

Kyle Cheromcha

Speaking of weight, the one thing I didn’t really notice on track were the optional lightweight wheels that save 21 pounds of unsprung weight. That’s a decent amount in the realm of high-end performance cars, but for something that already clocks in north of two tons, it’s hard to suss out the benefits from behind the wheel.

3/10 Tech

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As well as being pretty luxurious, the TLX is crammed full of the latest tech. It features Honda/Acura’s latest infotainment system, housed in a 10.2 high definition display that sits on top of the dashboard. Praise be, Acura has included physical controls for the stereo, as well as the climate controls.

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Elsewhere, the system can be controlled via a touchpad in the center console, though it isn’t as cumbersome as Lexus‘ old Enform touchpad setup. There are also heated and cooled seats as standard, along with the all-important and sometimes distracting Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, as well as stuff like a driver drowsiness detection system, along with 4G connectivity and an in-car WiFi hotspot.

Что говорят цифры

К сожалению, похоже, эти улучшения произошли за счет некоторой производительности. Несмотря на то, что ощущения от вождение лучше, чем у любого другого NSX, который мы тестировали, Type S также является самым медленным NSX, который мы когда-либо тестировали. При скорости разгона с места до 100 км/ч за 3,4 секунды он на 0,4 секунды отстает от самого быстрого авто, который мы тестировали, и он не становится лучше в забеге на 400 метров. Чтобы проехать с места 400 метров (четверть мили), Type S требуется 11,6 секунды, и к финишу он движется со скоростью 194 км/ч, что на 0,4 секунды и 5 километров в час медленнее, чем самый быстрый экземпляр NSX. И это несмотря на то, что Type S является самым мощным NSX за всю историю — 600 л.с. и 667 Нм, что на 27 л.с. и 30 Нм больше, чем у любого другого.

Тем не менее, стоит сказать, что опыт вождения NSX Type S восхитителен. Двигатель набирает обороты очень быстро и имеет широкий диапазон мощности благодаря электродвигателю, установленному между двигателем и трансмиссией. Он сильно тянет вплоть до красной линии, а трансмиссия в режиме трека не переключается на повышенную передачу, пока мотор не достигнет красной линии, так что мы получаете все до последнего цента. Также приятно не переключать передачу и дать двигателю заглохнуть, если уберать газ, что полезно на извилистой дороге с короткими прямыми между крутыми поворотами. И, несмотря на всю электрификацию, трансмиссии даже удается звучать довольно хорошо для V-6. Шум двигателя на удивление мелодичный, а турбонаддув — это глазурь на торте.

Возвращаясь к результатам инструментального тестирования, в другую сторону было не лучше. Для остановки Type S со скорости 100 км/ч потребовалось 31,3 метра, что на 2,5 метров дальше, чем у лучшего NSX. На горной дороге это привело к нескольким случаям, когда приходилось нажимать на тормоза и не получать тормозную способность, которую должен иметь автомобиль мощностью 600 л.с. Что еще больше усугубляет, мягкая, губчатая реакция педали тормоза не обеспечивает обратной связи. Улучшенные тормоза позволили бы этому автомобилю двигаться по дороге значительно быстрее.

В цифрах Type S есть яркое пятно, и оно отражается на результатах управления. Средняя боковая перегрузка 1,03 g на тормозной колодке связывает его с самым цепким NSX, равно как и время прохождения круга по траектории «восьмерки» за 23,2 секунды, хотя средняя перегрузка 0,89 g, которую он показал, была на 0,03 g впереди от лидера.

Советы для следующего (которого не будет)

Если бы этот автомобиль получил следующее поколение, которого он заслуживает, есть несколько других компонентов, которые также можно было бы усовершенствовать. Во-первых, контроль над кузовом. Type S жесткий, что хорошо, но ему не хватает баланса. Он слишком сильно подпрыгивает на ухабистом асфальте, заставляя постоянно гнаться за ним с помощью рулевого управления или сбрасывать газ. Это особенно плохо в больших тормозных зонах, где автомобиль начинает вилять на своей полосе. Все это управляемо, но им не нужно управлять. «Привяжите» его, и, опять же, автомобиль сможет ехать по дороге заметно быстрее.

Рулевое управление лучше, чем раньше, но оно может быть еще лучше. В данном случае это не столько сдерживает автомобиль, сколько не делает его лучше. Оно очень точное, но ему все же не хватает обратной связи. Другие компании придумали, как улучшить управляемость автомобиля с электромоторами, приводящими в действие переднюю ось, и Acura тоже смогла это сделать.

Тогда, конечно, есть интерьер. Он никогда не был на высоте и ничего не изменилось. Все похоже на интерьер Acura, а Acura не делает интерьеров за 200 000 долларов. Автомобиль следующего поколения потребует полной переделки интерьера с гораздо меньшим количеством пластика, гораздо более выразительным дизайном и, ради всего святого, современной информационно-развлекательной системой с регулятором громкости. Ну нельзя установить запчасти Civic или даже TLX в автомобиль, цена которого почти равна Ferrari начального уровня.

Надеюсь, Acura правильно поймет все эти замечания, когда NSX вернется в качестве электромобиля в будущем — как и было обещано, после перерыва, но это все равно кажется упущенной возможностью для высокопроизводительной гибридной версии автомобиля. Type S доказывает, что текущая формула NSX не была принципиально ошибочной — она была просто незавершенной. Жаль, что этот автомобиль так сильно промахнулся, что его продажи не могут поддержать второе поколение этой модели, чтобы завершить начатое.

Luxury and tech in high supply

Inside the TLX, Acura’s made a great effort to zhuzh up the cabin, with real metal on the speakers, open-pore wood and soft leather surfaces. Overall, the design is a little much — there’s a lot happening here — but the steering wheel is nicely sized and feels great in my hands, and the relatively thin A-pillars allow for great overall visibility from the driver’s seat. The rear seats are large enough to accommodate most adults, and there’s 13.5 cubic feet of space in the trunk, which is about average, though slightly larger than the old TLX.

The center stack will be familiar to anyone who’s been in an RDX, where the somewhat confusing electronic shifter is housed below the overly large drive mode selection dial. Simple climate controls are found above that, and Acura’s latest multimedia system is housed on a 10.2-inch screen atop the dash, controlled by the company’s True Touch Interface touchpad on the center console. Don’t worry, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard.

A word about TTI: Acura’s version uses «absolute position» logic, meaning it doesn’t work like the touchpad on your laptop or the horrible one Lexus uses in its cars. It’s admittedly not my favorite interface, but isn’t bad once you get used to it, and thankfully, there are physical volume and seek controls to the right of the touchpad. Acura says the latest version of its TTI tech has «more accurate swipe zones» and «other performance enhancements,» and as the company continues to improve this system, over-the-air updates will be pushed out to all customers, thanks to the TLX’s standard 4G LTE WI-Fi connectivity.

A 7-inch color display shows all sorts of information in the gauge cluster, though Acura’s fixed instruments can’t compete with its rivals’ fully digital IPs (hello, Audi Virtual Cockpit). At least there’s an optional head-up display, measuring 10.5 inches. Owners can select 24 different ambient lighting options, too, including two-tone schemes named after different driving-centric destinations, like race tracks (Suzuka) or great roads (Pacific Coast Highway).

A-Spec models get the Type S’ rear spoiler, but not its awesome quad-exhaust tips.

Acura

As for driver-assistance tech, every TLX comes with the AcuraWatch bundle, which includes traffic sign recognition, a driver-awareness monitor, adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping assist, blind-spot monitoring and other features. The TLX gets traffic jam assist, too, which combines the adaptive cruise and lane-keeping tech to make gross commutes easier. Yes, the TLX’s competitors are available with this sort of tech, but most of them require you to spend more for an optional package in order to get the good stuff.

3/10 Innovative Safety Technology

via TheDrive

As standard with its TLX siblings, the 2021 Type S will feature a new and innovative airbag for better protection against serious brain injuries in angled frontal impacts. This innovative airbag is designed with three chambers and will function like a “catcher’s mitt” as it “cradles and protects the head.”

via TheDrive

Also, just as in a regular single-chamber airbag, the Type S airbag will adopt a conventional inflator, but the added protection comes from the in-house-developed multi-chambered airbag technology which gives better protection against brain injury during a collision.

5/10 The Chassis

caricos.com

As said previously, the TLX uses a brand-new platform that is not shared with any Acura or Honda model. The V6 is up front, of course, and it drives all four wheels through Acura’s SH-AWD system, whose fourth generation is debuting in this car.

netcarshow.com

The system now delivers torque to the rear axle 30% quicker and is also capable of handling 40% more torque. The 10-speed automatic has also been updated, along with its capability of downshifting multiple gears at once. There’s also a new belt-driven electric power steering setup, and most notably, double wishbone suspension on all corners, which improves stability and handling, as well as allowing the TLX to adorn its rakish outfit.

2/10 Safety

caricos.com

Along with the performance, capability, and looks of the new TLX Type S, Acura has also put a pretty big focus on safety. The Type S, and all other TLX models, include the AcuraWatch suite of safety systems as standard.

caricos.com

This suite features safety equipment we’ve grown to expect from modern cars, like lane departure warning, lane keep assist, adaptive cruise control, and automatic emergency braking. The biggest news in regard to safety with the TLX is the baseball glove airbags, which have three inflation points and is designed to wrap around the driver’s head, for better protection in an accident.

4/10 Interior

via CarAndDriver

Acura has 9 exterior paint options for the 2021 TLX including a Tiger Eye Pearl color scheme for the Type S. Hence, complementing its impeccably crafted exterior, Acura is giving the Type S an interior that is completely decked out in style and awesome technological features.

via CarAndDriver

These include the Integrated Dynamics System drive mode selector placed immaculately on the center console offering several drive mode options. Also, the Type S features interior features a leather-wrapped, flat-bottom steering wheel, and it’s finished optionally in either red or black leather.

2021 Acura TLX Type S, By the Numbers

• Base Price: $53,325
• Powertrain: 3.0-liter turbo V6 | 10-speed automatic transmission | all-wheel drive
• Horsepower: 355 @ 5,500 rpm
• Torque: 354 @ 1,400-5,000 rpm
• 0-60 MPH: 5.0 seconds
• Top Speed: 155 mph
• Curb Weight: 4,221 pounds
• EPA Fuel Economy: 19 mpg city | 25 highway | 21 combined
• Quick Take: Classic Acura values in a modern form.

We’ve got a whole explainer on the Type S name if you want the full history—Acura fans need not click—but the long and short of it is that Acura used the label in the mid-2000s for its higher-performance trims with genuine mechanical upgrades that stopped short of track rat status. Think along the lines of BMW M Sport models; more powerful engine tunes, upgraded gearboxes and limited-slip diffs, stiffened suspension, that sort of thing. The Acura Integra Type R is what commands the most attention from that era, and rightly so, but the Type S name developed its own dedicated following before it was discontinued in 2008. 

Its return in 2021 was plainly telegraphed with the 2019 Type S concept, that low-slung vision in blue that took Monterey Car Week by storm and had us all crowing about Acura’s planned performance comeback after a decade mostly in the wilderness. That concept materialized mostly unchanged as the 2021 Acura TLX sedan, whose rear-drive proportions, double-wishbone front suspension and rigid chassis seemed like a winning formula. But the end result wasn’t quite there, let down in spirited driving situations by a sluggish powertrain and disconnected steering. Now, at last, we have the real deal.

Turbos for everyone

I’ll say it again: Beyond the fact that the Type S has a 3.0-liter V6, 10-speed automatic and all-wheel drive, there aren’t any more performance specs to discuss right now. The rest of the 2021 TLX range will be powered by a 2.0-liter turbo I4 engine — the same one you’ll find in the RDX crossover — and uses a 10-speed gearbox. Front-wheel drive is standard, SH-AWD is optional.

The 2.0T is rated at 272 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of torque, which stacks up nicely against the four-cylinder turbocharged engines in the TLX’s competitors. These are increases of 66 hp and 98 lb-ft over the old, naturally aspirated, 2.4-liter I4 from the outgoing TLX. And while the 2.0T might be down 18 hp compared with the 2020 TLX’s 3.5-liter V6, it’s got 13 more lb-ft of torque, delivered lower in the rev range. Acura doesn’t have fuel economy numbers available just yet, but expect the 2.0-liter engine to do a whole lot better than the V6, which was rated at a dismal 20 miles per gallon city, 29 mpg highway and 23 mpg combined with all-wheel drive.

Acura recently touted the new TLX’s double-wishbone front suspension, which replaces the old car’s MacPherson strut setup. This should offer improved cornering grip, and combines with multilink rear suspension geometry. The other big mechanical changes are variable-ratio programming for the electrically assisted power steering, and a change from hydraulic to electro-servo assist for the brakes. TLX Advance and Type S models get adaptive dampers, too.

Every TLX will come with the usual Comfort, Normal and Sport drive modes, and the Type S will get an additional Sport Plus program. There’s also a new Individual setting, accessed by pushing the large Dynamic Mode button in the middle of the center stack, where drivers can adjust the parameters for the throttle, transmission, steering, adaptive dampers (if equipped) and so on.

The cabin has a lot going on visually, but the materials are all superb.

Acura

Acura RSX Type S

Кому, 160 сильной версии было мало, Хонда выпустила версию RSX Type S c форсированным двигателем K20A2 мощностью 201 л.с, полная мощность достигается при 7400 об/мин. Мотор, получил распредвалы, коленчатый вал, и выхлопную систему от Integra Type R. В 2005 году мотор форсировали до 210 л.с и он получил индекс K20Z1, а в японской версии Type R этот агрегат выдаёт 220 лошадиных сил.

По мимо изменённого мотора в версии Type S, предлагалась более жесткая подвеска, 17-дюймовые колесный диски фирмы Enkei, шины Michelin размером 215/45/R17, увеличенные передние дисковые тормоза, аудио система Bose с 7 динамиками включая сабвуфер.

Сколько Стоит Acura MDX Type S?

Цены на Acura MDX Type S 2022 года начинаются с 67 тысяч долларов, что примерно на 5 тысяч больше, чем MDX Advance, предыдущего лидера линейки. MDX Type S Advance добавляет множество роскошных функций, включая массажные сиденья из натуральной кожи, отделку из дерева или металла с открытыми порами, уникальные варианты обивки и систему ELS с 25 динамиками вместо стандартной версии с 16 динамиками. Со всеми опциями придется отдать 73 000 долларов.

Acura хотела бы, чтобы покупатели рассматривали MDX Type S как спортивную, удобную для кошелька альтернативу роскошным моделям среднего класса, таких как Audi Q7 Premium Plus, BMW X5 xDrive40i, Mercedes-Benz GLE450 и Genesis GV80, но сравнительный тест, скорее всего, покажет, что эти модели с задним приводом динамично превосходят MDX Type S.

Независимо от того, сколько покупателей в конечном итоге вложат свои кровно заработанные деньги в Acura MDX Type S 2022 года, Acura сделала его лучше для всех благодаря своей приверженности сделать его более спортивным, чем раньше.

Производительность MDX Type S

Последние усилия Acura в этой области были не самыми убедительными. Мы плохо оценили стандартный MDX за его нерафинированное качество езды, плохие манеры торможения и отсутствие обратной связи у рулевого управления. У TLX Type S дела обстояли не намного лучше — мы назвали его неряшливым и не вызывающим восторга.

В отличие от бесхитростного стандартного многомерного выражения, новый Type S чувствует себя быстрым, если не очень быстрым. Турбонагнетатель с одной двойной спиралью быстро набирает обороты, а пик крутящего момента достигается всего на 1400 оборотов в минуту, что обеспечивает внедорожнику сильный рывок с места. 10-ступенчатый автомат отлично справляется с поддержанием мощности двигателя в большинстве дорожных условий, поскольку он переключается плавно и без колебаний.

Баланс управляемости MDX Type S также превосходит стандартный MDX. При езде по городу пневматическая подвеска хорошо поглощает удары и без каких-либо раздражающих вторичных движений, которые мы заметили в стандартном MDX. Аналогичным образом, обратная связь и усилие рулевого управления были гораздо более уверенными, чем в обычных версиях трехрядного кроссовера Acura.

Acura MDX Type S 2022 года выпуска не лишен своих недостатков. Несмотря на то, что предположительно он вдохновлен NSX, логика торможения по проводам далеко не так хороша, как в среднемоторном суперкаре. Хотя на более низких скоростях это редко бывает проблемой, ощущение торможения становится непоследовательным всякий раз, когда требуется нечто большее, чем умеренное тормозное усилие. Ощущения от рулевого управления тоже по-прежнему неважные. Оно вроде и шустрое, но в то же время как-то расплывчато: мы подозреваем, что надлежащий набор высокопроизводительных шин во многом оживил бы нос MDX.

8/10 What Drives It

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Previous Acura models were always seen as Hondas in disguise, but that couldn’t be further from the truth in the new TLX. It’s built on a brand new, dedicated platform specifically designed for Acura models, offering around 50% more rigidity than the outgoing one.

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The engine is also brand-new and exclusive to Acura. It’s a 3.0 liter V6 with a single turbocharger, an interesting choice considering most manufacturers are opting for twin-turbos instead. The new V6 develops 355 hp, sent to all four wheels through Acura’s SH-AWD system and a 10-speed automatic gearbox with the ability to directly downshift up to four gears.

The TLX Type S Upgrades

The Type S goodies start with the engine, a completely new 3.0-liter single-turbo V6 that puts out 355 horsepower and 354 pound-feet of torque. Though it does share a V angle (60 degrees) and bore spacing with the 3.5-liter V6 in the MDX, there’s enough re-engineering at play here to justify the all-new label. It has its own aluminum block, a forged steel crankshaft, strengthened pistons, and critically, special low-profile DOHC cylinder heads that accommodate the TLX’s low hood. The turbo’s twin-scroll design generates 15.1 pounds of boost to help bring on peak torque at a surprisingly low rpm—just 1,400. It’s also got active vibration-cancelling engine mounts, all-mechanical active exhaust settings, and even cylinder deactivation technology, which doesn’t actually do much to improve overall fuel economy. 

Acura says it threw a bunch of NSX and Civic Type R engineers at the new engine, and the result certainly shows some of that lineage. Impressive as it is though, the engine is just part of the picture—the real sin of the regular TLX is that unenthusiastic 10-speed transmission. Fortunately, Acura tore it apart for a similar amount of upgrades in the Type S. Everything from the torque converter to the cooling (there’s now an external trans cooler) to the gear sets themselves has been strengthened and optimized to deliver a claimed 40 percent quicker downshifts with the paddles and 30 percent quicker upshifts.

Kyle Cheromcha
Kyle Cheromcha

The last piece of the powertrain puzzle is Acura’s wonderful and wonderfully named Super Handling All-Wheel-Drive system, a twin-clutch torque vectoring system that can send up to 70 percent of the engine’s power to the rear axles and shuffle 100 percent of that torque between either the left or right wheels as needed. It too has been tuned for its application in the Type S, in particular overdriving the rear axle by 2.9 percent to enhance the car’s RWD characteristics in a corner. 

Type S Grows Up

Inside, the Type S is the same TLX, just with some nicer touches like a flat-bottomed steering wheel, metal trim, Milano leather seats, a standard 17-speaker ELS Studio 3D premium audio system, customizable LED accent lightning, heated and ventilated seats, and Acura’s driver-assistance safety suite that includes radar cruise control. Though it’s admittedly more feature packed and a bit louder overall than what was found in the Type S cars of the past, I think it fits a 2021 vision of subtle luxury quite nicely.

Combine that with its thoroughly updated driving dynamics and you arrive back at the point I made at the outset. The 2021 TLX Type S may be going about its business a bit differently, but it’s still doing exactly what its predecessors did—standing out as a competent and comfortable performance car, one that you wouldn’t think twice about daily driving or taking the scenic route home. It’s a real achievement for Acura, especially when you consider how lost the company seemed in the early 2010s. Not to mention how blah the previous-gen 2020 Acura TLX was.

It’s typically reductive and pointless to judge automaker efforts based our nostalgia for their past. More than most others, Acura makes nostalgia its business; its whole current turnaround is predicated on reminding 30-50 year olds that yes, it IS still the Acura we remember from our youths. That does seem to be the case here—even if Type S had to grow up a bit, too.

Kyle Cheromcha

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7/10 No Virtual Instrument Cluster?

caricos.com

Climb inside the new TLX Type-S and the first item of note is; no screen replacing the instrument cluster. There’s a fairly decent-sized color display in between the gauges, but the gauges themselves are standard analog items.

caricos.com

This is certainly an interesting choice, but it could be seen as both a positive and a negative. For one thing, Honda still hasn’t fully figured out the digital gauge cluster phenomenon yet, except for the Honda E electric car, as the Accord has only a partially digital cluster. Plus, the enthusiasts at which the TLX Type S is aimed at could tend to prefer a traditional analog cluster. As these pickup trucks prove, those can look quite cool too.

Pricing and availability

The 2021 Acura TLX will hit dealers this fall, and Acura says pricing will start in the «mid-$30,000 range.» The 2020 TLX starts at $33,000 before destination, and I expect the new one to come in around $35,000. Mum’s the word on how much the Type S will cost when it arrives next spring, though it’ll likely undercut rivals like the Audi S4, BMW M340i and Mercedes-AMG C43.

On appearance alone, the TLX is leaps and bounds ahead of its forebear, and it certainly sounds like Acura’s made plenty of engineering improvements to make this sedan a better performer. The TLX always deserved better than its also-ran status in the luxury/sport class. Here’s hoping this new one will strike a stronger chord.

9/10 The Concept

wallpapercave.com

The TLX Type-S is a great-looking car, so you have to wonder, where did its striking design originate from? The answer comes in the form of the Type-S Concept, which debuted at the 2019 Monterey Car Week.

wallpapercave.com

As well as showing the world a rough idea of what the new TLX, destined for 2021, will look like, it also showed Acura’s intent of positioning itself as a performance brand once again, with the return of the Type S badge, last used on the RSX Type S and TL Type S of the 2000s. It’s clear that most of the concept car’s design cues were carried over into the production car, aside from a couple of minor things, like the tiny rear-view mirrors and the total lack of door handles.

1/10 Price

via CarAndDriver

Acura pegged the price of the base 2021 TLX at $38,525 – including destination charge – and that makes it a whole $4,500 more expensive than its direct predecessor. Hence, being a sportier and performance-oriented version, the Type S is expected to be considerably more expensive than the base model but no concrete price breakdown has been released for the forthcoming car.

via YouTube

However, Acura dropped an estimated figure, claiming the Type S will be available “in the low-to-mid $50,000s.” That sounds like a great estimate to plan with.

NEXT: Here’s Everything We Know About The 2022 Acura MDX