4dr Sdn Mt Manual 3.2l Bluetooth Sunroof 4-wheel Abs 4-wheel Disc Brakes A/c on 2040-cars

Auto blog

2013 Acura ILX Hybrid

This Is Not The Acura You're Looking For
Mid-level luxury brands have always had to do a bit of leg work to distance themselves from their more common cousins. Thanks to generation after generation of pervasive badge engineering (much of it from the Big Three), buyers can't be blamed for looking at brands like Buick, Lincoln, Infiniti, Lexus and yes, Acura as tarted up versions of Chevrolet, Ford, Nissan, Toyota and Honda products. For much of its lifetime in the automotive landscape, however, Acura has excelled at putting distance between its offerings and that of its parent company thanks to cars with superior driving dynamics, quieter cabins and clean, attractive aesthetics.
Yes, outliers and dull spots can be found in the company's recent track record, but by and large, Acura products remain situated well above the Honda rabble. When the brand announced it was getting serious about the luxury small car game with the ILX, those of us with a set of the company's keys in our past couldn't help but envision an honest successor to the long-dead Integra. Turns out, that wasn't what Acura had in mind.

2015 Acura TLX priced from $30,995*

Following a delay this spring, Acura is now ready to launch the 2015 TLX sedan this August, with pricing now confirmed to start at $30,995, *not including $895 for destination. This base MSRP is just $360 more than that of the outgoing TSX sedan; the TLX replaces both the TSX and TL in Acura's 2015 model year lineup.
That's a pretty fair deal considering that introductory price gets buyers a front-wheel drive TLX with a 2.4-liter inline four-cylinder engine with 206 horsepower,mated to a new eight-speed dual-clutch transmission, and featuring the automaker's Precision All-Wheel Steer (P-AWS) system. Adding a Technology Package ups the MSRP to $35,025.
Of course, the TLX is also available with a 290-horsepower, 3.5-liter V6 mated to Acura's new nine-speed automatic transmission. The TLX V6 P-AWS starts at $25,220 and climbs to $39,250 with the Technology Package. The bottom line on the range-topping Advance model is $42,500. Acura's Super-Handling All-Wheel Drive is available with the 3.5-liter engine, too - the SH-AWD Technology model starts at $41,450, while the SH-AWD Advance commands $44,700.

Acura TLX caught naked in production guise, can you spot the differences?

Acura doesn't tend to do concept cars these days that don't foreshadow a specific upcoming production model. The ZDX prototype of 2010 previewed the production version, as did the ILX and RLX showcars of 2012 and the MDX of 2013. The NSX concept is on its way to production, as the SUV-X concept is likely to do as well in the coming years. So when Acura revealed the TLX prototype at the Detroit Auto Show a few months ago, we all but knew it would only be a matter of time before that, too, would be produced. And here it is.
Spied all but completely undisguised while undergoing testing, this pair of TLX prototypes (one in white, one in black) looks almost identical to the show car. You might spot a few minor tweaks here and there - the strip of LEDs in the lower front bumper have been replaced by round fog lamps and some of the chrome accents are missing - but by and large, we're looking at the same vehicle we saw in Detroit earlier this year.
The finished production version of the TLX is expected to debut at the New York Auto Show next month, after which it will replace both the TSX and the TL, slotting in between the smaller ILX and the larger RLX in Acura's sedan lineup.