Toyota’s luxury arm, Lexus, has been a huge success in the automotive world. Honda is hoping to replicate that success on its luxury wing Acura. The latter had just launched the all new TLX which is the direct replacement for both the TSX and TL models.
In terms of design, the TLX sports some new facial features like Jewel Eye LED headlights that are neighboured to a less-pronounced Chevron grille that is painted in chrome. This leads to an overall clean-cut design to express minimalism.
Under the hood, the TLX came with multiple engine options for consumers to choose from. There is the 2.4L inline 4-cylinder mill that pumps 206hp on an 8-speed dual-clutch automatic and the 3.5L V6 paired to a 9-speed automatic. While the latter obviously has more power to offer, it is the former that offers the better driving experience.
Inside the vehicle, everything is kept neat and tidy. The comfort offered by the TLX is great but is too dull for our liking. For a luxury sedan, Acura could have taken some notes from Lexus or Mercedes to say the least.
No, the TLX is not short of features but everything about it seems lifeless. If this is going to change, then Acura will have to pump in more revenue on its R&D department to produce a brand new architecture and design language that can change the fate of the company.
