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2021 Acura TLX is the first model with Honda’s new proprietary airbag

When it arrives in showrooms this fall, the 2021 Acura TLX will be the first vehicle equipped with the new three-chamber front passenger airbag design Honda announced last year, reinforcing the automaker’s commitment to infused the sports sedan with state-of-the-art safety bonafides. As explained in the video above, the new airbag was designed and developed by engineers at HondaÂ’s R&D campus in Ohio and auto supplier Autoliv to mitigate the risk of severe brain trauma associated with angled frontal collisions. With its official launch in the 2021 TLX, the airbag will begin to be offered to other automakers through Autoliv. Work on the new airbag design stemmed in part from a 2013 U.S. Department of Transportation study that used MRI scans to look at brain injuries resulting from vehicle accidents and led to the creation of Brain Injury Criteria methodology for measuring brain injuries in vehicle crashes. Accordingly, Honda and Autoliv designed an airbag that does away with the traditional single-inflatable chamber in favor of something likened to a catcherÂ’s mitt, with a central “sail panel” net catching and slowing down the head and directing it inward between the two inflated side chambers. The idea is to better manage lateral forces in a collision that can cause an occupantÂ’s head to rotate severely and at high velocity. Honda is hailing the new airbag as a major advance in airbag design. It follows the companyÂ’s introduction, in 1990, of the first vertically deploying front passenger airbag for the 1991 Acura Legend, a design that became broadly adopted in the industry. Honda is packing lots of other safety features into the 2021 Acura TLX, including knee airbags for driver and front passenger, both contained beneath a panel on the underside of the instrument panel, and eight airbags total, the most ever for the model. It will also come standard with the AcuraWatch suite of advanced safety and driver-assist technologies and AcuraÂ’s Advanced Compatability Engineering body structure, which has been advanced to boost occupant safety by redirecting energy away from the passenger compartment in a frontal crash. Acura says it expects to get a five-star crash rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and a Top Safety Pick+ rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

2021 Acura TLX to use dedicated platform and wishbone front suspension

Acura claims the 2021 TLX will be the "quickest, best-handling, and most well-appointed sport sedan in Acura history." The experts at Autoblog won't be able to put that statement to the test for several months, but all signs thus far are positive. After showing off the rear of the car a week ago, Acura just released a new teaser of the front fascia. Along with the photo, Acura announced the upcoming TLX will use its own brand-exclusive sports sedan platform and will have a double wishbone front suspension. Before the 2021 TLX's digital unveiling that will take place, May 28 at 1:00 p.m. EST (10:00 a.m. PDT) on Acura.com, Honda's luxury branch has slowly been releasing enticing tidbits about the all-new four-door. The teasers show the car will look very similar to the beautiful Type S Concept, and a Type S performance variant will use a powerful turbocharged 3.0-liter V6.   The new teaser focuses on the car's handling. In addition to the crude silhouette of the car's front end, the dark image shows that the TLX will ditch the Macpherson struts and use double wishbone control arms for the front suspension. Although the TLX nameplate is not old, as it first debuted for the 2015 model year as a replacement to the TL and TSX, this is a return-to-roots type of move. Acura has had success with the wishbone suspension in past performance cars that gave the brand name its weight such as the 1986-1995 Legend, 1990-2001 Integra, 1996-2014 TL and TL Type S, and 1991-2005 NSX. The current NSX hybrid supercar also uses the same setup, which Acura says has "more precise control of wheel camber, caster, and toe angles," and increases tire contact patches. The TLX is also expected to have a "highly rigid body" and a "performance-focused chassis."  For now, that's all that is known about the upcoming TLX, but enthusiasts won't have to wait long to learn more. Full info will arrive May 28. Related Video:

Acura TLX GT racecar to make motorsports debut at Detroit Grand Prix

Acura debuted its TLX GT racecar at the 2014 Detroit Auto Show earlier this year, and it looks like the racer is set to get its first competitive outing in Motown as well. The RealTime Racing team is competing with a single car driven by Peter Cunningham for the Pirelli World Challenge rounds during the Detroit Grand Prix from May 30 through June 1.
Honda Performance Development is developing the TLX GT with a direct-injected, twin-turbocharged V6 engine, based on the production, naturally aspirated version, and all-wheel drive helps maintain traction. A second car is being added to the effort later.
The turbocharged Acura sedan will face competition in the series from vehicles like the Audi R8 LMS, Cadillac CTS-V, Dodge Viper, Nissan GT-R, Porsche 911 and more. With the Detroit Grand Prix hosting the sixth and seventh races in the Pirelli World Challenge GT class schedule, it doesn't seem that Acura is expecting to win the series in its debut season, but it will surely gain valuable experience.