2012 Acura Tsx 4dr Sdn I4 Auto Near Las Vegas, Nevada on 2040-cars

Auto blog

2019 Acura RDX infotainment first impressions | A first step into the touch pad world

One of the greatest design challenges in the modern automotive industry is an infotainment system that provides loads of capabilities, but is also easy-to-use and not overly distracting. Touch screens have been leading the way as the favored option, but Acura is trying a new design that relies on a touch pad with some unique tweaks to separate it from similar systems, such as those seen in competing Lexus models. And we got to try it out in the first production application, the 2019 Acura RDX compact crossover. The key feature of the touch pad is its one-to-one position functionality. What that means is that, if you have a grid of function buttons on the screen, tapping on, say, the upper left corner of the pad will highlight the button in the same area on the screen. And if you were to take your finger off the pad and tap in the opposite corner, that section of the screen would immediately be highlighted. You don't have to slide your finger across the pad to reach selections if you don't want to, and you don't have to slide back from the last function you highlighted. It basically does away with the need to move a cursor around like you would on a laptop with its mouse pad. In practice, it's a little odd to use at first because we mentally connect using a touch pad with the traditional cursor interface of the laptops we use day in and day out. As such, we forgot that we didn't have to scan the screen for the cursor every time we needed to select something. But once we remembered we could skip that, we found it quick and easy to drop our finger down and slide to our preferred function quickly. We could occasionally even pick something on the corners without having to slide at all. This is partly because Acura designed the interface to work with this pad. A representative from Acura's R&D center explained that they tried to put common functions on those corners because they're easy to reach without looking or thinking much. Another bonus to this system is that you don't immediately go to the function the second you press the pad. Instead, the feature is highlighted and still needs a physical click to enter. This is enormously helpful, since it virtually eliminates the chance of going to the wrong selection because you hit a bump or just got lazy with finger placement. Instead, you can get your finger in the right spot and then commit with a button press.

Acura Type S Concept looks even better in the Monterey sun

A few days ago, Acura showed its Type S Concept in an album of dramatically lit press photos. It is our extreme pleasure to report that the Acura Type S Concept on display at The Quail, with no shadows nor Photoshop to hide in, is even more pleasing to the eye than it was in those photographs. This is the sedan the brand said "sets the stage for re-introducing Type S performance variants to the Acura line-up after a decade hiatus, and will heavily influence the character of the upcoming, second-generation TLX Type S." Our hope is that the phrase "heavily influence the character of" is code for the word "be," and Acura's simply not ready to admit it yet. From the new rectangular "Jewel Eye" LED headlights to the front fascia that could double as an Orc weapon, the flanks with a pentathlete's balance of muscle and leanness, those Halo beam rifle taillights, and the mortar-launcher quad-pipes, this concept is the bee's knees. Acura calls the design language "Chicane," and this expression of it is everything a fan wants to see from the brand. The Double Apex Blue Pearl paint, forged carbon accents, and functional vents only make the sculpture better. We're promised two new Type S offerings in the next two years, an RDX Type S presumed to follow the TLX version. They can't come soon enough. We encourage you to check out the gallery and enjoy every angle of the preview for Acura's coming attractions.

Acura MDX teaser photos show an upscale interior

After teasing us with an exterior image of the fourth-generation Acura MDX a week ago, Acura has now followed up with images of the interior. The exterior teaser was done up in "Tron" style, but these interior shots go beyond outlines to reveal some details that are much less obscured. Acura promises the MDX will be the "most premium and performance-focused" version of the SUV yet and has earned "elevated status" as the brand's flagship. (Only about 1,000 of the RLX were sold in North America last year, vs. 52,000 of the MDX, so it seems the big sedan got demoted as flagship. Aw.) The MDX's instrument panel is lower and wider, Acura says, and the interior is trimmed out in real open-pore wood. The leather dash is "hand-wrapped" with French seams. All three rows of seating surfaces are quilted, with perforations done in a gradated design, and there is contrasting piping and stitching. Massaging front seats add to the premium experience. Acura promises a variety of new technologies in the cabin, including what it calls the Acura Precision Cockpit, along with a mighty wide-looking HD infotainment screen and Acura's dynamic ELS Studio 3D sound system with 25 speakers. (Where do they put them all?) After Acura did great things with the RDX and the new 2021 TLX, we expect the MDX redesign will follow suit in reinvigorating the brand. The MDX will likely offer the same engines as in the TLX: a 272-horsepower turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder as the base engine, and a 355-horsepower turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 engine as an option. But we should know more about all of the above when the prototype Acura MDX — albeit a very-near-production prototype — will be revealed next Wednesday, Oct. 14.  Related Video: