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2014 Acura RLX replaces SH-AWD with P-AWS

After teasing us with the thinly veiled concept earlier this year, Acura has officially taken the wraps off its all-new flagship sedan, the 2014 Acura RLX. Aside from its huge step forward in terms of styling and luxury, the new RLX could very well be the most advanced Acura model ever.
While the previous RL could have been one of the blandest luxury sedans of its time, the RLX builds on stylish cues introduced this year on the ILX and RDX. One of the car's signature elements is its jewel-eyed LED headlights that could end up rivaling Audi for the most distinctive in the business. The rear view of the car isn't as unique as the front, but no less attractive with LED taillights that have a slight BMW vibe and odd, chrome-ringed reflectors at the bottom of the fascia. The interior is exactly what we've come to expect from Acura with its dual-brow instrument panel and a sporty three-spoke steering wheel.
On the technology front, the RLX debuts driving features such as Precision All-Wheel Steer (P-AWS), Adaptive Cruise Control with a low-speed follow feature and Agile Handling Assist while the interior gets a high-end Krell audio system, cloud-based AcuraLink and a multi-angle back camera. P-AWS allows the RLX actively and independently adjust the angle of the rear wheels for better agility and braking. Acura ended up cutting almost 275 pounds from the RLX's curb weight (compared to the RL) thanks to the use of high-strength steel and aluminum.

Comparison test: 2019 Acura RDX vs. compact luxury SUV competitors

Truth be told, if we were to compare the all-new 2019 Acura RDX with those compact luxury crossover SUVs it would most likely be cross-shopped against, you'd be looking at a different list. Even Acura admits that Lexus and Infiniti are the most likely bogies, but with the 2019 RDX, Honda's luxury brand is attempting to attract those customers who think as much with their hearts as with their heads. And for the most part, those folks have been buying from German brands: the Audi Q5, BMW X3 and Mercedes-Benz GLC-Class. So, to show how the new RDX compares to them, Acura actually provided examples of each during the recent press drive along with a Volvo XC60. All were determined to have greater emotional appeal than the last RDX, and we would certainly agree. For, as much as the previous-generation RDX made sense on paper, it was really hard to get excited about it. And when you're paying extra for a luxury vehicle, shouldn't you get a little excited? Well, as luck would have it, Consumer Editor Jeremy Korzeniewski and I were on hand in Whistler, British Columbia, for the press launch. We didn't have an abundance of time in each RDX competitor, but in conjunction with our usual comparison chart, our impressions should provide a good first taste of how the new RDX compares. Performance and fuel economy Contributing Editor James Riswick: On paper at least, the RDX is gutsier than its comparably powered European rivals. It also weighs the same or less, which logically should mean it'll be the quickest in a straight line. During my brief drives, though, I'm not sure it really stood taller than the three Germans. It at least matches them for smoothness, which is something that can't be said about the Volvo. Fuel economy is lower than them all when you consider all but the Mercedes come standard with all-wheel drive. It's also worth noting that all the competitors are available with engine upgrades, and unless Acura's forthcoming resurrection of Type S models includes the RDX, it should stay that way. Consumer Editor Jeremy Korzeniewski: Line 'em all up in a drag race, and I have a feeling the Acura would squirt away to victory. A good bit of that, though, would be due to its 10-speed automatic transmission, which offers a huge spread of ratios and fires off extremely quick shifts. In the real world, I'd guess fuel economy will be similar across the board, so I'm willing to call that category a draw.

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.