Acura's TLX aimed at void left by TSX, TL sports sedans - Chron.com

Acura 's TLX is a luxury sports sedan. Introduced last year as a 2015 model, the TLX is supposed to fill two discontinued car slots for Honda's luxury division: the small TSX sedan that once was Acura's entry-level sedan and the TL, its bread-and-butter midsize. The consolidation left the Honda Civic-based ILX as the entry-level Acura and the RLX remaining the brand's flagship. Acura made the TLX shorter, narrower and lower than the preceding TL (see accompanying table). The trimming does good things for the vehicle's curb weight and aerodynamics but Acura says that the TLX is longer than the Audi A4, BMW 3 Series, Lexus IS and Mercedes-Benz C-Class. The direct-injection gasoline engine produces 206 horsepower and 182 pound-feet of torque and is bolted to a new eight-speed dual clutch automatic transmission that also has a very thin torque converter for more off-the-line punch. Next up is the 3. 5-liter V6, front-wheel-drive ($35,320) coupled to another new transmission – a nine-speed automatic that can be controlled with steering wheel paddle shifters or console-mounted switches. Thanks to touches like cold-air-induction, new intake and exhaust ports, the engine now makes 290 horses and 267 pound-feet of torque, gains of 10 horsepower and 13 pound-feet, respectively, over the previous V6. The nine-speed automatic not only... Source: www.chron.com