The RLX’s fancy LED "Jewel-Eye" headlights look much better in person, and the floating design reminds us of the trick headlights found on the NSX concept.
Before reading the rest of this, stop and ask yourself this question: "When was the last time I saw an Acura RL?" You'll probably be thinking about it for a while. The RL has never been a big seller for Acura, and in its twilight years it has only sold in the hundreds. That's not a good place for a brand's flagship to be, which is why Honda is throwing almost everything it has into making the RL's replacement, the 2014 Acura RLX, far less anonymous. Visually, the production RLX isn't all that different from the "concept" shown in April at the 2012 New York auto show. In fact, all that seems to have changed are the wheels and fascia. The once-controversial power plenum grille remains, but it is far more elegantly executed than the initial versions. Surrounding it on either side are fancy LED headlights. Dubbed Jewel-Eye by Acura, these not only provide a unique (possibly insectile) look to the RLX, but also are said to improve illumination. The most visible features at the rear are its Accord-esque taillights and hidden exhausts, allowing Acura to give the fascia a clean look.
As was the case with the RL, power for the RLX comes exclusively from a six-cylinder engine -- fortunately for Acura, the recent move away from V-8s has made the lack of one a non-issue. The RLX is powered by a version of Honda's 3.5-liter V-6 fitted with direct injection and cylinder deactivation technology (Variable Cylinder Management in Acura-speak) good for 310 horsepower and 272 lb-ft of torque. Though those are improvements of just 10 hp and 5 lb-ft over the RL's 3.7-liter V-6, the RLX's engine is said to make 90 percent of its torque from 2000 to 6000 rpm. More important, the Acura expects the RLX to be rated at 20/31 mpg city/highway -- a considerable improvement over the RL's 17/24 city/highway numbers. The engine is mated to an updated version of the RL's Sequential Sportshift six-speed automatic. The RLX's version gets revised gearing, a new shifter, steering wheel-mounted paddles, and a Sport mode that Acura says makes for more aggressive shifts. Curiously, however, the RLX is not fitted with any sort of all-wheel drive. Instead, Acura uses a new system called Precision All-Wheel Steer (yes, there's an acronym: P-AWS) that independently controls the toe angles of the rear wheels. Those looking for all-wheel drive will have to wait for the arrival of the 370-hp RLX Hybrid.
Beyond the four-wheel steering is a considerable list of active safety technologies. It starts with a new version of the AcuraLink connectivity system that now includes traffic information for surface streets as well as freeways; continues into the existing lane departure and collision warning systems (Lane Keeping Assist System and Forward Collision Warning, in case you want to keep up with the marketers); and finishes with adaptive cruise control with a special low-speed following setting, which presumably allows the RLX to close the gap more tightly when in traffic. Acura also mentions an Agile Handling Assist dynamic braking system, something we'll have to look into when we get our hands on the car.
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