Honda’s Acura sub-brand has introduced earlier this week the 2013 RDX crossover in its production version at the Chicago Auto Show, after unveiled a pre-production prototype in January at the Detroit Motor Show.
The new model is powered by a naturally aspirated V6 3.5-liter engine which replaces the old 4-cylinder turbocharged 2.3-liter that equips the outgoing model. The new power unit produces 273 hp (277 PS / 203 kW), making it 33 hp more powerful than its predecessor. The engine is now mated to an all-new six-speed automatic gearbox that has a lock-up torque converter. The 2013 Acura RDX is going to be available in both FWD and AWD versions.
Acura says that the body of the RDX has been aerodynamically enhanced in comparison to the previous model. The crossover now rides on a new set of 18-inch, 5-spoke alloys as standard and benefits from a MacPherson strut front suspension and a multi-link rear configuration.
Acura plans on producing the new 2013 RDX at its East Liberty factory located in Ohio.
Source: Acura via WCF
Post tags: Tags: Acura, acura rdx, chicago-auto-show, motor shows
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Scheduled to go on sale this spring, the 2013 Acura ILX made its official debut this week at the Chicago Auto Show. The Japanese automaker promises that the car is fully capable of combining performance, luxury and efficiency with affordability while at the same time not forgetting about the environment.
Under the hood of the ILX is the company’s first gas-electric hybrid powertrain that utilizes a 1.5-liter inline engine and also an Integrated Motor Assist electric motor. Thanks to the CVT (continuously variable transmission), the vehicle is able to return up to 35 mpg in the city and up to 38 mpg on the highway. The electric motor generates 20 hp and gets its necessary juice from the lithium-ion battery pack. The 2013 Acura ILX is capable of offering a total output of 111 hp @ 5,500 rpm and 127 lb.-ft between 1,000 and 3,000 rpm.
The car is also available with a traditional 4-cylinder 2.0-liter power unit that outputs 150 hp at 6,500 rpm and a peak torque of 140 lb.-ft available at 4,300 rpm. Mated to a 5-speed automatic Sequential SportShift transmission, the car can return 24 mpg city / 32 mpg highway.
For those who need more performance, the new ILX can be ordered with a beefier 2.4-liter engine that delivers 201 hp at 7,000 rpm and 170 lb.-ft of torque reached at 4,300 rpm. This engine is linked to a 6-speed, close-ratio manual gearbox and allows the vehicle to return 20 mpg city / 29 mpg highway.
We should also mention that the 2013 Acura ILX features a MacPherson strut front suspension while at the back it adopts a multi-link configuration. Other than that, the car comes with four-channel anti-lock brakes, VSA – Vehicle Stability Assist and Motion Adaptive Electric Power Steering.
Source: Acura
Post tags: Tags: Acura, acura ilx, chicago-auto-show, motor shows
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Acura NSX
The Japanese automaker Acura has introduced this year at the Detroit Motor Show yet another concept of the NSX. Honda/Acura have come up with a bunch of concepts over the last few years for a replacement of the legendary NSX that was manufactured between 1990 and 2005.None of these concepts got the green light for production but Acura said that the latest one will see the light of the day within the next three years.
Acura NSX
Acura says that the new generation of the NSX will be developed by an engineering team led by Honda R&D Americas, and it will be manufactured in Ohio but we don’t know the name of the facility where this will happen. Just like the original model, this NSX concept has a mid-mounted V6 naturally aspirated engine that benefits from Acura’s Sport Hybrid SH-AWD hybrid system that has not one, but three electric motors. For those of you that don’t know, SH-AWD stands for Super Handling All Wheel Drive.
Acura NSX
This new VTEC V6 engine benefits from direct injection and is mated to a dual clutch gearbox that has a built-in electric motor. Aside from this, there is a two-motor electric-drive unit that is capable of providing torque to the wheels in the front during cornering in order to improve the NSX’s handling. As you would expect, this NSX concept features a lot of lightweight materials to keep the weight of the car as down as possible.
Acura NSX
Source: Acura
Post tags: Tags: Acura, acura nsx, Concepts, detroit motor show, Honda, honda nsx, naias
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2013 Acura RDX Concept
Acura unveiled this week in Detroit the RDX concept which previews the next generation of the model that is scheduled to go on sale later on this spring. This is a five-seat crossover that will be fitted with a new all-wheel drive system. Another novelty of the model would have to be the V6 3.5-liter engine that produces 273 hp, which is 33 hp more in comparison to the current model.
2013 Acura RDX Concept
The power unit is going to be mated to a six-speed automatic gearbox that will increase the RDX’s mileage. Fuel efficiency will be further improved thanks to the installation of a lighter AWD system and the lock-up torque converter. The 2013 Acura RDX will be able to return 20 mpg in the city while on the highway it should do 28 mpg. Needless to say, the front-wheel drive version will be the most frugal RDX.
2013 Acura RDX Concept
The new model will have a longer wheelbase as well as a wider track which will probably improve its stability and it should also increase the cornering speeds. The crossover will be fitted with Amplitude Reactive Dampers that should improve the car’s handling. Aside from this, Acura’s engineers will be fitting the new generation of the RDX with a motion adaptive electric power steering system.
2013 Acura RDX Concept
On the outside we notice a bunch of styling changes that all provide a more sculpted look which should be considered more appealing. Acura says that the materials used inside have been improved and the company’s Active Sound Control team has worked hard to make the interior cabin as quiet as possible. We should expect to find an increased cargo space, more passenger room and a power rear tailgate.
2013 Acura RDX Concept
As far as the goodies are concerned, the new 2013 Acura RDX will come with keyless access, AcuraLink Satellite Communication System, Pandora internet radio with SMS function, start button and a new navigation system which will feature voice recognition. The driver will benefit from the rerouting system as well as real-time traffic and weather information. For storing music and satellite navigation information, the car will come with a 60GB hard drive.
Source: Acura via ZerCustoms
Post tags: Tags: Acura, acura rdx concept, Concepts, detroit motor show, motor shows, naias
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Acura ILX Concept
The Japanese automaker Acura introduced this week at the Detroit Motor Show an interesting concept by the name of ILX. They call it a concept but most likely the production version will look just about the same. It features LED fog lights, an angular front fascia and it rides on 19-inch alloy wheels. The ILX measures 4555 mm long, 1890 mm wide and it is 1425 mm tall, while its wheelbase measures 2670 mm.
Acura ILX Concept
Acura did not reveal any interior photos with the ILX but they say that it has a passive entry system, Pandora internet radio, a push-button ignition, along with an “SMS text message function for smart connectivity.” Some of the options include a rearview camera, a voice recognition system and a premium audio system that has 10 speakers to rock the cabin.
Acura ILX Concept
The Acura ILX can be equipped with one of the three engines: a 4-cylinder 2.0-liter unit mated to a 5-speed automatic transmission; a 4-cylinder 2.4-liter unit with a 6-speed manual gearbox; and a hybridized 4-cylinder 1.5-liter that should be able to return 35 mpg in the city and 38 mpg on the highway.
Acura ILX Concept
The car is scheduled to go on sale in its production version later on this spring and it will be based on the North American version of the Honda Civic.
Source: Acura via WCF
Post tags: Tags: Acura, acura ilx, acura ilx concept, Concepts, detroit motor show
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2012 Acura TSX Special Edition
Created to celebrate Acura’s 25th anniversary, the TSX Special Edition will make its official debut at the upcoming Orange County International Auto Show which will be held on September 22. As you can see from these photos, the car will feature a considerably more aggressive front spoiler, along with a new design of the rear bumper fascia and bespoke side sills. All of the cars will wear a “Special Edition” badge on the trunk lid and will ride on exclusive 17-inch, 5-spoke aluminum rims that have a polished finish with a sleek dark gray background.
2012 Acura TSX Special Edition
Inside the cabin, sport-minded appointments provide the car with a fresh look while the seating surfaces have perforated black Lux Suede inserts with red backing. For the steering wheel, seats and the shift knob there is red stitching, while the instrument cluster gauges are also red, just as the footwell lightning and overhead lightning. The car also has been fitted with race-inspired aluminum pedal covers while the steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters have bright silver plating.
2012 Acura TSX Special Edition
The car is motivated by a 4-cylinder 2.4-liter engine that produces 201 hp (204 PS / 150 kW) and has a peak torque of 170 lb.-ft (230 Nm). It is in fact the engine you’ll also find in the regular version and can be linked to either a 6-speed manual gearbox or the optional 5-speed automatic transmission.
The 2012 Acura TSX Special Edition will go on sale later on this fall at a yet undisclosed price tag.
Source: Acura via Inside Line
Post tags: Tags: Acura, acura tsx, acura tsx special edition, Orange County International Auto Show, special editions
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Last week Acura published the price list for the TSX Wagon, a car that will go on sale on December 21st, 2010 in North America. The car will be equipped exclusively with a 4-cylinder 2.4-liter power unit linked to a Sequential SportShift 5-speed automatic gearbox. With this combination, the Acura TSX Wagon will do 22 mpg city / 30 mpg highway and a combined cycle of 25 mpg.
The car offers a generous cargo space of up to 60.5 cu-ft when the rear seats are folded down. This figure is considerably more in comparison with the Audi A4 (56.5) and the BMW 3-Series (54.7). The basic price for the car is $30,960 and with the Technology Package goes up to $34,610.
The Wagon variant of the Acura TSX has four hidden compartments for out-of-sight storage. Beneath a lift-up hatch within the load floor, a 2.4 cu-ft storage area is located. Other smaller items can be placed in a 0.2 cu-ft area which is hidden by a removable panel located in the side panel on the driver side. In addition, the car has two 13-inch long storage spots located near the main in-floor storage area. Heavy items can be loaded very easy thanks to the low lift-over height of approximately 24 inches. As standard for increasing the security, a retractable cover prevents the rear cargo items to be seen by people that pass near the car and look into the rear windows of the Wagon.
The rear seats of the 2011 Acura TSX Wagon have a 60/40 fold-down design which means that one section can be easily lowered in order to generate more cargo space while the other section can remain in the original position to accommodate a rear-seat passenger.
Post tags: Tags: Acura, tsx wagon
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For 2011, the Acura TSX will get a minor yet well-deserved facelift that will include a few important mechanical enhancements in order to reduce the fuel economy. In early 2011 the car will get a Sport Wagon configuration. The front of the car has now a lower grille that has a sportier and smaller mouth and the upper grille has shrunk a little bit. The Acura designers said that the modifications brought to the underbody aero panels and the reshaped chin spoiler help slipperiness. In the back you will notice the redesigned tail lamps. For the 2.4-liter four-cylinder configuration, the Acura TSX will come as standard with 17-inch rims.
Moving inside the car, the center console look was thoroughly revised, replacing several trim pieces for bits that now have a darker and more expensive appearance. In addition, the car now has contrasting stitching on the seats. As far as the interior lightning is concerned, the LEDs will do the job very nice. As an optional feature, the TSX can be equipped with a navigational system that has a 60 GB hard drive (15GB can be used for personal photos and music). The car now sports an acoustic-glass windshield that significantly reduces the cabin noise. To further reduce external noises, the TSX got a thicker side glass as well as more under floor sound-deadening materials.
Both the 2.4-liter and the more powerful V6 3.5-liter are now more fuel efficient (1mpg improvement) thanks to the modifications made by the engineers in terms of friction in the power unit. They also updated the 5-speed automatic gearbox shift mapping, plus it received a fluid warmer in order to improve cold-weather shift longevity and overall quality. All of these modifications result in the following fuel consumption figures – 22 mpg city / 31 mpg highway for the 2.4-liter automatic, 21 mpg city / 29 mpg highway for the 2.4-cylinder linked to a 6-speed manual transmission and 19 mpg city / 28 mpg highway for the automatic 3.5-liter configuration.
We mentioned the Sport Wagon variant of the TSX which will be arriving next spring. The car will be available only with a 2.4-liter power unit linked to either a four-speed or a five-speed automatic gearbox that will do 30 mpg highway. There is a possibility in the future that the car will be available with a 6-speed manual transmission, but not at launch. The wagon variant will get the same comfort and interior features like the sedan version (including entertainment system and hard drive navigation).
As far as the pricing is concerned, the 2011 facelift of the Acura TSX will raise the price with $300, to a total of $30, 470 for the 2.4-liter engine equipped with a manual gearbox and $36, 010 for the more powerful V6 3.5-liter. The prices for the Sport Wagon will be announced once the launch date approaches.
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Pilot Automotive WL061-C Chrome Acura License Frame
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167,000 2004-2008 Acura TSX sedans recalled over potential fire hazard
Another recall was signaled at the end of last week, with Honda announcing that 167,000 models of its last generation (2004-2008) Acura TSX sedan will be called back to dealerships in order to prevent a potential fire hazard.
The problem stems from a power steering hose. It seems that all models equipped with the 2.4-liter inline-four cylinder engine need to have new hoses, an o-ring gasket and power steering fluid added.
Why? It seems that because it is exposed to the high temperatures beneath the hood, the hose can deteriorate rapidly, causing fluid to leak out. This fluid can reach the exhaust system, where it can result in smoke or fire. Just one such incident was reported, but Acura wants to make sure it won’t happen again.
Acura TSX sedan owners will be informed by mail at the end of the month, but you can call (800) 382-2238 for more info.
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Acura has just revealed that the 2010 ZDX model, which saw 1,580 models sold so far, will be recalled immediately over a potential problem to the passenger airbag.
According to the Japanese luxury carmaker, the dashboard on around 2% of these vehicles has been badly assembled, and might cause the passenger airbag to deploy improperly in case of a crash. It seems that it might stem from the material, which wasn’t correctly cut when the car was manufactured.
Bear in mind only a few cars have been affected, but the company will notify anyone who purchased a 2010 ZDX in order to get it checked up at the local dealership. If the fault is found, the dashboard will be replaced with no extra charge. For more info, call (800) 382-2238.
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Post tags: Tags: 2010 acura zdx, Acura, acura zdx, airbag, issue, Recalls
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American wagon lovers are definitely being catered for at the 2010 New York Auto Show, not only through the magnificent Cadillac CTS-V Sport Wagon, but also with the 2011 Acura TSX Sport Wagon model, which has just premiered in the Big Apple.
As everyone expected, the car is basically a rebadged version of the European Honda Accord Touring, with just a prettier interior and, quite possibly, a jacked up price. The new wagon will be powered by the same 2.4-liter inline-four cylinder unit found on the TSX sedan, and will only be available with a five-speed automatic gearbox.
No word on fuel estimates, although Acura is expecting something in the 30 mpg range. Also, the 2011 TSX Sport Wagon will only be available as a front-wheel drive model, as the AWD technology is exclusive to the sedan.
You can check out the 2011 Acura TSX Sport Wagon at the NY Auto Show, and expect it to hit dealerships this fall.
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With the Geneva Motor Show beginning to close its doors, the auto industry is looking forward to the next big event, the 2010 New York Auto Show. During this convention Acura has just announced it will be debuting the TSX Sport Wagon.
Essentially a rebadged European Honda Accord Touring (hopefully with Type S styling), the new model will represent a more classical approach to wagons than the current (and controversial) US Honda Accord Crosstour. After its New York debut, the TSX SW will be reaching dealerships this fall.
No other details were given by Acura, but it did emphasize the engine options for the TSX sedan, the 201 HP 2.4-liter four-cylinder or the 280 HP 3.5-liter V6. As such, there’s a big chance that these mills will also be offered with the new Sport Wagon.
More details and photos are set to appear at the end of the month, with the start of the New York show.
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Acura TSX reportedly getting hybrid drivetrain soon
Honda is pushing hybrid drivetrains with models like the Insight and the recently revealed CR-Z coupe, but up until now has been reluctant to reveal any such options for its luxury division, Acura.
Things are about to change though, as the company has revealed through the voice of its CEO, Takanobu Ito, that a hybrid powertrain will soon grace one of the Acura models, but was reluctant to say which car specifically will gain an electric motor.
Luckily, the Automotive News team got a tip from an Acura dealer, which confirms the TSX sedan to be the first in line when the hybrid drivetrains will be given by parent company Honda. After that specific implementation, you can expect other models to also be on the receiving end of the new technology, so that premium-oriented customers will have a wide range of choices.
Are you excited about hybrid Acura models? Share your opinion below.
Source: Automotive News via Autoblog
Post tags: Tags: Acura, acura tsx, Honda, Hybrid
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After seeing just how successful the VAG groups is going with its DSG dual-clutch gearbox, Japanese company Honda has announced that it has also developed its own type of gearbox which will feature two clutches in order to improve reaction time and the speed of the shifts.
But don’t go thinking that the next Civic, Accord or any Acura-branded models will boast it, as at first, the company which also makes motorbikes, will implement it on its two wheel models. This is due to the new systems used by the company, which make it extremely light, and thus great for bikes. More specifically, the two clutches are placed on the same line, and combined with the hydraulic circuits from under the engine, will mean a drastic weight loss for the new box.
In terms of mechanics, it will have six speeds, with each clutch operating a set of three gears, one for the 1,3,5 and the other for the 2,4,6 gears. As you know, bikes don’t have reverse, so these will be all the gears for the first edition of the box. You can be sure that the one made for cars will have plenty of other features in it.
The new box will also have three driving modes, D, for normal driving, S, for sport, and M, which will allow the rider to change the gears how he pleases. There are no details on when the box will be made available for cars, as further research is needed on behalf of the Japanese company, but it seems that dual-clutch gearboxes will play a big part in the future of both bikes and cars.
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Post tags: Tags: Acura, bikes, DSG, dual-clutch, gearbox, Honda, motorbikes
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