| Acura RLX | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | Acura (Honda) |
| Model code | KC1/2 |
| Also called | Honda Legend (Japan) |
| Production | December 2012 – June 2020 |
| Model years | 2014–2020 |
| Assembly | Japan:Sayama, Saitama (Sayama Plant) |
| Designer | Hideaki Uchino (2009)[1] |
| Body and chassis | |
| Class | Executive car (E) |
| Body style | 4-doorsedan |
| Layout | FF /F4 layout (SH-AWD) |
| Powertrain | |
| Engine | 3.5 LEarth DreamsJ35Y4V6 |
| Electric motor | 3x Permanent-magnet synchronous AC motors (1x 47 hp Front + 2x 36 hp Rears: Sport Hybrid SH-AWD) |
| Transmission | FWD: (RLX only) 6-speedautomatic (2014-17) 10-speed automatic (2018–2020) Hybrid AWD: 7-Speed DCT Motor-Integrated |
| Battery | Li-Ion |
| Dimensions | |
| Wheelbase | 2,850 mm (112.2 in) |
| Length | 4,982 mm (196.1 in) (2014 - 2018) 5,032 mm (198.1 in)[2][3] (2018–2020) |
| Width | 1,890 mm (74.4 in) |
| Height | 1,465 mm (57.7 in) 1,480 mm (58.3 in)[2] (Legend) |
| Curb weight | 1,800–1,816 kg (3,968–4,004 lb) 1,956–1,977 kg (4,312–4,359 lb) (AWD) 1,990 kg (4,387 lb)[2] (Legend) |
| Chronology | |
| Predecessor | Acura RL |
TheAcura RLX is amid-size flagshipluxury car manufactured byHonda and produced under theirAcura division since 2012, succeeding theRL. The RLX was discontinued in 2020.
TheAcura Legend was a very successful vehicle to launch Acura as a separate division, and combined with sales of theIntegra this resulted in Acura outselling longtime luxury marquesBMW andMercedes-Benz as well asToyota's new luxury divisionLexus. However, the successor RL sold below expectations due to relatively tight interior for its size, the lack of a V8 performance engine option and better handling rear-wheel drive experience, and/or relatively expensive compared to its rivals.[original research?]
An October 2009Car and Driver blog cited a dinner with Acura executives who acknowledged that the introduction of the new, larger, and in some guises, more powerful, fourth generationAcura TL made it difficult to market the then-current RL. In November 2009, an Autoweek article[4] reported that new Honda CEO Takanobu Ito told Automotive News that Acura is going to change course. Speaking of the worldwide economy before the collapse of investment bankLehman Brothers, Ito said through an interpreter, "Pre-Lehman, we did have the idea to produce more multicylinder engines... I see the future of Acura as a merger ofBMW andAudi -- something between high performance and high technology." As a result of this midstream change, Acura will be in a "low-growth period of developing new products," Ito said. "We were thinking that we could come up with glamorous, gorgeous products that would sell. Now, our premium products will be expressed in advanced environmental technologies, rather than glamorous things attached to the product," he said.
On April 4, 2012, Acura unveiled the RLX Concept, a replacement for the RL sedan, at the2012 New York International Auto Show.[5] The production model, which changed little from the concept, was unveiled globally at theLos Angeles Auto Show later that year.
Production of the Acura RL ended at the Saitama facility on June 16, 2012, to begin factory changeover to the RLX. The RLX was offered for sale beginning on March 15, 2013. The RLX is offered in two versions, a front-wheel drive base model equipped with All-Wheel Steer (P-AWS)four-wheel steering system, and ahybrid variant featuringSH-AWD as Acura's flagship.[6]
The RLX Sport Hybrid debuted at the2013 Los Angeles Auto Show.[7] Overall vehicle weight was up 357 lbs, with weight distribution (front:rear) improved from 61:39 in non-hybrids to 57:43 in hybrid models. It was offered as the Honda Legend in Japan. US sales began during September 2014, with 250 models produced for the 2014 model year and an additional 250 models produced in 2015 for the 2016 model year.
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Adirect injected 3.5-literEarth Dreams V6 usingVTEC andVariable Cylinder Management (VCM) coupled with a 6-speed automatic received an EPA-estimated fuel economy of 20/30/23 mpg (city/highway/combined) and the maximum output was 310 hp (231 kW) at 6,500 rpm and 272 lb⋅ft (369 N⋅m) of torque at 4,500 rpm. The fuel saving VCM system worked in either 6 or 3 cylinder configurations; the new model used more sophisticated engine mounts which bypassed the need for a 4-cylinder mode which would result in a lowerNVH.
Hybrid models featured the VCM capability as well, with an addedstart-stop system to boost fuel economy as well as the ability to operate entirely on electric power up to 58 miles per hour with light throttle usage. The hybrid also used a 7-speeddual clutch transmission using an integrated 35 kW (47 hp) electric motor, with each rear wheel being powered by a 27-kilowatt (36 hp) electric motor, with 2 rear electric motors total. This setup gave the hybrid atorque vectoring all-wheel drive system with rear wheels strictly electrically powered.
A 72-cell 1.3 kWh 66-pound lithium-ion battery pack was placed behind the rear seat. Total system power output on hybrid was rated at 377 hp (281 kW) at 6,500 rpm and 341 lb⋅ft (462 N⋅m) of torque at 4,700 rpm. EPA estimated fuel economy was improved to 29/30/29 mpg (city/highway/combined). It was given a CARB emissions rating of LEV III SULEV30 compared with the non-hybrid's ULEV-2 ranking.
The front subframe was made from aluminum. Front suspension used a double wishbone layout, while the rear was a multi-link with aPrecision All Wheel Steer (P-AWS, front-drive models only) system.ZF Sachs (ZF) supplied the "Amplitude ReactiveDampers" with two piston valves per damper. 18-inch wheels were standard, and 19-inch wheels with a noise reducing harmonic construction feature were optional for non-hybrids and standard on hybrids, a feature similar to that used in the previous face-lifted 2011 Acura RL. Suspension tuning was oriented towards the sportier side of comfort.
Standard perforated leather 12-way (4-way lumbar) front seats were heated and, on the "Advance" option package models, cooled, and rear seat room had been significantly improved. Rear legroom was similar to full size luxury flagship sedans (non-extended wheelbase versions). An 8-inch navigation screen along with a 7-inch touch screen display for audio, climate, and various shortcut controls withAcuraLink were also standard.
An optional flagship 14-speakerKrell audio system replaced theBose system used on the previous model RL.[8] A mid-level 14-speaker ELS Studio Premium system using Panasonic components was also optional.[9] The base ELS Premium system used 10-speakers.
Hybrid models included an electronic transmission gear selector,heads-up display, acoustic (PVB layered glass for all doors and the windshield, and standard navigation. The 14-speaker ELS Studio Premium system was standard, and the Krell system was optional.GPS-linkedclimate control, voice recognition, and a keyless access system with a push-button start were also standard.
The RLX was the first Acura model to offer standard Jewel-EyeLED headlamps. Each unit uses five separate LED light sources (four low beam, one high beam) with ten polished lenses (eight low beam, two high beam). The headlights no longerswivel through corners as they did on the previous generation RL. The hood, front fenders, and outer door panels are made from aluminum,[10] aluminum use in the RLX saved a total of 79.1 lbs compared with steel components.
The hybrid came standard with LED foglamps.
All models came standard with a multi-angle rear-viewbackup camera,Forward Collision Warning system (FCW) andlane departure warning. An automatic braking front precrash system with front seatbelt electronicpretensioners was available, as was alane keeping assist system andadaptive cruise control. OptionalAdaptive Cruise Control with Low-Speed Follow,Blind Spot Information System andautomotive head-up display were available. For 2016, aSurround View camera system was made optional.
Brakes with Brake Hold Control holding the car at a stop without the use of a brake pedal,Electronic Brake Distribution,Brake Assist, an Agile Handling Assist that applies the brakes on the wheels inside a curve, andVehicle Stability Assist were standard.
| Moderate overlap frontal offset | Good |
| Small overlap frontal offset | Good1 |
| Side impact | Good |
| Roof strength | Good2 |
| Overall: |  |
| Frontal Driver: | |
| Frontal Passenger: | |
| Side Driver: | |
| Side Passenger: | |
| Side Pole Driver: | |
| Rollover: | /9.7% |
For the 2018 model year, the RLX received a mid-cycle change; US sales began in November 2017. The updated RLX incorporated Acura's new design language featuring its diamond pentagon grille, redesigned front and rear fascias, redesigned LED tail lights, LED head lights, a new wheel design, a redesigned hood, and chrome exhaust finishers. Changes to the interior had been made, including a new front seat design, steering wheel, wood trim, and an added Espresso interior color option. RLX featured AcuraWatch suite of safety features as standard, including an Acura first- Traffic Jam Assist andblind spot monitoring. The front-wheel-drive RLX received a new 10-speed automatic transmission.[13] The length grew to 5,032 mm (198.1 in), becoming the longest Honda/Acura sedan to date and the first to exceed 5 metres (16 ft 5 in).
2020 was the final model year for the RLX as the market shifted towards SUVs/crossovers.[14][15] As a result, theTLX became Acura's flagship sedan. Although similar in appearance, the RLX was larger than the TLX.[14] The 2021 TLX then took a position in Acura's lineup as "the quickest, best-handling and most well-appointed [Acura] sedan".[16]
TheHonda Legend, upon which the RLX was based, was initially continued on in other markets, including Japan. In June 2021, it was announced that the Legend would be discontinued at the end of that production year.[17]
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