There has been a lot of buzz lately about the future of Honda’s luxury/ performance brand, Acura. Their current lineup is somewhat bland and uninspiring. The TSX and TL were great when they were first released in 2003 and 2004, but now they lag behind the competition. The RL had issues from the beginning, mainly due to a lack of a V8 engine. That leaves the new MDX and RDX, which are new and are doing well, although the styling of the RDX has been some what controversial.
According to a post on AutoSpies, a current Acura customer got an inside scoop on the automaker’s upcoming model lineup from an Acura salesperson. The news is quite exciting:
-300+ horsepower will be standard across the range, which includes the TSX
-A TSX coupe is in the works
-AWD will be standard on all the models
-The RL will finally get a V8, which will be no larger than 4.2L
-A new flagship sedan to compete against the 7-Series and Lexus LS460. The RL will most likely remain in its current position.
What is interesting is the fact that if the automaker releases a flagship model that is higher than the RL, where will the RL fit in? The TSX seems like it will move up to compete against the 3-series class, the TL will compete against the 5-series class and the unnamed flagship (possibly Legend) would compete against the 7-series class. The RL seems like it may be a waste.
Supposedly the new V8 will be entry level and will maintain above average fuel economy.
How does all of this sound? It sounds pretty exciting to me and if the next TSX has AWD and 300hp, I may have to wait to buy a new car. Let’s hope at least some of it is true!
Oh also according to the Acura rep, the new Accord will have a 280hp V6!
Full Story: AutoSpies
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