Acura Full Lineup Marks New Looks and Impressive Performance

 Launches  Comments Off on Acura Full Lineup Marks New Looks and Impressive Performance
Jul 132022
 

1991 Acura NSX

Celebrating a return to its roots and “precision crafted performance,” Acura recently hosted a full-line press drive in Atlanta, GA, led by high performance Type S models. While not technically a launch, the event did offer a chance for Latino Traffic Report (LTR) to drive certain Acura products for the first time, starting at the top of the lineup with its supercar, the 2022 NSX Type S (above) with a twin- turbocharged V6 and three-motor hybrid system that produces 600-horsepower and 492 lb.–ft. of torque and a Gotham Gray matte exterior, as well as the classic 1991 NSX model—rare opportunities indeed.

From the newly reintroduced fifth generation Integra to the six-figure NSX ($171,495), the driving experiences for all models stood out for their nimbleness, firm handling, and responsiveness.

2023 Acura Integra

Not only has the Integra returned to the lineup, so has a six-speed manual transmission for 2023. Powered by the first-ever factory turbocharged 1.5-liter engine with 200 hp and 192 lb.-ft. of torque, the manual version of the Integra sits at the top of the lineup. The drive experience did not disappoint but the standard model with the CVT transmission also produced a sporty response and a serious engine rumble. Pricing for the 2023 Integra starts at $31,895 with destination fees.

2021 Acura TLX Type S

Built on an exclusive platform for Type S performance, the TLX borrows some technology from its super sibling, like a double-wishbone front suspension, to enhance the ride and handling, and Brembo brakes. It’s powered by an all-new 3.0-liter V6 turbo engine inspired by the twin turbo V6 on the NSX. Pricing for the 2022 TLX starts at $39,995 and the Type S at $54,795.

2023 Acura MDX Type S

The MDX will be the first Acura sport utility vehicle (SUV) with a Type S badge. While the test model MDX Type S performed handily, powered by a V6 turbo with 355 hp and supported by an adaptive air suspension, the massage setting in the front seats with nine options, including Shiatsu, also made a big impression. Many premium models offer a massage function but it’s not always easy to find. The button on the MDX was located in the center stack next to buttons for heating and cooling the seats. Pricing for the 2022 MDX starts at $49,795 and the Type S at $67,895.

2022 Aura RDX A VD/Tech

Redesigned in 2019, the RDX was the first to debut Acura’s latest exterior DNA, featuring the new grille with a sunburst effect. At the event, the RDX showcased Acura’s ELS Studio premium sound system created exclusively for Acura by eight-time Grammy Award-winning producer and engineer Elliot Scheiner and his team of experts. He explained that apparently, musicians will take to their cars after recording to hear how a track will sound. Scheiner and his team set about creating a studio sound experience for Acura, culminating in the top-of-the-line ELS Studio 3D Signature Edition featuring 25 speakers and 1000 watts of sound. Versions of the system, including the ELS Studio with 16 speakers, are available on certain Integra, TLX, RDX, and MDX models. Pricing for the 2022 RDX starts at $40,345.

John Paul Diaz

LTR readers will appreciate that Scheiner records at the Tree Sound Studios, co-owned by first generation Cuban-American John Paul Diaz and his father. Diaz joked that as a young man, he had hoped to tour with bands as a roadie but after witnessing the toll the road took on them, “I decided to be a sound engineer instead.” Diaz shared with LTR that he hopes to build stronger connections to Atlanta’s Latino community and to host more Latino artists and musicians at his studio.

(l to R) Jessica Fini and Meliza Humphrey

Also of note were two trailblazers for Acura, Jessica Fini, senior manager, Honda and Acura PR and Meliza Humphrey, senior manager, Acura Marketing. Fini is the first woman to be in this position for both Honda and Acura, and Humphrey, is the first Latina in this position. The timely introduction came on the heels of the Honda’s recently released diversity and inclusion report.

All in all, the lineup effectively represented Acura’s reputation for performance combined with premium features that set it apart in the segment.

 

 

 

 

 

SUV Review: 2022 Acura RDX

 Acura, Reviews  Comments Off on SUV Review: 2022 Acura RDX
May 162022
 
2022 Acura RDX

By Andy Stonehouse

Properly equipped for the winter, which we have an abundance of in Colorado, even the fanciest import sports SUV or sedan makes sense. Smaller, stylish and still speedy, the five-passenger Acura RDX offers great looks and excellent performance.

That was the much happier experience I had with a 2022 edition of Acura’s RDX, a one-size-smaller rendition of the ever-popular MDX, which was delivered, in the winter, with a set of high-performance winter tires (amazingly, this is a rarity, even as my travels take me into a high-altitude climate where I have literally been on traction-challenged ski trips weekly between October and early May). I cannot stress how much that amplified the driving experience and the sense of security, especially as it was the fancier A-Spec Advance Package edition of the vehicle.

2022 Acura

After driving a reasonably similar 2022 Lexus NX and a larger RX sandwiched around the Acura, I feel confident in saying that it’s probably exactly the vehicle I might invest in, if my circumstances called for a flashy, rock-solid and speedy five-passenger SUV. It’s not so tall and gigantic that you can’t reach up to brush snow off the roof, it’s got tons of visual appeal and its 272-horsepower 2.0-liter turbo setup pretty much blew away the NX in every circumstance.

I also got to enjoy Acura’s “super-handling” all-wheel-drive system and its active torque vectoring during snowy outings and then again on a very busy trip to Loveland Ski Area, on the Continental Divide. Both circumstances showed the Ohio-assembled, $52,845 vehicle to be the right size and the right power for the job.

Your feelings on the Acura’s very quiet but hyperstyled cockpit and its overly busy center stack could be an issue, however. Things are still focused around a giant drive mode knob that either lightens the throttle for Snow or apparently throws you into hyperspace in Sport, plus still-curious vertical shift buttons and a broad display screen controlled by a wide, slightly weird touchpad. Unlike most other manufacturers, its traffic data was also 100 percent accurate between the tunnel and Idaho Springs.

2022 Acura RDX

The A-Spec rendition gets more dark trim around the starburst-styled grille, window frames and body panels, plus beautiful multi-spoke 20-inch wheels, and its seats are even sportier than the standard model, with suede inserts and pretty aggressive bolstering. In the back, slightly silly oversized chrome exhaust ports convey the RDX’s somewhat boisterous, sporty character; the seven-lens jewel eye LED headlamps are an equally pleasant (and bright) touch.

I mostly liked that fact that RDX’s mass was never overwhelming or made it feel cumbersome, either on icy surfaces or while running up that horsepower on dry roads. The 10-speed automatic transmission can be pretty actively engaged via paddle shifters, and steering feel and braking capabilities are both accurate and effective.

The 2022 model included the very tangible suspension and dynamics system upgrades, plus wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and built-in Amazon Alexa.

Sí: RDX offers a right-sized mix of power, sportiness and versatility, without the mass and mess of large SUVs.

No: That center stack design is a whole lot to take in, for limited real-world usefulness. But if you like knobs, Acura’s knobs are as ornate as they come.

Andy Stonehouse is a guest contributor to Latino Traffic Report and a freelance automotive journalist based in Lakewood, Colorado. All photos are stock, not as-tested.