Automotive

Acura pulls the curtain back on the 2014 RLX in LA

Acura pulls the curtain back on the 2014 RLX in LA
The 2014 Acura RLX made its debut at the LA Auto Show, and Gizmag was on the scene
The 2014 Acura RLX made its debut at the LA Auto Show, and Gizmag was on the scene
View 22 Images
The 2014 Acura RLX made its debut at the LA Auto Show, and Gizmag was on the scene
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The 2014 Acura RLX made its debut at the LA Auto Show, and Gizmag was on the scene
The 2014 Acura RLX on the show floor
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The 2014 Acura RLX on the show floor
The rear quarter of the 2014 Acura RLX from the show
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The rear quarter of the 2014 Acura RLX from the show
The driver's seat of the 2014 RLX
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The driver's seat of the 2014 RLX
The front of the 2014 RLX
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The front of the 2014 RLX
The 2014 Acura RLX
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The 2014 Acura RLX
Front quarter view of the 2014 RLX
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Front quarter view of the 2014 RLX
The back of the 2014 Acura RLX
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The back of the 2014 Acura RLX
The rear quarter of the 2014 Acura RLX
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The rear quarter of the 2014 Acura RLX
A close view of the Acura RLX's taillights
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A close view of the Acura RLX's taillights
The new headlights of the 2014 Acura RLX
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The new headlights of the 2014 Acura RLX
Another view of the new headlights of the 2014 Acura RLX
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Another view of the new headlights of the 2014 Acura RLX
The 2014 Acura RLX
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The 2014 Acura RLX
The 2014 Acura RLX
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The 2014 Acura RLX
The 2014 Acura RLX
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The 2014 Acura RLX
A side/rear view from the show floor
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A side/rear view from the show floor
Front quarter view of the 2014 Acura RLX from the show floor
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Front quarter view of the 2014 Acura RLX from the show floor
The new 2014 Acura RLX's engine
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The new 2014 Acura RLX's engine
The rear interior of the 2014 Acura RLX
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The rear interior of the 2014 Acura RLX
The rear interior of the 2014 Acura RLX with an adult male seated to demonstrate legroom
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The rear interior of the 2014 Acura RLX with an adult male seated to demonstrate legroom
The controls inside the 2014 Acura RLX
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The controls inside the 2014 Acura RLX
The dual-screen on the 2014 Acura RLX
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The dual-screen on the 2014 Acura RLX
View gallery - 22 images

The LA Auto Show is a big event for most automobile manufacturers. Acura is no exception, and it took the opportunity to show off its brand new RLX sedan, which will serve as the company's flagship car. The automaker is bringing plenty of new features and improvements to its premium sedan, both in terms of performance and comfort.

Acura has added a 310-horsepower direct-injected SOHC 24-valve i-VTEC V-6 engine. The company is expecting it to have a best-in-class fuel economy of 20/31/24 mpg (11.8/7.6/9.8 L/100km) city/highway/combined. Those estimates are determined by Acura – the final EPA estimates are not available yet.

The car also comes with a 6-speed automatic transmission and steering-wheel-mounted shift paddles.

Acura is including Precision All-Wheel Steer, which is designed to give extra control and improved handling. The system offers continuous control over left and right rear-wheel steering angles.

Acura's new flagship has plenty of exterior features that look interesting for luxury car buyers. It comes with features like an integrated rear sunshade, front and rear parking sensors, rain-sensing windshield wipers, and more. Other companies like BMW and Lexus offer these features, and Acura is making sure to keep on par with its competitors with the RLX.

The dual-screen on the 2014 Acura RLX
The dual-screen on the 2014 Acura RLX

There are plenty of luxurious features on the inside as well. The car comes with "premium materials" throughout, including wood-grain accents that give the interior a luxurious look. That's all well and good, but the exciting part is the technology inside the new RLX. The center console features two screens, the first of which is an 8-inch navigation screen, with the second being a 7-inch on-demand multi-use touchscreen. The smaller screen controls everything from the audio to the air conditioning.

Acura is offering two different audio packages for the RLX. The first package includes a 10-speaker ELS audio system with HD radio, XM radio, Pandora interface, USB connectivity, and an auxiliary jack. The second option includes 14 speakers from Krell Audio.

The RLX includes AcuraLink, which is designed to provide drivers with information, media, convenience, and security services. It connects with web-enabled devices to provide information such as real-time traffic, airbag deployment notifications, stolen vehicle tracking, plus remote locking and unlocking.

The front of the 2014 RLX
The front of the 2014 RLX

The RLX's safety features include lane departure warnings, lane keeping assistance, collision mitigating brake systems, blind spot information and others.

Acura did not announce the price for the 2014 RLX, simply stating that pricing will be made available closer to the spring (Northern Hemisphere) release time frame.

Source: Acura

View gallery - 22 images
1 comment
1 comment
RichC
Too bubbly a front, like the squat little Chinese electric cars an the dumb little smile from the movie 'Cars'. The original Neon and the Fiat 500 are far cuter. Side is nice, like the crisp Chevy Impala. I haven't seen the back, but I'm sure there is a smile there too with some hint of a 'Transformer' face in there somewhere.
Since they are lost in describing what a flagship car should resemble, they should look at some great Caddies, Dodges, Fords and Hyundais in the same desired price range. Look at BMW. Better yet, hire Horatio Pagani and his staff. Then it would definitely look like a 'million bucks'.
Just something to ponder,
Rich