What a Tease... Acura Lifts the Veils off 2012 TL Sedan's Buttocks

In less than 24 hours from now, Acura will debut the facelifted 2012 TL at the Chicago Auto Show, but just to keep us on our toes, the Japanese automaker partially lifted the covers off the mid-size sedan's rear end. We're pretty sure that most readers are interested in what's happening on the other end of the car, but for now, it'll have to do.

From this end, we see that the model pictured here is the TL SH-AWD. Compared to the 2011 version of the car pictured below, the facelifted model gains a new bumper with a less fussy design while it also loses the quad exhaust pipes in favor of twin trapezoid-shape outlets. And well, that's about all we can see. Aside from the cosmetic changes, expect to see some minor refinements to the TL's hardware.

READ MORE - What a Tease... Acura Lifts the Veils off 2012 TL Sedan's Buttocks

2012 Acura TL Refreshment Brings Toned Down Shield-Grille and New 6-Speed Auto

The facelifted Acura TL made its world premiere today at the Chicago Auto Show. The 2012 model year brings a fresh look for the front and rear ends of the mid-size sedan along with a new Sequential SportShift 6-speed automatic transmission and equipment upgrades.

The first thing you'll notice on the 2012 Acura TL is of course the revamped front end. While Acura did not totally eliminate the shield-grille, it did soften down the design making it look less gaudy. The updated headlamps and a revised front bumper with new fog light designs that led to a shorter front overhang round off the changes up front.

At the rear, there's a new bumper incorporating a repositioned license plate opening and smaller rear reflectors, while updated taillights, new exhaust tips and a thinner rear trunk edge trim complete the look.

Under the skin, the 2012 TL gets a new Sequential SportShift 6-speed automatic while keeping the same engine lineup that includes a 280HP V6 for the front-wheel drive model and a 305HP V6 for the Super Handling All-Wheel Drive versions. According to Acura, the new transmission along with some other improvements help increase the FWD model's fuel economy by 3mpg on the highway, from 26mpg to 29mpg.

Other notable upgrades for 2012 include the new 60GB hard disk drive based Navigation system with a brighter monitor, and a new Advance Package that incorporates all-new ventilated front seats along with a new blind spot information (BSI) system that alerts the driver of other vehicles that are in close proximity.

READ MORE - 2012 Acura TL Refreshment Brings Toned Down Shield-Grille and New 6-Speed Auto

2012 Acura TL: Video and Live Photos from the Chicago Auto Show

In an attempt to win back buyers that were turned off by the fourth generation TL's controversial looks, Acura revealed a mid-cycle refresh for the 2012 model year version of the car at the Chicago Auto Show. We've already brought you the key details in our previous post (see here), but now we have a fresh batch of photos and a walkaround video of the 2012 TL straight from Acura's stand at the McCormick Place Convention Center. You can check both out right after the jump.

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2010 Acura RDX Facelift Photos: Photoshoped or the Real Deal?

Not that we're trying to be a negative Nancy here, but we've seen one too many supposedly genuine photos turning out to be nothing more than cleverly disguised photoshops to take everything we see on the net for granted. These shots that allegedly depict the subtly refreshed 2010 Acura RDX were posted on SatoAuto. We could be wrong but the above photo does look like it may be a 'chop based on an image shown on Acura's public site (check it out after the jump).

But in any case, the website claims that besides a new fascia that adopts Acura's gaudy corporate grille and a restyled bumper, the facelifted RDX will also benefit from the introduction of an entry-level, front-wheel drive version.

As for the interior, the website says Acura will add many new features including a revised Back Up Camera with guide lines, USB iPod integration, Bluetooth audio and "auto-off headlights".

Bottom line, better wait for Acura to come out with something official before we draw any conclusions.

Source: SatoAuto , Via: Autoblog

READ MORE - 2010 Acura RDX Facelift Photos: Photoshoped or the Real Deal?

Honda Rumors: 2012 Civic Si to get a 2.4-liter Engine

Earlier this month, Honda unveiled the Civic Si Concept coupe and Civic Concept sedan at the 2011 Detroit Auto Show, signaling that the ninth generation 2012 Civic will follow soon, to be precise, this spring. However, the official press bits weren’t exactly what you’d call detailed, leaving lots of aspects, including the engine lineup, to our imagination.

Today, the Honda-obsessed team at the Temple of VTEC forums claim to have solved part of this mystery thanks some inside sources that told them a 2.4-liter gasoline engine, very similar to the Acura TSX’s powerplant, will make its way into the new Civic Si.

The new four-cylinder engine will replace the current K20Z3 197HP 2.0-liter unit and is expected to deliver a little over 200 horsepower and, thanks to its larger displacement, significantly more torque. The other conventional powerplant for the Civic's North American lineup is said to be the current 1.8-liter gasoline unit, possibly revised to return better fuel efficiency.

In other news, there are also rumors about Honda planning an HF trim level just for the sedan with gray or white exterior color. Fans of the manual transmissions can expect to find them on the DX- and LX-trimmed sedans as well as part of the EX trim level for coupe models.

Last but not least, the list of colors for 2012 has also been revealed and it’s available below.

Crystal Black Pearl

Dyno Blue Pearl

Urban Titanium Metallic

Cool Mist Metallic

Polished Metal Metallic

Crimson Pearl

Alabaster Silver Metallic

Taffeta White

The 2012 Honda Civic will go on sale in the U.S. this spring.

READ MORE - Honda Rumors: 2012 Civic Si to get a 2.4-liter Engine

Honda Rumors: 2012 Civic Si to get a 2.4-liter Engine

Earlier this month, Honda unveiled the Civic Si Concept coupe and Civic Concept sedan at the 2011 Detroit Auto Show, signaling that the ninth generation 2012 Civic will follow soon, to be precise, this spring. However, the official press bits weren’t exactly what you’d call detailed, leaving lots of aspects, including the engine lineup, to our imagination.

Today, the Honda-obsessed team at the Temple of VTEC forums claim to have solved part of this mystery thanks some inside sources that told them a 2.4-liter gasoline engine, very similar to the Acura TSX’s powerplant, will make its way into the new Civic Si.

The new four-cylinder engine will replace the current K20Z3 197HP 2.0-liter unit and is expected to deliver a little over 200 horsepower and, thanks to its larger displacement, significantly more torque. The other conventional powerplant for the Civic's North American lineup is said to be the current 1.8-liter gasoline unit, possibly revised to return better fuel efficiency.

In other news, there are also rumors about Honda planning an HF trim level just for the sedan with gray or white exterior color. Fans of the manual transmissions can expect to find them on the DX- and LX-trimmed sedans as well as part of the EX trim level for coupe models.

Last but not least, the list of colors for 2012 has also been revealed and it’s available below.

Crystal Black Pearl

Dyno Blue Pearl

Urban Titanium Metallic

Cool Mist Metallic

Polished Metal Metallic

Crimson Pearl

Alabaster Silver Metallic

Taffeta White

The 2012 Honda Civic will go on sale in the U.S. this spring.

By Csaba Daradics

Source: Temple of VTEC

_______________________________GALLERY_______________________________

READ MORE - Honda Rumors: 2012 Civic Si to get a 2.4-liter Engine

Acura ZDX

Here’s a recipe: take an Acura MDX and sift in some BMW X6 and a touch of Acura TSX and mix well. When the batter rises, carve a bit more than five inches off the top and remove the third-row seats, but keep the spices in the middle and the rubber on the road.



The result is what Acura says features “stunning coupe-like styling with the added benefit of a commanding presence and flexible utility” – in other words, yet another in a quickly-filling niche of coupe-like 4-door crossover SUVs.

It sure looks sleeker and sportier than Honda’s crossover, the Accord-based Crosstour. But what is it, and should we care?

*Acura appearance – Revealed as a prototype at the 2009 New York International Auto Show, after weeks of teasing half-shadowed shots, this crossover actually looks pretty cool. The first vehicle to be styled from start to finish in the new Acura Design Studio in Torrance, CA from a sketch by designer Michelle Christensen, it shares its MDX donor’s 3.7-liter, 300-hp V-6 and 108.3-inch wheelbase, body about an inch longer. The ZDX loses some height and .4-inches of ground clearance, although it still has a bit more SUV-like air space ‘tween the 19-inch Michelin tires and sculpted-shoulder fender flares that an Acura sedan.

The faceted, angled nose gets a more discrete version of Acura’s corporate guillotine blade grill, it’s V-shape complimented by slashed slit headlights that climb into the front fender lines over twin slashes of lower air intakes with fog lights. Those fender lines continue gracefully into a raked set of A-pillars, adding to the visual width of the design. The coupe-like profile is aided by the rising beltline and lower window design line off the front fender, the latter meeting the quickly descending fastback roof line. The rear fender line curves and sways around into the rear deck’s trim spoiler, which bisects the almost flat tinted glass rear window and matching panoramic glass roof from the Honda Insight/CRX-style vertical rear window. No rear wiper mars the lines, the rear glass flanked by arrowhead-pointed taillights. The faceted rear end gets neatly-integrated squared-of exhaust tips above a slim gray lower fascia. More than one person bought into the coupe-like body style, hard-pressed to find the neatly-integrated back door handles set into the angled corner where rear side windows meet C-pillar/rear buttress. And I saw lots of glances directed at the sleek silver Z as it went by, one calling it “snazzy.” Score one for the best-looking coupe-like 4-door sports crossover design I’ve seen yet.

*Acura accommodations – When your recipe calls for lopping of more than five inches of roof height, adding a sleek sloping rear window and removing the third row of seats, there are compromises, no matter how good the cake looks. So it is with the ZDX. With 7.9-inches of ground clearance, it’s easy to get inside into relatively low-slung bucket seats. The MDX’s basic dash layout is here, a big red “Start” button a sporty touch. A sportier three-spoke power tilt/telescope steering wheel wrapped in leather gets stereo, voice command and Bluetooth cellphone controls on the left and cruise controls on the right, with a perfect view of the inset 160-mph speedometer, 8,000-rpm tach, gas and temperature gauge under the padded rounded cowl. A gray trip computer display nestles between the big central dials, done in black with white needles and numbers. Twin arches of silver over hand-stitched leather (an Acura first) arc off the V-shaped center section, topped with an inset 8-inch color display for the navigation, AcuraLink real-time traffic and weather with radar, as well as AcuraLink text/audio messages. There’s lots of buttons, plus the ubiquitous Acura/Honda twist-and-tap knob to run up and down menus and input. But it works neatly with the voice command, so almost everything can be accessed quickly. White/gray LCD displays offer standard stereo and climate control info as well.

We had the Tech Package ZDX, so there’s a great 10-speaker 435-watt surround-sound AM-FM-CD-XM Satellite audio system, plus a 60 GB hard drive for storing audio files via the USB port and auxiliary audio input jack under the trick center armrest (sliding door hides second cup holder). Something else that’s trick is the LED lighting on the center instrument panel buttons, which stay black until the engine is fired, then all icons light up. The center screen also displays a backup camera, while the Tech Package adds keyless entry and keyless ignition. A center console 12-volt outlet is hidden under a sliding door next to the stubby gear shift.

The driver gets a 10-way adjustable power driver seat with twin memory presets and power lumbar, the passenger an 8-way power seat, both with dual-level heat. They were very comfortable and supportive. Overhead, the panoramic glass roof with twin power sunshades, the front glass panel opening up, out and aft. Losing the MDX’s third row seat and some roof height means the headliner is cozier-closer to all inside. Up front, it’s a comfy, sporty place to play. But with the sloping rear roof line, I had to duck deep to get into the back seat, a narrow opening between wheel well and door frame. Acura says the rear seats are for “occasional” use, and that’s partially right. Once through the tight opening, there was room for my 6-foot frame thanks to a scalloped headliner, although the inside roof’s side dip down so low I had to duck to see out. Add rear a/c vents and a center armrest with cupholders and its fine for two adults, but three would push it. In back, the sloping hatch window, divider, rising rear haunches and slim vertical back window make it a bit tough to see anything aft or to the sides. As for cargo space, the high load floor makes it easy to get stuff in, and there’s a deep 2.2 cu. ft. storage well under the carpeted floor, plus odd-shaped nooks inside side hatches that let you load wider stuff like a golf bag when removed. Load it to the top and there’s decent space, expandable with 70/30 split rear seatbacks under the power tailgate.

Again, the whole design is more like a mid-size sports coupe with room for two more if needed, but why not just make it a sporty coupe-like sedan like a VW Passat CC?

*ZDX zip – There’s plenty thanks to a powerful, snarling SOHC V-6 hooked into a 6-speed automatic with paddle shifters. Our 500-mile-old tester launched quick and clean with all-wheel-drive traction to 60-mph in a tad under 6.5 seconds in “Sport” shift, slick shifts with good passing power and clean transmission kick-down. Fuel mileage averaged a so-so 16-mpg on the trip computer.

Under the skin, a multi-link rear suspension mounted on a separate steel subframe, all on a longer, lower, wider design than regular crossovers, Acura claims. The ride is sporty but comfortable, shrugging off bumps with well-buffered but tight rebound. Plus, it’s hooked into Super Handling All-Wheel Drive, which varies torque distribution front and rear and between the left and right rear wheels. In a turn, the SH-AWD display shows, and you feel the torque sent to the outside rear wheel to help rotate it around the curve better and minimize understeer. Despite having a bit of height on a sports sedan, the ZDX carved its way through turns like one, with minimal lean and lots of sure-footed feel. The brakes had a great pedal feel and control, with minimal nose dive and only a touch of fade after some very hard repeated use. The power steering was accurate, with great turning radius, and also had great feel. It was a lot of fun to drive.

*Acura assets – A base Acura ZDX is $46,355. Our test vehicle had the Technology Package, so it came with all listed above standard for $50,855. A BMW X6 SAV(Sports Activity coupe), the closest competitor, has 300-hp and carves a turn like nobody’s business, but has even less storage space and starts at about $56,000 base. A Lincoln MKS, Infiniti FX35 or a Lexus RX370 are also competitors, costing a few thousand less base, with between 265- to 303-hp each. Only the Infiniti is as sporty in looks or driving ability, but it is also as compact in places inside.

*Bottom line – Agile, comfortable, well-equipped, powerful, even cutting edge good-looking, its handling prowess honed on Germany's famed Nürburgring road course – that’s the Acura ZDX. Rear seat access hassle, low roof and tighter cargo storage – that’s also the ZDX. It’s a niche I don’t see a need to be filled, so just give me an Acura TL with SH-AWD and 305-hp.



2010 Acura ZDX/Techology

Vehicle type - 5-passenger sports activity crossover

Base price $50,855 (same as tested)

Engine type – SOHC 24-valve VTEC V-6

Displacement -3.7-liter

Horsepower (net) – 300 @ 6.300 rpm

Torque (lb-ft) – 270 @ 4,500-rpm

Transmission – 6-speed automatic w/paddle shifters

Wheelbase – 108.3 inches

Overall length – 192.4 inches

Overall width – 78.5 inches

Height – 62.8 inches

Front headroom – 38 inches

Front legroom – 42.6 inches

Rear headroom – 35.3 inches

Rear legroom – 31.1 inches

Cargo capacity – 26.3 cu.ft. max/55.8 w/rear seats down

Curb weight – 4,431 lbs.

Fuel capacity – 21 gallons

Mileage rating – 16-mpg city/23-mpg highway

Last word – Looks and drives great, but why make it a crossover?
By Dan Scanlan
MyCarData

READ MORE - Acura ZDX

Acura RDX - high tech and satisfying

Some station wagons seem to be the best of both worlds – room for five and cargo, yet still fun to drive like the Cadillac CTS wagon, BMW’s 325xi, Audi’s A3 Avant, Volvo’s V50 and Mercedes-Benz’s E350.
But station wagons aren’t a big thing for some now that crossovers have hit the scene, although some drive like an SUV. That’s where Acura made a smart move back in 2007 with the compact RDX back in 2007, calling it a "5-passenger entry premium SUV."


Based on the Honda CR-V, but with Acura’s edgier look, technology and sporty driving ability, its aimed at a customer who wants “a stylish vehicle that offers a higher ‘eye-point’ (driving position) and more cargo flexibility than a sedan,” but also wants the “style, handling and performance of a sports sedan,” sayeth Acura’s press material.

Witness the “transformable utility of the RDX,” now not so alone in the world of sporty compact crossover SUVs anymore.
* RDXterior - The RDX’s birth dates back to 2005 at the Detroit auto show, when Acura unveiled the RD-X concept. Acura believed that the world needed a competitor in the then-new premium sporty crossover class’s sole occupant, the BMW X3. Now there’s Audi Q5, Infiniti EX35, Mercedes GLK350 and Volkswagen Tiguan.
The look was similar to a baby MDX, starting with Acura’s chiseled nose. In 2010, Acura added its new satin alloy guillotine blade grill over a set of slit lower intakes (one feeds the intercooler) with a matte bumper bar, flanked by silver-framed fog lights. Underneath, a pseudo-brush guard. The headlights are slits that flow into the edgy fender above flat-faced wheel fender flares over 10-spoke alloy wheels wearing Michelin Pilot 18-inch rubber. The rising belt line is matched with a softly curved edge that rises off the front fender, while a gentle channel gives the flanks under the chromed door handles some definition over the lightly cladded sill. In back, a spoiler shields the tinted rear window on a composite hatchback with huge LED taillights and a short rear overhang. Under it, twin steel-edged pipes sit in a black lower fascia and accent the edgy bumper. It’s a tight design with a balanced look and fairly short overhang, but nothing as earthshaking as some Acuras have been.

* Acura accommodations – Dark gray over light gray with some pewter finish, all done in padded or soft touch materials - subtle, yet nicely done. You spy the inset three-gauge design with a big central 180-mph speedometer with a trip computer that even shows torque split on the wheels, flanked by 8,000-rpm tach and turbo boost gauge to the left and gas gauge and gearshift indicator to the right, done in white numbers with blue trim. The three-spoke tilt/telescope steering wheel has audio, Bluetooth, cruise, trip computer and voice command buttons – what you’d expect on a vehicle whose emblem is a measuring caliper. The large satellite navigation/stereo/backup camera screen has a 6-disc CD/DVD player down low, plus a very good AM-FM-XM Satellite tuner with MP3 audio input on the system faceplate below, and a USB input for iPods and memory sticks in the top of the multi-level, very deep center armrest storage area. A slit LCD display at the center base of the windshield offers climate control temperature displays, air vent node, clock and stereo information. The good news – Acura’s voice command system controls almost every audio, phone, navigation and climate control function you need, redundantly backed up with the familiar turn and tap knob under the screen and the main (map, audio, menu, info and cancel) function buttons around it. There are also stereo controls underneath, and on the wheel. You can shut off the nanny that verbally confirms button choices as well as tattled when someone unbuckled in the front passenger seat.

The nicely bolstered perforated leather buckets up front had eight-way power adjustments for the driver, and were sporty, supportive and comfortable, with a great driver relationship to controls. Both had dual-level heating too, the driver getting twin memory pre-sets. For a compact, back seat room was good for two adults. The rear seats flip and fold to expand the decent cargo area in back to 60 cubic feet, all hidden under a security cover. Liftover was low, and the sub-woofer in a side rear bulkhead didn’t intrude on space. Fit and finish inside and out was solid, all switchgear working smoothly and either backlit or lit from a blue pinhole LED.

* Acura athletics – The 2.3-liter turbocharged/intercooled in-line four under the hood of our 1,800-mile-old test car was a first for Acura, and its 240-hp output was a blast to drive in, hooked to a 5-speed automatic with sport option and small soft-touch plastic SportShift paddles. The result – a bit of turbo whoosh and wastegate burble as he hit a very quick 60-mph in 7 seconds. A light throttle input means great passing power for a four with precise shifts, the gearing held to fourth in sport shift. The bad side – here’s a four that got V-6 mileage, only averaging 15-mpg on premium.

This small crossover drove like its size, nimble and very sure-footed thanks to (breathe deep) Super Handling All-Wheel Drive, which shifts power to the outside rear wheel to boost cornering and steering. It corners very well, pulling through with minimal body roll and decent grip, a firm set to the supple (independent front/independent multi-link rear suspension) that some thought was a bit too firm, and did offer some sideways jiggle if you cross a speed bump at an angle. It really was almost as nimble as some sedans I’ve tossed around. I have taken one off road as well, and despite no low range, the RDX handled dirt and grass trails OK. The power steering was precise and nicely weighted, while the 11.7-inch front/12-inch rear disc brakes offered a solid pedal feel and good stopping power with no fade after repeated use. It drives like a sports sedan, like an Acura should, with a compact feel.

For safety, dual-stage front airbags, front side airbags and side curtain airbags for front and outboard rear seats with rollover sensor.

* RDX revenue – Acura now offers a front-wheel-drive-only RDX that starts at $32,620. Our all-wheel-drive version with technology package(navigation with voice recognition, Real-Time Traffic with rerouting, Real-Time Weather, 10-speaker surround sound system and rear view camera) was $37,165 with drive-by-wire throttle, remote keyless entry, HomeLink, moonroof, standard 18-inch wheels and leather seats.

For comparison in a now crowded field of compact premium all-wheel-drive crossovers, the RDX’s closest competitors are still the 260-hp BMW X3 (about $38,000), the 270-hp Audi Q5 (about $42,000), the almost-300-hp Infiniti EX35 (about $35,000) or the 268-hp Mercedes-Benz GLK350 (about $36,000) They all drive beautifully, with some serious sport sedan-like abilities within stylish station wagon-like shapes. Some of those shapes don’t mean good back seat or storage room, though. You can also consider the Volkswagen Tiguan (about $32,000), cleanly done but not as sporty.
* Bottom line – Acura developed a great option to the

then-exclusive X3 back when. Now you have a whole menu of premium sporty SUVs to choose from. Despite being there almost first, the RDX is still a very capable asphalt burner that is agile and quick. That said, some of the competition above is all that, if for a bit more.

2011 Acura RDX SH-AWD Technology
Vehicle type - five-door compact sports utility vehicle
Base price - $36,495 (as tested: $37,165)
Engine type - turbocharged/intercooled 16-valve, DOHC i-VTEC 4-cylinder
Displacement - 2.3-liter
Horsepower (net) - 240 @6,000 rpm
Torque (lb-ft) - 260 @ 4,500 rpm
Transmission - 5-speed automatic with paddle shifting
Wheelbase - 104.3 inches
Overall length – 182.5 inches
Overall width - 73.6 inches
Height - 65.2 inches
Front headroom - 38.7 inches
Front legroom 41.8 inches
Rear headroom - 38.3 inches
Rear legroom - 37.7 inches
Cargo capacity - 27.8 cu.ft./60.6 w/rear seats folded
Curb weight - 3,942 pounds
Towing capacity – up to 1,500 lbs.
Fuel capacity - 18 gallons
Mileage rating - 17 mpg city/22 mpg highway
Last word - Sporty, high-tech and very satisfying, but gas mileage only so-so.
By Dan Scanlan - MyCarData

READ MORE - Acura RDX - high tech and satisfying

Acura Integra Coupe with Porsche Front and Supra Bodykit from the Mixed and the Hideous

And you thought that only Chinese customizers had serious issues... Well, here's a nice gem from eBay that might make you reconsider. According to the vehicle's ebay seller who is located in Wisconsin, the "fully customized" 1994 Acura Integra Coupe "show car" comes with a "Porsche 911 molded front end, a Mercedes-Benz hood, a Toyota Supra front body kit, a Nissan 350Z exhaust" and "Lexus IS300 headlights converted to tail lamps with fiberoptic halos". We rest our case...

Link: eBay , Hat tip to Marcus for the find!

READ MORE - Acura Integra Coupe with Porsche Front and Supra Bodykit from the Mixed and the Hideous