On Thursday, Acura unveiled the fresh new look that will adorn the brand’s updated 2018 RLX sedan, businessinsider.com has reported.
The new sheet metal will see Acura’s flagship sedan do away with its controversial front grille affectionately known as the “chrome beak”.
Instead, the RLX will get a new”diamond Pentagon” grille derived from the front fascia of the Acura Precision Concept introduced at the 2016 Detroit Auto Show.
The new grille design has also been adopted by the TLX sedan and the MDX SUV.
In addition to the new grille, the RLX will also boast a more sculpted hood, more aggressive LED taillights, and a new gloss black diffuser.
“This redesign of the 2018 Acura RLX is transformational, creating road presence and styling that better reflect underlying performance capabilities of the vehicle,” Acura vice president and general manager, Jon Ikeda, said in a statement.
For 2018, the RLX will be available in two flavors.
The base RLX’s six-speed automatic transmission has been replaced by a new 10-speed unit that’s tuned for improved refinement and better driving dynamics. The 310 horsepower, 3.5-liter V6 engine carries over with standard four-wheel-steering.
And then there’s the RLX Sport Hybrid with Super Handling All-Wheel-Drive or RLX Sport Hybrid SH-AWD for short. Here, the 3.5 liter V6 is backed up by a hybrid drive system with technology taken directly from the award-winning NSX supercar.
That means 377 horsepower from a V6 engine with a torque-assist electric motor and a pair of electric drive motors bolted to the rear wheels.
Images: Acura
