2013 Acura RL

Acura officials have confirmed to Inside Line that a successor to its range-topping RL sedan will debut next spring at the New York Auto Show and hit the showrooms by the end of the year as a 2013 model. Larger than the current RL and perhaps with a new nomenclature, the new model has been described as having the agility of a BMW 5 Series with the cabin space of a 7 Series. Customers will have a choice of a new V6 gasoline engine or V6 hybrid system with super-handling all-wheel drive (SH-AWD). The latter will get a high-performance lithium-ion battery and according to Honda it will provide: “acceleration equivalent to V8 engines, as well as fuel efficiency equal or superior to inline four-cylinder engines. “This is achieved using a 3.5-liter V6 engine with an electric 4-wheel-drive system, 20kw motors on the rear wheels and a 7-speed dual-clutch transmission. Honda’s upscale brand wants three distinct four-door models, which Acura officials say are “too close in size. A product planning executive informed Inside Line that: “We will ultimately have three sizes of sedan - entry luxury, mid luxury and high luxury. “These could well be the ILX Concept as the base, the RL replacement as the flagship and a combination of the TSX and TL as Acura’s mid-level sedan.

Google+

Frank Okemwa