New V-6 promises more sport for Acura’s sporty TSX that provides an impressive 280 horsepower, the automaker said during the recent Chicago auto show debut of the car.
This is a new model that adds to the lineup of the second generation of Acura’s entry-level sedan, which went on sale last April as an early 2009 model. Up until now, the TSX has been available only with a four-cylinder engine.
Unveiled at last year’s New York auto show, the redesigned TSX – Acura’s entry-level model -- was updated throughout.
The V-6 model will arrive this summer, but no prices have been announced yet. But the 2009 model, with the four-cylinder, has a base price range of $29,160-$32,260 (plus $760 freight).
Besides the bigger engine, the V-6 TSX will have "exclusive" suspension tuning, larger wheels and additional extras, officials of Honda’s premium brand said.
"The automotive market may be slowing down, but not Acura," Jeff Conrad, Acura’s vice president for sales, said during the Chicago introduction of the new model. "With improved acceleration and handling, the new 280 horsepower V-6 adds even more sport to the already sporty nature of the popular TSX sports sedan."
Acura says that since last year’s redesign, the TSX has "shattered sales records to become one of Acura’s best-selling sedans."
The automaker said the V-6 model would fall between the highest-priced four-cylinder model and the TL sedan, which is the next step up in the Acura lineup.
When it was also redesigned last year, the TL was moved farther upscale, with the starting price raised to $34,955 from 2008’s $33,725. The TL comes only with V-6 power. The 3.5-liter engine in the base TL will be the same one used in the new TSX model. The TL’s all-wheel-drive model comes with a 3.7-liter V-6.
"The TSX V-6 will be aimed squarely at youthful buyers who want a performance-oriented sports sedan in a more personal size," Acura said.
The engine will be paired with Acura’s five-speed Sequential SportShift automatic transmission, with such features such as grade-logic and shift-hold control. The transmission can be operated in full automatic mode, or the driver can shift it manually, although without having to use a clutch, of course.
For sporty handling, Acura will use a specially tuned double-wishbone front and multilink rear suspension system, and the car will have 18-inch, five-spoke aluminum wheels and Michelin Pilot all-season tires.
Also different from the four-cylinder model will be the "slightly revised front fascia" and a V-6 badge on the trunk lid, Acura said.
"The TSX V-6 model will be generously equipped with the latest advancements in safety technology and is anticipated to achieve the highest ratings in both government and independent crash testing," the company said.
Because the TSX is designed and marketed as a sport sedan, Acura offers a six-speed manual transmission with the four-cylinder engine, but that won’t be available with the V-6.
With last year’s redesign, the changes in the new generation are numerous, and Acura hopes that the car can help revive the brand’s sagging sales.
Acura calls the TSX’s new exterior "Keen Edge Dynamic" styling, intended to give it a cutting-edge appearance to resonate with the youthful consumers the car is intended to appeal to – typically, young, single professionals or couples.
The car is 2.4 inches longer and three inches wider than its predecessor, and it has a 1.3-inch longer wheelbase. For greater stability, it has a 2.6-inch wider track, which adds to the car’s sporty driving experience.
In the 2009 model, the only engine is a 2.4-liter inline four-cylinder engine with 201 horsepower and 172 foot-pounds of torque (170 with the automatic).
No EPA ratings have been released for the TSX V-6 model, but in the TL, that engine is rated at 18 miles per gallon city/26 highway.
With the four-cylinder TSX, the EPA numbers for the automatic model are 21 city/30 highway; with the manual, they’re 20/28.
The 2009 TSX comes with a new suspension system engineered to give the car great handling along with improved ride quality – two features that often are at odds with each other. Tuning a suspension for crisp handling usually means making the ride rougher, and premium cars often have to emphasize handling or comfort, rather than embracing both fully.
Even at the base price, the TSX is very well equipped. Standard amenities include leather interior, a power moon roof, high-intensity headlights, Bluetooth hands-free phone link, and a great audio system with standard XM satellite radio and USB connection point.
As with all other recent new vehicles from Honda, the TSX comes with the automaker’s Advanced Compatibility Engineering front body structure, designed to minimize damage to other vehicles and injury to pedestrians hit by the car (at low speeds, of course).
Acura has a consumer base that loves high-tech features, so to please those customers, a Technology Package adds a variety of gadgets. They include a GPS-based navigation/communications system with voice recognition, Zagat restaurant information, and an integrated rearview camera; the AcuraLink satellite communications system; real-time traffic with a new rerouting function; AcuraLink weather; a 10-speaker Acura/ELS premium sound system with multi-format, six-disc DVD-audio changer; and a GPS-linked, solar-sensing, dual-zone automatic-climate-control system.
The optional audio system was named for and designed by Grammy award-winning sound engineer Elliot Scheiner. Acura says the sound from DVD surround-sound audio discs played on this system is 500 times clearer than from a traditional compact disc.
Other high-tech features on the new TSX include a drive-by-wire throttle system, which has no direct mechanical link between the accelerator pedal and the engine. Fuel is delivered by a computer-controlled programmed fuel-injection system.
Among standard safety features are four-wheel antilock disc brakes with electronic brake assist; electronic stability and traction control; front seat-mounted side air bags; roof-mounted side-curtain air bags for both rows; front and rear crumple zones; and a tire-pressure monitoring system.
The perforated leather seats include heaters for the front buckets. The driver’s seat has eight-way power adjustment, and the passenger seat four-way power adjust. The steering wheel is leather wrapped.
Interior trim can be either alloy or a wood look. Carpeted floor mats are standard. There is room for up to five people, and the rear bench seat has a 60/40 split-folding feature that allows for expansion of the trunk into the passenger compartment for bulky cargo.
Also standard are torque-sensing variable power rack-and-pinion steering, front and rear stabilizer bars, and on the four-cylinder model, 17-inch alloy wheels.
Power windows/mirrors/door locks are included, along with cruise control, steering-wheel-mounted audio controls, a tilt-and-telescopic steering column, dual-zone automatic climate control, and a universal garage/gate opener.
As usual with Acura products designed for younger buyers, several dealer-installed options are offered, including interior trim kits, spoilers and 18-inch alloy wheels.
source: star-telegram
