[RLX69]

Torque News

2016 Acura RLX Sport Hybrid Presents Electrifying Performance

Electrifying! To impress greatly; thrill. "an electrifying performance" Synonyms: excite, thrill, stimulate, arouse, rouse, inspire, stir (up), exhilarate, intoxicate, galvanize, move, fire (with enthusiasm), fire someone's imagination, invigorate, animate. When weighing RLX Sport Hybrid against the competition, forget everything you think you know when it comes to hybrid performance.

This ultimate split personality Acura takes hybrid technology in a serious performance direction. We’ve never driven anything quite like it, but it does come with a lofty price tag. Is 2016 Acura RLX Sport Hybrid worth the price of admission?

After taking a model bi-year, RLX Sport Hybrid returns in 2015 as a 2016 model with an advancement or 2

The last built in Japan Acura happens to be this mostly "Made in America" brand’s flagship. It also just happens to be Acura’s most expensive, highest tech offering, and comes with a mind bending combination of hybrid driven performance, camera activated active safety features, and arguably Acura’s best constructed and most comfortable seat in the house.

2016 Acura RLX Sport Hybrid SH-AWD features 5-Star cabin accommodations

Easing into Acuras flagship cabin for the 1st time is much like fitting an exquisite Italian loafer to one's bare foot. Unlike most Acura and Honda leather covered seating surfaces, this 1 feels well broken in on 1st sit.

While perhaps not visually stunning by luxury car standards, Acura takes balance, functionality, and personal-auto connectivity to a higher level; while cloaking this tech-controlled compilation in quality leathers, burnished metals and wood-grain-like smooth and textured surfaces.

While exploring Acura's latest and greatest RLX offering, we discovered the 10 way adjustable heated and cooled drivers seat, heated power adjustable steering wheel, exceptional individual side climate control, power moon roof, and expansive rear seating area, also featuring separate climate controls, to be exquisitely crafted.

Perusing the passenger cabin 1 discovers aviation-style reading lights and an integrated cup-holder center armrest, punctuating surprisingly plush accommodations, accented by very effective pull-up side window sun shades.

Passenger visibility from rear to front is supported through a slight rise in the elevation of the rear seat, while ensuring ease of ingress and exit for passengers of all ages. Note: Rear headroom is exceptional.

2016 Acura RLX presents the most comfortable long-legged rear seating area in the class, truly limo-like. We further enjoyed the night-visual-experience that is RLX, with convenience, accent and safety lighting evident and most appreciated throughout. RLX Fit and finish is found to be without compromise as to craftsmanship, composition and material quality.

The 2016 RLX driving environment becomes intuitive in nature within minutes, as 1 eases into the tech driven world of Acura active safety features, 4 way external camera, static touch screen infotainment, climate control, and top-of-stack integrated navigational screen with split hybrid-systems display.

Driver’s will discover an exceptionally smart-steering wheel, and in the case of RLX Advance, a “Heads-Up” windshield display.

Heads-up display, yes

The RLX Sports Hybrid driving environment is reminiscent of your neighbor’s Honda Jet; multiple screen glass dash, center cluster i-MID, navigation, seamless voice activated settings, timed - traveled distance calculator and more.

And then there’s that 377 horsepower 3-motor sports hybrid system, dual drive mode double clutched electric-motor integrated 7 speed automated transmission with paddle shifting, and torque vectoring smart handling all-wheel-drive.

341 ft-lb monster torque

By combining Acura’s mechanically bullet proof direct injected i-VTEC V6 gasoline engine with a 3 electric motor regenerative and torque vectoring rear-drive, Acura has all but eliminated the negative handling aspects of primary front wheel drive, while producing copious amounts of on demand torque.

The loud peddle in RLX Sport Hybrid is understated impressive! Actually, we discovered a seamless transition between electric only and hybrid power, producing an astonishing performance launch off of the light, and uphill progression rivaling the highest powered import V8s on the road today.

0 torque drop noted

Acura-Torque News noted zero torque drop while piloting RLX Sport Hybrid over steep freeway grades. Acceleration experienced behind the wheel of RLX is chiropractic-calling-lightening fast, and yet, RLX Sport Hybrid can be as stealth quiet as a purring kitten while traversing city streets and parking lots in electric-only mode.

The entire RLX drive and ride experience is a bit mind-bending at times. Seriously, the uphill trajectory of 2016 Acura RLX Sport Hybrid bends the mind and the body. No other mainstream gasoline-electric hybrid make or model on the road today can approach Acura RLX Sport Hybrid performance at this price point, while preserving real-world-livable fuel economy.

370 combined horsepower, 341 ft-lb torque, 30 MPG highway, $ 65,950+

As is said, performance and technology does come at a price. And, in the case of 2016 Acura RLX Sport Hybrid, the ticket price for a fully loaded RLX Sports Hybrid smart handling all wheel drive(SH-AWD) Advance is $65,950 +.

Still, a relative performance bargain when compared apples for apples to Audi A6, BMW 5 Series, and Lexus GS 350, all fantastic import performance cars. However, none of them present the over-the-top combined meld of active safety and creature comfort features meets gasoline/electric hybrid driven performance. And, in true Acura fashion, RLX comes in at $10,000 below BMW’s top trim offering.

Call me crazy, I love the occasional electric-only drive experience

There's nothing quite like silently creeping up to a ‘take out’ window in a 4400 lb premium sports sedan, or watching the RPM gauge drop to zero while driving down the freeway at 58 mpg. It’s a bit of a Tesla moment, something that we came to experience in the Honda Accord hybrid.

However, this EV-only moment doesn’t happen often in RLX, nor does it last very long. The hybrid system here is employed mostly for bolstering performance while preserving a reasonable MPG rating, and frankly can be a bit disconcerting at times. The 1st time 1 drives RLX Sport Hybrid, that initial launch in electric only mode, finds 1 fumbling for an engine-on button. It’s silent!

900 miles behind the wheel Of Acura RLX Sport Hybrid

Acura-Torque News waited a year for an opportunity to review RLX Sport Hybrid. The last time we enjoyed any seat time in RLX was while attending Pirelli World Challenge a year past this week.

After driving 2014 RLX on the freeways of Marin County, California, we found the 310 horsepower 2014 RLX advance to be impressive, but lacking just a bit in true-straight-line acceleration. And, it was a bit heavy on the downhill swoop, diving into tight cornering. however, it’s suite of active safety components saved our collective behinds more than once in city traffic.

Drive and ride performance

From a luxury vantage point, Acura RLX Sport Hybrid while very-cabin-comfortable, is not Bently, nor even MDX-Pilot quiet under certain driving conditions.

This techno-wonder has many systems running simultaneously, with an evident (occasional) wirel of a driveline component, or regenerative transmission internal (regenerative braking) motor doing its job. And, once again we find Acura’s choice of “S” rated high performance low sidewall summer-treads to be very road surface sensitive, noisy, and less than effective in a high speed 2 lane transitional sweep.

Granted, 1 rarely finds super high performance and limousine-like quiet packaged in the same automobile, thus is the case with RLX Sport Hybrid; we believe it could be a bit quieter. We also found the wind noise at the driver’s side door to be bordering on intolerable at highway speeds; to the point that we questioned the effectiveness of the door seals, something we will take up with Acura.

Unfortunately, early on in our drive we encountered a high speed projectile resulting in a cracked windshield, other than that, all RLX Sport Hybrid systems performed as designed, including voice recognition, something we’d experienced a bit of difficulty with in the past. Note: The 16 speaker Krell stereo system in RLX produces a serious concert-like listening experience; we like that!

A closing thought or 2

Although 2016 RLX Sport Hybrid is measurably impressive on the tech and engine/motor performance side, at 4359 lbs, it’s the heavy weight of its class, and remains more than just a bit heavy in cornering. Hybrid technology due to battery modules, added electric motor components, and in this case SH-AWD. Ad a boat-load of technological wizardry, and RLX Hybrid is heavy, no getting around it.

The “Sport” in RLX Sport Hybrid is a mixed bag, when it comes to true-track-like performance handling. We don’t look to RLX for NSX road stickiness or record breaking track capabilities. But, for a relatively heavy 4 door sedan, 2016 RLX Sport Hybrid is arguably the best(priced under $100,000) all around drive and ride performer in the mid to full size premium/ luxury sedan class.

RLX is much like that 260 lb football linebacker that can sprint a 4.5 second 50 meter dash; while not possessing the ‘cut and turn’ capabilities of a pass receiver. However, RLX does move exceptionally well when asked to do so. For us the icing on the cake is the EV mode only feature; a glimpse into the future of automotive engineering, if you will; Acura style.

 

[RLX69]

Vid

https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=20&v=gzklwt3iFh4​

 

[RLX69]

AutoBlog

Daily Driver:
2016 Acura RLX Sport Hybrid​

[00:00:00]Hi y'all. This is Seyth with Autoblog. I am driving the 2016 Acura RLX Sport Hybrid SH All-Wheel Drive, or SH-AWD, as we like to call it. Any way you slice it the name is a mouthful. This version of the RLX, the hybrid, incorporates an all-wheel drive system that includes three electric motors: one up front, two in the rear turning the rear wheels in

[00:00:30]addition to the 3.5-liter gasoline engine. Now, that powertrain effectively makes it the performance version, hence the sport, of the RLX line. It's got a total system output of 377 horsepower, and 341 pound feet of torque so there's plenty of go juice in this hybrid. Clearly Honda had some performance in mind when they were putting this system together in addition to the sort of typical hybrid good gas mileage. It's rated at 28 MPG in the city, and 32 on the highway.

[00:01:00]I've been seeing around 28 in 2 days worth of driving so far, and playing around with it. It's not the fuel-sipper that you're going to buy ... not a car that you're buying for economy exclusively. The good news is that when you really get into it, the car does feel quite quick. You still have that electric torque so you're really getting a lot of torque push from the rear wheels. You really do feel like kind of a performance all-wheel drive experience

[00:01:30]more than a front-wheel drive experience like you get in the typical RLX. Now, it's not a sports sedan. It's pretty squishy. There's not much steering feel. Really throwing it from bend to bend isn't that rewarding. The car that I'm driving today is loaded out to around $67,000. I think you can spend a little bit more than that if you really try, but it kind of is at the top end of the RLX range. I feel like everything does come together kind of neatly. I don't think that this interior is going to feel very old in a couple of years. I think it'll age pretty well because it's a

[00:02:00]conservative design frankly. The downside is that, unlike some cars, particularly a lot of the new Mercedes coming out right now, nobody's going to sit down in this RLX and think, "Wow. This is a gorgeous cabin." They're not really pushing the envelope. You've got a touchscreen here. You can also access it through a sort of central knob. The software also seems to have a lot of latency between me doing something and it responding. When I'm scrolling from a Sirius radio station in the 20's to 1 in the 100's the software really lags.

[00:02:30]I don't really understand why that's the case in a car that's got a 2016 model year on it. The other thing that traditionalists really might not like is the push-button transmission. Acura's done something really interesting here. They've used different button shapes and placements. You sort of push back for reverse. There's a big round button for drive, that's the most prominent. Park is up front sort of out of the way. You get used to it in a little bit, exactly what you're looking for without looking down. Now, that being said, it's

[00:03:00]not the same shift lever that everybody has used in a automatic transmission for most of their lives, or on the column, so it doesn't feel quote unquote "intuitive" right away. Typically if you're spending 60, $70,000 on a luxury car you want something German. Perhaps Cadillac. You want something that's got straight-ahead performance and typically rear-wheel drive and looks the part. The Acura's different on all of those fronts. It's a little bit more intellectual I suppose. Definitely more geeky. From the way that it looks to the way that it goes down the road it's just a different approach to building an automobile.

[00:03:30]Guys, I'm running right up against dinner time, and out of interesting road. Thanks for following along. For Autoblog, I'm Seyth Miersma [00:03:43].

 

[RLX69]

CentralMaine

An Acura You Can Take Home to Meet Mom

The last Acura I brought home singed the walls of my old garage with a face that could peel paint. I felt as if I were harboring a slightly psychotic mercenary.

I don’t remember much about the 2nd Acura I got, other than it had a jumble of indecipherable letters on its trunk and appeared to be a Civic in a garage-sale suit.

So when I heard I would be getting a 2016 Acura RLX Sport Hybrid, I knew it would be, uh, unique – and boy, it was.

Rather than relying on meat-cleaver styling, the new RLX leans heavily on unusual engineering to lift it above other midsize luxury sedans.

How about a V-6 engine combined with 3 – yes, 3 – electric motors?

The big sedan kept Acura’s basic, familiar-shaped grille but flashed a shiny, easy grin, bordered by wild, reptilian-looking headlamps.

Although the sides were Japanese-styling-flat, a couple of high-stepping character lines gave the car some quirk.

1 fairly conventional line above the door handles formed a slight shoulder, while a second whoop-de-do line zipped off the front fender, curving down below the 1st line and fading into the rear fender.

Long doors and a high trunk added more visual substance to the car, which seemed to draw styling influences from Subaru, Toyota and BMW.

It kind of worked, though, helped some by extremely silver 19-inch alloy wheels wearing sporty 245/40 tires.

But the car’s most intriguing elements lie buried out of sight underneath the sheet metal.

Like standard RLX models, the hybrid gets a 3.5-liter V-6 engine, which is definitely a good start.

Acura then bolted in 2 electric motors to drive the rear wheels and a 3rd motor for extra assist through the front wheels, which provide most of the propulsion.

The result was a hearty 377 horsepower and impressive 28 miles per gallon in a 4,300-pound sedan that can periodically be all-wheel drive.

Sometimes, the X stepped away from stops in total silence, letting the rear electric motors do the work up to about 30 mph, when the V-6 would quietly step in.

Other times, the V-6 would be strutting on deck, ready to run and then would shut down as I backed off the throttle, again allowing the electric motors to do the pushing.

I never really knew what the front electric motor was up to.

But step hard on the throttle and the X’s 7-speed transmission would drop down a couple of gears, unleashing all 377 horsepower with a surprisingly strong surge to 6,500 rpm.

In fact, the big, torquey sedan can blast to 60 mph in a highly respectable 5.3 seconds, according to Car and Driver, which is as fast as a BMW 535 sedan.

Technically, the electric motors also assist handling, using torque from 1 or both rear motors to push the car more cleanly through curves. But I never felt it.

Though the car seemed pretty eager to play and powered into curves with modest body lean, it never felt as agile to me as the BMW or Lexus GS 350. Part of the problem was numb, thick steering, which gave the X a heavy feel.

Still, it was competent in curves and even better as a firm, roomy, long-legged cruiser.

Acura saved most of its outbursts for the interior. The black interior in mine seemed conventional enough at 1st, with a broad, deep dashboard and standard-issue hood over the instrument panel.

But I got lost in the large center stack protruding from mid-dash with not 1 but 2 display screens to look at. The bigger top screen provided most of the systems information, with cursed, distracting touchpads for tasks like tuning the audio system.

A smaller screen below it displayed a list of audio stations and the song currently playing on the big screen. Why, I wondered, do I need a separate screen for that?

Even more baffling _ though far more amusing _ was the lack of a shifter. Instead, buttons controlled park, neutral and drive, while a switch handled reverse.

I don’t know the why on that, either.

But the seats were gorgeous, with smooth, rich-looking bolsters and perforated, sectioned centers. In addition, the back seat had more headroom and legroom than most taxis.

Honestly, I couldn’t help but like this large, strange sedan with its ultra-21st-century powertrain, admirable performance and ample array of eccentricities inside. Price as tested: $66,870.

 

[RLX69]

AutoWeek

2016 Acura RLX Sport Hybrid review notes:
Interesting gadgets, but kind of a snoozer

Adding a sport hybrid doesn't change the basic equation

ASSOCIATE EDITOR GRAHAM KOZAK: If you examine parts of the RLX Sport Hybrid SH-AWD in isolation, it’s awfully hard to argue against it. It’s overwhelmingly quiet. The seats fit me perfectly, providing just the right amount of firm support. The hybrid powertrain packs surprising low-end punch. Loved the anodized starter button -- a real nice touch, I guess. Maybe you like those fancy headlights. Good stereo, too.

But when you put it all together, you’re left with a car that feels no greater than the sum of its parts. It’s not that the package is particularly incoherent; it’s that it’s boring. I suspect that’s not quite the techno-luxury-for-the-smart-set image Acura was gunning for.

Part of the problem is that there while there’s tons of tech, it doesn’t feel particularly well-integrated -- at least not for a car that’s ostensibly aimed at the big luxury players. Take the cluster stacked screens on the center console. It’s functional enough, but it looks and feels clunky. I’d say it’s Honda-like, but even Honda is moving toward big, crisp touchscreens. Compare it to what Volvo’s doing with the XC90. It's no contest.

Then there’s the sport hybrid system, which is also the super handling-all-wheel drive (SH-AWD) system -- 2 electric motors power the rear wheels. This is the kind of system I’d like to get really geeked about. That SH-AWD badge should be a coveted signifier of automotive performance distinction. JC Whitney should be selling fake ones for aspirants to plaster on their lowly ILXs.

Admittedly, it’ll shove you into your seat on a straight-line launch. You have to push this thing pretty hard to induce understeer an account of those torque-vectoring rear motors. But it doesn’t really dance around corners. It doesn’t feel crisp. It doesn’t feel particularly super or even very handling.

Now, being boring isn’t necessarily a death sentence -- normcore luxury is Lexus’ mainstay. It’s just that there were enough interesting bits and pieces here to make the less-than-rousing overall execution something of a let-down.

Ultimately, I suspect the RLX would feel a lot more comfortable as a really nice (if pricey) Honda. Which is exactly what it’s sold as in other markets.

ASSOCIATE EDITOR WESLEY WREN: The RLX Sport Hybrid SH-AWD would make an excellent Honda. Think about it -- an all-wheel drive hybrid hot rodded Honda Accord (we’re aware this is a Legend, I’m just saying) would make a **** of $40,000 car.

The reason being is that this Acura, while comfortable and surprisingly powerful -- it is just outlandishly expensive for what you get.

The problem with Acura is that it feels exactly the same as a decked out Honda -- which is what it is, but there should be something that should make this Acura stand out over its pedestrian cousin. And as nice as a loaded Honda feels, it doesn’t keep up with the German competition. Which, this all could be more about showering top-trimmed Hondas with praise, than it is about bemoaning Acura.

What may set this Acura apart from its lowly sisters is that it is full of pretty interesting gadgetry. The heads-up display is pretty cool, especially when it’s displaying what is powering the car. The dual infotainment screens were kind of interesting, but mostly pointless. The top screen does all the heavy lifting with navigation, and the bottom is just a convenience for music.

The driving characteristics of this RLX were impressive. It was pretty torquey thanks to the electric motors. Sport mode was actually an asset, and woke up the whole car. For a luxury sedan, it handled nimbly, and the steering gave good response. Braking was a little touchy, but that’s better than not touchy enough.

Overall, it is a heck of a car but needs some serious freshening up to make it worthy of the high sticker price. Either that, or make Hondas not feel as nice. Choice is yours Acura.

DIGITAL EDITOR ANDREW STOY: Not to beat a dead horse, but what Acura didn't need to wake up RLX sales was a "sport hybrid" model. That money would have been better spent on, say, a marketing campaign. As it stands, Acura moved a grand total of 174 RLX sedans off dealer lots last month. To put that number into perspective, the Kia K900 outsold the RLX 2 to 1. Ferrari sold more cars in the US last month than Acura sold RLXes.

Thanks to invisible styling, confused brand image and an absence of any truly noteworthy feature, this is almost a ghost car, driving noiselessly in EV mode through traffic. Parked in front of my house, the silvery paint renders it almost translucent. It's exactly the shape and size and color the brain expects to see when it conjures "street-parked sedan," and the RLX simply disappears from consciousness.

And all this can be yours for $66K! I know, right?

Thing is, it's pretty quick, and the gas-to-electric handoff is completely seamless (EV to gas not as much). Handling is good in a large sedan sort of way, and the RLX delivers a quiet, comfortable cabin for highway cruising whether the electric mode is invoked or not.

But the same could be said for any of a dozen luxury cars around the RLX's price range, all of whom offer SOMETHING -- whether it's a badge or performance or sport cred or sparkling styling -- to set them apart.

The RLX has nothing; it's a specter stuck in an automotive purgatory like its RL predecessor (and most every Acura since the Legend), doomed to haunt Acura showrooms.

 

[RLX69]

St Louis

2016 Acura RLX Sport Hybrid: It's 'initially' impressive, 2B sure : Stltoday​

"RLX" looks like a phone-text abbreviation. We wound up calling the car "Rolex."

But OMG, B4 U LOL, FYI: Like the watch, the 2016 Acura RLX Sport Hybrid is timely, techy and pricey.

It's timely in that it's a hybrid and it's pricey in its all-wheel-drive trim, which is the only way the hybrid comes. The price for the "base" RLX Hybrid "Technology Pkg." is north of 60-grand, while the top-trim "Advance Package" we drove is nearly 67-large (for the record, there's a non-hybrid, front-drive RLX that starts at about $56,000, but in my neighborhood, that's still pricey).

Ahh, but it's the car's tech quotient that makes this guy special. Our car, with the endless formal moniker of "Acura RLX Sport Hybrid SH-AWD w/Advance Package" (whew!), provided us everything but Super Bowl tickets. Among this hybrid's text abbreviations are:

• LDW (Lane Departure Warning)

• LKAS (Lane Keeping Assist System): Helps steer the car back into its lane when it's inadvertently drifting.

• RDM (Road Departure Mitigation): It uses a windshield-mounted camera to monitor solid and dash-painted lane lines to help keep the car from fantasizing it's a Jeep and going off road.

• BSI (Blind Spot Information)

• SH-AWD (the modestly-named Super Handling All-Wheel Drive)​

New for 2016 is AcuraWatch, which uses cameras and radar to spot vehicles, pedestrians and other things in the road that could possibly cause unpleasantness, warning the driver and even helping avoid or mitigate the severity of any collision.

On the road, RLX, with its techy push-button transmission, drives like the luxury sedan it is. Hybrid or not, this car doesn't lack power, thanks to a lusty, 310-hp V-6 assisted by a lithium-ion battery pack and 3 (!) electric motors. It all adds up to 377 total-system horsepower and 341 lb.-ft. of total-system torque.

By luxury-car standards, fuel economy is great — 30 mpg combined. By hybrid standards, fuel economy is lousy — 30 mpg combined. We got 26.

RLX’s sumptuous cabin is roomy and quiet and the car’s demeanor, thanks to all those acronyms and its twin, torque-vectoring rear-wheel electric motors, is confident.

Managing all the 21st century climate, navigation and connectivity technology are more screens than Wehrenberg. There’s a learning curve, to be sure.

RLX blends luxury and power with safety and connectivity technology, all in a tony ride for the smartphone generation. Automotively speaking, it could be your BFF.

 

[RLX69]

Wfyi

Driving the Legendary Acura RLX Sport Hybrid

Recalling a little history, Honda's Acura division was the 1st Japanese luxury automaker to roll tires upon American soil in 1986. The brand's flaghip Legend sedan convinced buyers of European and American luxury brands to embrace Honda's renowned quality and reliability in a more spacious package. After the onslaught of Lexus/Infiniti, and a switch to RL/RLX nomenclature, sales tumbled - posting only 120 units in November (2,036 YTD, down 34% from the same period in 2014). Cadillac sold ten times as many XTS sedans... Time in the Acura RLX Sport Hybrid convinces me the car has the chops to be a real contender.

It may appear as a glorified Accord, but the RLX is much more than that. It's larger, and significantly so, dominating driveways with a long arching body highlighted by Acura's satin chrome grille, jewel Eye LED headlamps, strongly-formed front fenders, and a rounded rump with LED taillamps. It plants the road with 19" alloys, a dominating presence wherever it rolls, but maintains the simplicity appreciated by Acura owners.

That's also true of the comfortable interior. 5 passengers stretch out in leather - heated/ventilated up front and heated in the rear. Drivers tap a heated steering wheel, head-up display, and electronic push-button gear selector. The Krell audio system with 14 speakers sounds good when cranked, but lacks the definition of other high-end systems at lower volumes. Rear sunshades and power sunroof filter light and air.

For some reason, I didn't level expletives at the RLX's infotainment system quite as much this time. Don't get me wrong; I still think the 2-screen arrangement is decrepit, yet I've learned to connect iThings through Bluetooth and USBs, scroll through satellite radio stations as if an Intel 286 is in the dashboard, and plot navigation when it's not updating for 10 minutes. It's complete nonsense. Honda's latest systems are dramatically improved, so there's hope.

Until then, stay safe with comprehensive safety systems like Adaptive Cruise Control, Lane Keeping Assist, Collision Mitigation braking, and blind spot detection. Around-view cameras and front seatbelt pre-tensioners, that anticipate crashes and cinch pre-emptively, go further.

While competitors gun it out with potent V8 engines, Acura sticks with a V6 - albeit 1 "supercharged" with an efficiently smooth hybrid system. The powertrain combines a 3.5-liter V6 with a 7-speed dual clutch transmission, and 1.3-kWh lithium-ion battery pack for 377 horsepower. The gas engine drives the front wheels while twin electric motors turn the rear. This gives the car near instantaneous torque transfer. Fuel economy rates 28/32-MPG city/hwy.

Acura's flagship sedan would benefit from a sophisticated electronic suspension like Mercedes' air system or GM's Magnetic Ride Control. Real time damping would transform the ride quality from thump-a-bump to hushed silk without heaving in turns. The right bones are in place, but fall shy for a true luxury flagship.

The RLX is a fine luxury car that needs an identity and a little polish. Sales could only go up with "L E G E N D" chromed across the decklid. Trash the 2-screen frustration system, add electronic chassis control, and Acura's finest would give grief to the Buick LaCrosse, Hyundai Genesis, Lexus GS Hybrid, and Cadillac XTS. Prices start at $54,450, but came to $66,890 in loaded Sport Hybrid trim.

Storm Forward!

Contact Casey at AutoCasey@aol.com and follow him on Twitter: @AutoCasey.​

2016 Acura RLX Sport Hybrid

5-passenger, AWD sedan

Powertrain: 377hp Li-Ion batteries, 3.5-liter V6,

7-spd transmission

Suspension f/r: Ind/Ind

Wheels f/r: 19"/19" alloy

Brakes f/r: regen disc/disc

Must-have features: Luxury, MPGs

Fuel economy: 28/32 mpg city/hwy

Assembly: Sayama, Japan

Base/as-tested price: $54,450/66,890​

 

[RLX69]

USA 2day

Review:
2016 Acura RLX Sport Hybrid

If your goal is to be envy of your neighborhood, throw money around or otherwise show off, the Acura RLX Sport Hybrid is probably not for you. It's not a car for people who want to advertise their wealth.

But if you found success relatively young, care about how much your car pollutes and/or want the satisfaction of driving a large luxury car without being ostentatious, The RLX Hybrid Sport might be just the ticket.

It is competent without being flashy or gimmick filled. It can't park itself, and it won't drive itself. It's more for people who like to drive, and it drives well.

The Acura RLX is the flagship sedan of Honda's luxury brand. And the fact that it's a hybrid and has a sportier feel than the usual luxury barge helps give a youthful edge to what otherwise would be lumped together with other full-size rolling sofas at the country-club retiree crowd. It's not alone in the field. It competes against the Lexus GS 450h, Infiniti Q70 Hybrid and BMW ActiveHybrid 5.

All are nice cars, and like the RLX, they have genteel designs that are clean and sleek but won't exactly make hearts race. In the case of RLX, the luxury comes understated.

Where RLX attempts to stand out is in performance and handling. The all-wheel-drive sedan has a 310-horsepower direct-injected 3.5-liter V-6 engine that, when combined with the electric motors from the hybrid system, produces 377 horsepower total. Yet the fuel economy is downright miserly considering all the power and the weight of a full-size car. It is rated at 28 miles per gallon in the city, 32 mpg on the highway, for an average of 30 mpg, 6 mpg more than the non-hybrid version. The downside is the battery eats into its trunk space.

As a hybrid, it switches easily between electric and engine power without the jarring that comes in some cars. RLX is so quiet that at one point we shifted the car in park but didn't realize we hadn't pushed the ignition button to turn it off. Some nice passers-by came in the building where we were having a meeting to warn us that our car was still running. We wonder if hybrids like it need better warning sounds, like the buzzers or chimes, to make sure that drivers shut down their power systems after parking.

Out on the blacktop, RLX is at its best. Power is impressive, especially for passing. The car rockets from 70 miles per hour to 85 mph with barely a whisper. Not many sedans have that kind of performance in the upper range. Acura is most proud of what it calls its torque-vectoring system, which shifts power to different wheels as needed to help the all-wheel-drive system move confidently through turns. While RLX is far from having sports-car handling, it responds quickly. The sedan goes right where you aim it, even when it is pushed hard.

While Acura has small luxury features like heated rear seats and window shades, it also had some big ones. The "surround view" 4-way camera was handy while parking. And it has a full suite of safety gear. While the mirrors have blind-spot detection to warn drivers of unsafe lane changes, we miss the feature that's become common in the Honda lineup: LaneWatch. That's the camera in the right-hand mirror that shows drivers an over-the-shoulder image on the center screen before they try to move into a right lane. Yes, the feature is now known in the mainstream lineup, but it still makes sense for Acura's luxury cars.

All in all, RLX fulfills the role of a luxury flagship. But it's aimed at the confident few, not show-offs.

What stands out

Power: Accelerates with confidence

Glitz: More substance than flash

Style: Nice, but won't turn heads

2016 Acura RLX SH-AWD

What? A full-size luxury sedan with a hybrid powertrain and all-wheel-drive

When? On sale now

Where? Sayama, Japan

How much? base price $66,870 with the "advance package," including $920 shipping

What makes it go? 3.5-liter direct-injected V-6 plus electric motors

How big? 16.3 feet long

How thirsty: Rated at 28 miles per gallon in the city, 32 mpg on the highway and 30 mpg overall

Overall: Classy, yet understated​

 

[RLX69]

Nseavoice

2016 Acura RLX Sport Hybrid Review:
The True Definition of Sleeper Car?

Yesterday, we spent our entire afternoon cruising around town with the RLX Sport Hybrid. It all happened after the Acura dealer we have been meeting handed us the keys to the car and we put up a fake smile to hide our disinterest in the vehicle. At the end of the day, our fake smiles turned real.

The Acura RLX Sport Hybrid might not look attractive, is severely lacking in the luxurious interior department and is not cheap to own. However, the $60,000 vehicle is able to offer a performance that we never expected at all.

We engaged in Sports mode at an abandoned road and were amazed by the power of the RLX Sport Hybrid. The car can sprint from 0-60mph in 5 seconds flat, which is about 0.5 seconds short of what the Audi S6 has to offer. The RLX Sport Hybrid runs on a 3.5L V6 engine with 3 electric motors that can generate 377hp and return up to 32mpg in fuel economy.

The best part about the car is that it handles extremely well thanks to the SH-AWD system. It makes the RLX Sport Hybrid fun to drive. Sure the RLX Sport Hybrid might not look good but this makes it a sleeper car like no other. Its attractiveness is with its performance and handling.

 

[RLX69]

Vid

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GZLD17gSa9M
​

 

[RLX69]

JSOnline

There's Lots to Love about the Acura RLX Hybrid

I quickly feel in love with driving the new Acura RLX Hybrid, a sport sedan that does everything right from a performance standpoint.

1 could argue that its looks are pedestrian. But even though the RLX does not stand out visually, it manhandles the road.

The Crystal Black RLX Sport Hybrid I tested was the top-end model with the Advance package and hit $66,870 including delivery. There were no options left to add.

The Advance package hybrid comes with the standard RLX engine, a strong 310-horsepower, 3.5-liter V6 with variable valve timing. To that it adds a hybrid system consisting of 3 electric motors, two working directly to power the rear wheels. That electric power extends gas mileage and boosts power by 67 horsepower for a total of 377.

In standard mode, the car has generous power from a stop, but punch the Sport button on the console and the car is noticeably faster from a stop.

Helping put the power to the pavement is Acura's smooth 7-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission and the car's all-wheel-drive system. The car puts the proper power to each wheel no matter the road surface or weather condition.

I drove the car between Milwaukee and Indianapolis, and it was a delight on the highway; and in town, it was a perfect mix of sport and luxury.

Braking is tremendous, and the ride from the double-wishbone front suspension and rear multilink leans toward the comfortable luxury end, yet with just enough firmness to retain the sport-sedan feel.

My only mechanical issue is 1 that an owner might solve over time. It regards the push-button transmission.

I'm all for push-button simplicity, but the park button at the head of the console provided no feel or feedback once engaged. I had to watch the dash to be sure a "P" was displayed to know I was truly in park.

A small lever, when pulled back, in the console is fine for putting the car in reverse, while a "D" button closer to the driver puts the sedan in drive. There's no good feel to the "P" or "D" to assure a driver is in the proper gear, just the readout on the driver's main gauge pod. The "P" and "D" need a more distinct tactile feel.

Yet no adjustment is needed to feel comfortable in the RLX's quiet, well-appointed interior.

The power seats are supportive and easy to adjust. They also include three levels of heat and cooling up front, and the rear seats are heated, as is the steering wheel.

Acura creates an attractive dash and trim, the test car's being dark gray leather with pewter-look trim on the wheel and dash; it also featured a faux-wood dash face and console trim.

The RLX is technologically rich, and that starts with a power tilt/telescope steering wheel, two-setting memory driver's seat, heads-up display and blind-spot warning system. There's also a road-departure-mitigation system along with collision mitigation.

There's dynamic cruise control and Acura Watch, which includes cross-traffic alerts for when you're backing up. Windshield wipers are rain-sensing.

From an entertainment perspective, the RLX adds a fancy Krell sound system with 14 speakers.

There's a surround-view camera that shows you an overhead view of your car when you put it in reverse. This is helpful in tight parking spots.

Other premium features include a power rear sunshade that rear-seat passengers control, plus manual side-window sunshades. The car's side mirrors fold flat against the body once the car is turned off and locked.

As with many luxury cars, the steering-wheel hub is a virtual airline captain's dream of buttons and switches to control phones, cruise control, radio/stereo and the trip computer. The thumb rollers on the wheel are extremely easy to use. There are 2 screens mid-dash, too, one for radio and other functions, with the top 1 for navigation.

Acura delivers push-button start and a push-button glove-box release, while overhead is a big sunroof and sun visors that slide.

The RLX will easily carry 5 adults with extremely generous rear legroom, plus it's 2 inches wider than the former RL model, which improves shoulder room. The hybrid model has limited trunk space, just 11.6 cubic feet compared with about 15 cubic feet in the standard model.

The test car is rated 28 mpg city and 32 mpg highway by the Environmental Protection Agency. I got between 29.1 mpg and 33.1 mpg in city and highway driving, the latter being all highway.

Acura also offers an RLX with standard power, the same 3.5-liter V6 as in the hybrid. That model starts at about $52,000, but does not include all the tech and comfort items on the hybrid.

As it is, the hybrid RLX is a fun drive and comfortable car that blends in anywhere. Performance is what makes it stand out.

Mark Savage welcomes your questions and comments regarding new vehicles at www.facebook.com/savageonwheels/.