Hang onto your hats, sports sedan fans. Acura has just teased the imminent introduction of the all-new, next-gen 2021 TLX, and from the small portion of it we’ve seen, we can’t wait to see the rest. Competing against the likes of the BMW 330, Kia Stinger, and Cadillac CT4, the new Acura TLX is expected to improve the model’s reputation among discerning sports sedan buyers with dramatic gains in style and performance.
What the Japanese brand hopes to do is build on the legacy of the NSX supercar, RDX sports crossover, and the hot-rod Integras of years gone by. One encouraging sign is the return of the Type S variants, meaning that Acura is re-discovering its sometimes waning sporting demeanor. The Type S version of the 2021 TLX will be powered by its own 3.0-liter turbocharged V-6 that is expected to punch out more than 300 horsepower. It will replace the venerable 3.5-liter, 290-horsepower V-6 that currently is the TLX’s most powerful engine choice. With more than 300 horsepower on tap in what we guess will be an engine with a juicier torque curve, you can expect Acura’s SH-AWD system to be a necessary accessory before the fact.
Acura Type S Concept
The exterior of the new TLX will channel the design language first introduced on the Acura Precision Concept in 2016. A year later the Acura Type S Concept debuted at Monterey Car Week giving us a good idea of Acura’s future styling direction. In the teaser image of the 2021 Acura TLX released today, the new sports sedan shows off its wider, performance-oriented rear quarters that hint at a more muscular stance all around. The fish hook taillights are distinctive, and we like the double-deuce exhaust outlets. Compared with the Type S Concept, the 2021 TLX seems to present a stronger, more substantial presence.
For those of you seeking to see the entire 2021 TLX, Acura will reveal it digitally on May 28. Acura says the new TLX will be the “quickest, best-handling and most well-appointed sport sedan in Acura history,” with the Type S being the model’s performance leader. Its debut will come in a short film viewable at acura.com/2021-TLX on Thursday, May 28 at 1 pm EDT/10 am PDT.
