Acura is three decades old, and with the 2018 TLX it’s looking for like-minded Millennials. Latest in the automaker’s line-up to bear the redesigned corporate grille, the new TLX also debuts an A-Spec version that builds on that nose-job with a sharper, more aggressive body kit. Acura‘s target is clear: it wants to be the sports sedan of choice for youthful drivers wanting bang-for-their-buck that the Germans just don’t deliver.
There’s plenty said about the value of a “halo car” like the NSX, but according to Acura it’s not just lip-service. “When people are on our website, looking at the NSX, the number one car they go and check out after is the TLX,” Jon Ikeda, VP and general manager of Acura America. “We need to make sure that our sedans, that they’ll be looking at, have that connection.”
That means making the whole car more memorable. Everything from the A-pillar forward is new sheet metal. The bold new grill takes its cues from the 2016 Acura Precision Concept, replacing the plastic beak of old with a gaping trapezoidal grin. On the A-Spec TLX, it’s finished with matte black diamond mesh and a black chrome surround; not everyone who saw it like it, true, but I’d rather Acura push the envelope rather than play it safe – and invariably bland – as it has in the past.
Other changes include a new front fascia, side-sill garnishes, a rear fascia with new diffuser and 4-inch round, exposed tailpipes, and a rear spoiler. The shark-gray 19-inch wheels are handsome, while the A-Spec badging is fairly subtle. I suspect most people will opt for black or one of the silvers, but the Still Night Blue Pearl is new to the 2018 car (and exclusive to the A-Spec) and looks fantastic in sunlight.
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https://www.slashgear.com/2018-acura-tlx-v6-a-spec-first-drive-millennial-minded-18484461/
