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Acura Earns Three IIHS TOP SAFETY PICK Ratings
Acura Earns Three IIHS TOP SAFETY PICK Ratings TORRANCE, Calif. - 12/15/2011
Acura today announced that three of its best selling models received the highest possible safety rating of TOP SAFETY PICK from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) under its more-stringent testing guidelines implemented last year.
The Acura TSX sedan and wagon, TL and MDX earned the highest-possible score of GOOD in all four ratings, including the more rigorous roof-strength test. According to the IIHS, vehicles rated good for rollover protection have roofs more than twice as strong as the current federal standard requires. The IIHS TOP SAFETY PICK award recognizes vehicles that do the best job of protecting vehicle occupants in front, side, rollover, and rear crashes based on ratings in the Institute's evaluations.
All 2012 Acura models utilize the Advanced Compatibility Engineering™ (ACE™) body structure. ACE™ is an exclusive body design that enhances occupant protection and crash compatibility in frontal crashes. The ACE™ design utilizes a network of connected structural elements to distribute crash energy more evenly throughout the front of the vehicle. This enhanced frontal crash energy management helps to reduce the forces transferred to the passenger compartment.
Standard safety equipment on all Acura models include Vehicle Stability Assist™ (VSA®) with traction control, an anti-lock braking system (ABS), dual-stage/multiple-threshold front airbags, front-side airbags with passenger side Occupant Position Detection System (OPDS), side curtain airbags for all outboard seating positions, front seats with integrated active head restraints, front seatbelts with automatic tensioning system and load limiters, Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) and Daytime Running Lights (DRL).
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Acura today announced that three of its best selling models received the highest possible safety rating of TOP SAFETY PICK from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) under its more-stringent testing guidelines implemented last year.
The Acura TSX sedan and wagon, TL and MDX earned the highest-possible score of GOOD in all four ratings, including the more rigorous roof-strength test. According to the IIHS, vehicles rated good for rollover protection have roofs more than twice as strong as the current federal standard requires. The IIHS TOP SAFETY PICK award recognizes vehicles that do the best job of protecting vehicle occupants in front, side, rollover, and rear crashes based on ratings in the Institute's evaluations.
All 2012 Acura models utilize the Advanced Compatibility Engineering™ (ACE™) body structure. ACE™ is an exclusive body design that enhances occupant protection and crash compatibility in frontal crashes. The ACE™ design utilizes a network of connected structural elements to distribute crash energy more evenly throughout the front of the vehicle. This enhanced frontal crash energy management helps to reduce the forces transferred to the passenger compartment.
Standard safety equipment on all Acura models include Vehicle Stability Assist™ (VSA®) with traction control, an anti-lock braking system (ABS), dual-stage/multiple-threshold front airbags, front-side airbags with passenger side Occupant Position Detection System (OPDS), side curtain airbags for all outboard seating positions, front seats with integrated active head restraints, front seatbelts with automatic tensioning system and load limiters, Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) and Daytime Running Lights (DRL).
TL a sporting, all-weather luxury sedan
TL a sporting, all-weather luxury sedan
By Tim Yip
Postmedia News
Friday, Sept 3rd, 2010
Saskatoon TheStarPoenix.com
By Tim Yip
Postmedia News
Friday, Sept 3rd, 2010
Saskatoon TheStarPoenix.com
Acura has quietly updated the Acura TL SH-AWD (Super Handling All-Wheel-Drive) for 2010.
While the fourth-generation TL is a carryover model first introduced in 2009, Honda engineers made good on their promise to bring to market a sportier version of the premium sport sedan for 2010.
This year, the TL SH-AWD is offered with a six-speed manual transmission and it gets the larger displacement 3.7-litre V-6 engine with a serious bump in power ? 305 horsepower compared with the base TL's 3.5-litre 280-horsepower power plant.
Further enhancing the SH-AWD are suspension improvements, including 18-inch alloy wheels (base TL?s are 17s), 20-mm front stabilizer bar (1-mm fatter than the base TL) and an increase to 4.5 mm in the wall thickness of the rear stabilizer bar.
Perhaps the most impressive technology on this Acura is the SH-AWD?s full-time, all-wheel-drive system. First, Honda says up to 60 per cent of the engine's torque can be directed to the rear wheels. That theoretically means on slick roads, the Acura ought to feel like a good rear-wheel-drive car and an aggressive application of throttle in a turn ought to make the rear end kick out. Second, the SH-AWD technology senses when the vehicle is cornering at higher speeds and applies up to 100 per cent of torque to the outside rear wheel, helping the car turn faster.
When the fourth-generation TL was launched in 2009, much ado was made by the auto media about the big, bold ?shield? front grille. Whether you love or hate it, one has to admit this clean, blunt, V-nose (or beak, say detractors) is distinctive and Acuras can now be spotted a mile away. That theme is mirrored at the rear with a vertical crease that runs through the trunk and bumper.
From the side, the TL?s sculpted wheel arches and a strong character line leading from the headlight and turn signal assembly curves over the front wheel arch and tapers off at the trunk, giving a long, muscular look.
Inside the Acura?s cabin, fit and finish are superb and the feeling is one of quality. Perforated black leather sport seats (heated) with white stitching offer a comfortable and nicely bolstered place where a driver may conduct the important business of moving down the road with speed and grace. The instrument cluster is clear, and for a touch of Nintendo-like entertainment, a small display can be called up showing how the SH-AWD system is apportioning torque to the wheels.
A flaw of the TL?s interior is the abysmal centrestack design ? the layout of controls for the audio system, HVAC, and navigation system takes time to learn.
Driving the SH-AWD rewards the driver with a fine experience. The handling is taut and agile. Despite its sporty calibration, the suspension has excellent compliance and soaks up potholes and frost heaves without jarring the occupants. Some criticize this Acura?s suspension as too soft, but I?d say the balance between sportiness and comfort is spot on. Slightly numb steering (likely due to the electric power steering) is the only flaw in an otherwise entertaining drive.
Acura's ZDX has a style all its own
Acura's ZDX has a style all its own
By Tim Yip
Postmedia News
Friday Sept 3rd, 2010
Saskatoon TheStarPhoenix.com
Acura jumps into the sporty crossover SUV market with the ZDX, an all-new model for 2010.
Whether you see the ZDX as a sleek Eurostyle four-door hatchback, sporty crossover SUV, or a confused stationwagon, the Acura?s style is definitely unique.
Like its lower-priced corporate sibling, the Honda Accord Crosstour, and upscale competitor, the BMW X6, the ZDX has a sloped rear
window/hatchback giving it a sporty, coupe-like profile.
The Acura announces its presence to oncoming drivers with its distinctive V-shaped ?shield? front end, accented by twin, elongated trapezoidal grilles with fog lights in the lower fascia.
The V theme and bright, trapezoidal trim around the dual exhaust outlets of the high rear end subtly repeats the design of the nose. Set off by attractive seven-spoke, 19-inch wheels, the ZDX?s design comes across as an appropriately luxurious, elegant vehicle, and design-wise, is much more successful than the Honda Crosstour.
The ZDX is priced one notch higher than Acura?s best-selling MDX SUV, and its interior appointments are appropriately sumptuous. The front of the cabin feels commodious and the tall roofline provides plenty of headroom.
The standard equipment panoramic moonroof gives the interior a light, airy ambience. Leather-clad seats (heated front), power tailgate, power sunshade, dual-zone climate control and standard rear-view camera are only a few of the many appointments that places this Acura solidly in the luxury ranks.
Accommodations for rear seat passengers are similarly luxurious. The outboard seats are heated, legroom is plentiful and the panoramic moonroof glass extends to allow second-row passengers a generous sky view.
The only chink in the ZDX?s armour is the sloped roofline, which cuts the headroom, making entering and exiting the Acura?s back seat slightly inconvenient for adults. Granny should definitely be assigned preferred seating at the front.
Driving the ZDX takes some getting used to. Although its dimensions are similar to the BMW X6, the Acura ?drives big.?
Unlike some large vehicles that are easy to drive right off the bat (the Ford F-150 Raptor pickup truck comes to mind), this Acura is disconcerting at first.
Those bulging front fenders are out of sight, and that coupe-y roofline and C-pillar design conspire to block sight lines, making the view to the rear less than ideal.
Once underway, this luxury crossover is a quiet, rolling Cone of Silence. (Baby-boomers will get this reference; the rest of you will have to Google it.) Acura employs Active Noise Cancellation ? sound frequencies that cancel out road noise ? as well extra insulation to isolate the cabin from noise and vibration.
Having recalled my unhappy experience testing the Honda Crosstour earlier this year, I didn?t expect to like the ZDX?s handling. Compared to the bloated-driving Crosstour, the ZDX is precise, planted and significantly nimbler. Let?s chalk up the Acura?s superior body control and handling finesse to its Super Handling All-Wheel-Drive system and 19- inch wheels.
The AWD uses electronic sensors to monitor speed and corner tightness and responds by splitting torque front-to-rear and left-to-right. It?s capable of sending up to 70 per cent of power to the rear wheels and up to 100 per cent of available rear power to the faster-turning outside wheel and lower profile tires.
Overall, this is one mid-sized crossover that feels relatively light on its feet and surprisingly responsive when it comes to quick driving in the twisty bits.
Suspension compliance is good and readily insulates occupants from nasty pavement surfaces. The Acura?s steering, while precise, suffers from a slightly over-boosted power assist, resulting in less feedback to the driver.
The ZDX offers all-season performance capabilities with all-wheel drive, more flexible cargo carrying capacity than a sedan and handling that?s biased more towards sport sedan than your run-of-the-mill luxury people/cargo hauler.
By Tim Yip
Postmedia News
Friday Sept 3rd, 2010
Saskatoon TheStarPhoenix.com
Acura jumps into the sporty crossover SUV market with the ZDX, an all-new model for 2010.
Whether you see the ZDX as a sleek Eurostyle four-door hatchback, sporty crossover SUV, or a confused stationwagon, the Acura?s style is definitely unique.
Like its lower-priced corporate sibling, the Honda Accord Crosstour, and upscale competitor, the BMW X6, the ZDX has a sloped rear
window/hatchback giving it a sporty, coupe-like profile.
The Acura announces its presence to oncoming drivers with its distinctive V-shaped ?shield? front end, accented by twin, elongated trapezoidal grilles with fog lights in the lower fascia.
The V theme and bright, trapezoidal trim around the dual exhaust outlets of the high rear end subtly repeats the design of the nose. Set off by attractive seven-spoke, 19-inch wheels, the ZDX?s design comes across as an appropriately luxurious, elegant vehicle, and design-wise, is much more successful than the Honda Crosstour.
The ZDX is priced one notch higher than Acura?s best-selling MDX SUV, and its interior appointments are appropriately sumptuous. The front of the cabin feels commodious and the tall roofline provides plenty of headroom.
The standard equipment panoramic moonroof gives the interior a light, airy ambience. Leather-clad seats (heated front), power tailgate, power sunshade, dual-zone climate control and standard rear-view camera are only a few of the many appointments that places this Acura solidly in the luxury ranks.
Accommodations for rear seat passengers are similarly luxurious. The outboard seats are heated, legroom is plentiful and the panoramic moonroof glass extends to allow second-row passengers a generous sky view.
The only chink in the ZDX?s armour is the sloped roofline, which cuts the headroom, making entering and exiting the Acura?s back seat slightly inconvenient for adults. Granny should definitely be assigned preferred seating at the front.
Driving the ZDX takes some getting used to. Although its dimensions are similar to the BMW X6, the Acura ?drives big.?
Unlike some large vehicles that are easy to drive right off the bat (the Ford F-150 Raptor pickup truck comes to mind), this Acura is disconcerting at first.
Those bulging front fenders are out of sight, and that coupe-y roofline and C-pillar design conspire to block sight lines, making the view to the rear less than ideal.
Once underway, this luxury crossover is a quiet, rolling Cone of Silence. (Baby-boomers will get this reference; the rest of you will have to Google it.) Acura employs Active Noise Cancellation ? sound frequencies that cancel out road noise ? as well extra insulation to isolate the cabin from noise and vibration.
Having recalled my unhappy experience testing the Honda Crosstour earlier this year, I didn?t expect to like the ZDX?s handling. Compared to the bloated-driving Crosstour, the ZDX is precise, planted and significantly nimbler. Let?s chalk up the Acura?s superior body control and handling finesse to its Super Handling All-Wheel-Drive system and 19- inch wheels.
The AWD uses electronic sensors to monitor speed and corner tightness and responds by splitting torque front-to-rear and left-to-right. It?s capable of sending up to 70 per cent of power to the rear wheels and up to 100 per cent of available rear power to the faster-turning outside wheel and lower profile tires.
Overall, this is one mid-sized crossover that feels relatively light on its feet and surprisingly responsive when it comes to quick driving in the twisty bits.
Suspension compliance is good and readily insulates occupants from nasty pavement surfaces. The Acura?s steering, while precise, suffers from a slightly over-boosted power assist, resulting in less feedback to the driver.
The ZDX offers all-season performance capabilities with all-wheel drive, more flexible cargo carrying capacity than a sedan and handling that?s biased more towards sport sedan than your run-of-the-mill luxury people/cargo hauler.
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