Styling, performance, and emotion are said to be the key attributes of a premium sports sedan and the 2021 Acura TLX Type S is on the verge of delivering all that and more. Acura debuts the Type S Concept ahead of the Monterey Car Week in 2019 and work has been in top gear at the company’s Marysville Auto Plant in Ohio for its production.
Notably, Acura launched some campaigns for the 2021 TLX, and it included an official racing debut at the 2020 Pikes Peak Hill Climb. Also, enthusiasts have been eagerly waiting for the new TLX Type S and the amazing sports sedan is officially set to arrive in the spring of 2021. Hence, for the prospective owners, here are some details about Type S worth knowing.
10 Totally New
Acura is re-strategizing to position itself as a true performance brand. To achieve that, it has gone back to the attributes that made it tick back in the days, deploying these attributes into the production of the TLX sedan that shares nothing with its predecessors.
However, the Type S is the range-topping sports variant of the TLX sedans and like its TLX siblings, it’s built with the strong concept of Acura’s unique Precision Crafted Performance ideology that seeks to create an artistic identity on a fully functional product.
9 Platform
Acura is building the Type S on an entirely new platform with a unique stance and proportions. In comparison with its predecessors, the Type S’ wheelbase has been stretched by as much as 4 inches (113 inches) while the car is wider by almost 3 inches, lower by half an inch, and is given shorter overhangs.
Notably, the sedan appears more like a rear-wheel-drive car, and that’s due to Acura’s decision to increase the car’s dash-to-axle length by as much as 7 inches. Also, it features the most rigid platform ever made by Acura.
8 Powertrain
Acura revealed that the Type S will be powered by a brand-new Acura-specific (not shared with Honda), turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 engine. This V6 engine is rated at 355 horsepower and 354 lb-ft of torque and will be mated to a 10-speed automatic transmission – Acura has revealed that there’ll be no manual Type S.
In all, this is a considerable leap in power in comparison with the outgoing 3.5-liter V6 that churns out 290 horsepower, and it also puts the Type S among the elite sports sedans like the Audi S4 and BMW M340i.
7 SH-AWD
Acura pioneered the adoption of the Super Handling All-Wheel Drive (SH-AWD) system in the North American market through the 2005 Acura RL. However, in the new TLX, the company is featuring the fourth-generation SH-AWD system (which is the most powerful version) and while it’s optional on the base TLX, it comes standard on the Type S.
This system effectively delivers torque to the rear axle at a 30% faster rate and 40% greater torque capacity. In turn, this seamlessly improves turn-ins and cornering without drama.
6 Unique Handling
Being a performance sedan, the Type S, among other qualities, is designed with a special focus on handling. This is enabled through the adoption of a performance-focused chassis that is characterized by the implementation of the double-wishbone front suspension. Notably, this suspension features two wishbone-shaped control arms which give more accurate wheel camber control as well as an increased tire-to-ground contact for great cornering grip and awesome handling precision.
This gives the Type S a handling advantage over its rival models which adopts the older but widely adopted Macpherson strut setup.
5 Wheels And Brakes
Like the base model, the Type S will as well adopt the new Electro-Servo Brake Technology from the NSX. This technology is famed for its highly responsive and potent stopping power and using the same actuators from the NSX, it’s expected to deliver an equal or even greater stopping power in the Type S.
Also, this car features larger discs and rotors on all fours and the front wheel is equipped with four-piston Brembo brakes. Notably, at 20 inches, its wheels are considerably larger and are wrapped in all-season and summer tires.
4 Interior
Acura has 9 exterior paint options for the 2021 TLX including a Tiger Eye Pearl color scheme for the Type S. Hence, complementing its impeccably crafted exterior, Acura is giving the Type S an interior that is completely decked out in style and awesome technological features.
These include the Integrated Dynamics System drive mode selector placed immaculately on the center console offering several drive mode options. Also, the Type S features interior features a leather-wrapped, flat-bottom steering wheel, and it’s finished optionally in either red or black leather.
3 Innovative Safety Technology
As standard with its TLX siblings, the 2021 Type S will feature a new and innovative airbag for better protection against serious brain injuries in angled frontal impacts. This innovative airbag is designed with three chambers and will function like a “catcher’s mitt” as it “cradles and protects the head.”
Also, just as in a regular single-chamber airbag, the Type S airbag will adopt a conventional inflator, but the added protection comes from the in-house-developed multi-chambered airbag technology which gives better protection against brain injury during a collision.
2 Elegant Design
The Type S is unique in its design as it features a dark air intake and front grille. Also, the car’s headlights have darkened inlets which makes the Type S’ front fascia look uniquely different from that of the base TLX.
It features a Y-spoke wheel design which is inspired by the NSX, an elegantly built quad exhaust as well as a rear spoiler. The Type S’ sportier design features a long low hood, long dash-to-axle distance, and a short rear end.
1 Price
Acura pegged the price of the base 2021 TLX at $38,525 – including destination charge – and that makes it a whole $4,500 more expensive than its direct predecessor. Hence, being a sportier and performance-oriented version, the Type S is expected to be considerably more expensive than the base model but no concrete price breakdown has been released for the forthcoming car.
However, Acura dropped an estimated figure, claiming the Type S will be available “in the low-to-mid $50,000s.” That sounds like a great estimate to plan with.