Acura TLX: Two Generations of Honda's Luxury Sedan, From TL Successor to 2025 Farewell

The Acura TLX was a four-door entry-level luxury sedan built by Acura, the luxury division of Honda, from 2014 through 2025. It replaced both the TL and the TSX, and it became Acura's flagship sedan after the RLX was discontinued following the 2020 model year. Declining sales led Acura to end production with the 2025 model year.

Where did the Acura TLX come from?

Acura first revealed the car in January 2014 at the North American International Auto Show as the TLX Prototype. It was designed in Acura's Los Angeles Design Studio as the replacement for the TL and TSX sedans, which made the new car a combined successor to two models.

The production version followed in April 2014 at the New York International Auto Show. Production started in July at Honda's Marysville Auto Plant in Ohio, and sales began in August, so the car reached showrooms within a few months of its public debut.

Acura's sedan gained a 355 hp Type S and a racing record, then ended in 2025 as sales declined.

What engines did the first-generation TLX use?

The first-generation car, codenamed UB1, UB2 and UB3 for its variants, offered two engines. The entry choice was a 2.4-litre DOHC i-VTEC four-cylinder with direct injection, which came with front-wheel drive and a dual-clutch transmission. It was rated at 206 hp (154 kW; 209 PS).

The V6 was a 3.5-litre direct injected SOHC VCM unit with cylinder deactivation. It was paired with Honda's first use of a 9-speed automatic, sourced from ZF, and it made 290 hp (216 kW; 294 PS). It was available with either P-AWS or all-wheel drive known as SH-AWD.

Honda estimated the six-cylinder model was 1.5 seconds faster from 0 to 60 mph (0 to 97 km/h) than the four. The four-cylinder was rated at 24 mpg-US (9.8 L/100 km; 29 mpg-imp) in the city, 35 mpg-US (6.7 L/100 km; 42 mpg-imp) on the highway and 28 mpg-US (8.4 L/100 km; 34 mpg-imp) combined, against the previous TSX.

How was the first-generation TLX engineered?

Honda's own dual-clutch transmission was the first of its kind to use a torque converter, which absorbs gear shift shock and reduces noise.

The V6 models lost nearly 150 lb (68 kg) compared with the front-drive TL, and more than 225 lb (102 kg) compared with the SH-AWD TL. The SH-AWD system used hydraulic clutches in place of the electromagnetic clutch packs of the previous TL, which cut weight, size and cost.

Overall length fell by 3.8 inches (97 mm) against the previous TL, while the wheelbase stayed the same. The front double wishbone suspension of the TSX and TL gave way to a MacPherson strut arrangement, and the all-aluminium front subframe was replaced by a welded aluminium and steel piece. Triple door seals and extra sound insulation were added to cut cabin noise.

What changed with the 2018 facelift?

Acura unveiled the revised TLX in April 2017 for the 2018 model year. The facelift brought a new front fascia, fenders and grille, restyled wheels and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto support, and US sales of the updated car began in June 2017.

The 2018 update also introduced a new A-Spec performance trim and an optional 360 degree surround camera, along with a power driver's seat thigh extension.

A separate extended-wheelbase version, the TLX-L, was developed for China. It debuted at the Chengdu Motor Show in August 2017, and it was offered only with the 2.4-litre four, producing 153 kW (205 hp; 208 PS) with the UB4 model code.

How did the second-generation TLX differ?

The second generation was previewed as the Type S concept at the 2019 Monterey Car Week. The final car launched digitally on May 28, 2020, production began on August 28, and sales followed on September 28, 2020 for the 2021 model year.

The new car was built on its own platform with a front double wishbone suspension. It used forged aluminium lower control arms mounted to cast aluminium damper towers, an aluminium subframe and a steel tubular strut bar. The front fenders were aluminium, and the AGM battery moved to the rear to improve weight distribution.

High-strength steel and aluminium made up 64 percent of the body structure, and 1,500-MPa steel accounted for 10.1 percent. A larger centre tunnel reinforced with 980-MPa steel stiffened the body, and the rear bulkhead was a single steel stamping that let the rear seat fold for a trunk pass-through. The car's brakes became electric-servo brake-by-wire, similar to the second-generation NSX.

New options included adaptive dampers, a 10.5-inch head-up display, a 17-speaker audio system and 16-way power leather front seats. The four-cylinder TLX kept the front-drive and SH-AWD split under the model codes UB5 and UB6.

What is the TLX Type S?

The Type S is the high-performance version of the second-generation TLX, and it marked the return of the Type S brand after more than a decade. Its new DOHC 3.0-litre V6 pairs a single twin-scroll turbo with direct injection, giving 355 hp (265 kW; 360 PS) plus 354 lb ft (480 N m; 49 kg m) of torque.

Every Type S uses Super Handling All-Wheel Drive, which directs up to 70% of torque to the rear axle and can route all of that rear share to either rear wheel. The body is 13 percent stiffer than the standard TLX, and the front springs are 40 percent stiffer. The rear anti-roll bar grew from 20.5 mm to 22.5 mm, adding 31 percent more roll stiffness.

Braking is handled by four-piston Brembo front calipers with 14.3-inch rotors, and the 10-speed automatic shifts with 40 percent quicker downshifts and 30 percent quicker upshifts. Top speed is 155 mph (249 km/h), against 130 mph (209 km/h) for the standard car. The Type S also has an active exhaust that changes its note with the drive mode.

In a Car and Driver Lightning Lap test at Virginia International Raceway's Grand West Course, the Type S set a lap of 3:06.7. That was six tenths of a second quicker than the Genesis G70 3.3T and five tenths off the Cadillac CT4-V.

A limited-production TLX Type S PMC Edition followed for the 2023 model year. Honda's Performance Manufacturing Center, which assembles and tunes the NSX supercar, built 300 units with 20-inch NSX-inspired wheels and carbon fibre trim.

What changed in the 2024 facelift?

The TLX facelift was revealed on November 2, 2023 for the 2024 model year. It brought a frameless Diamond Pentagon grille, an updated rear fascia on the A-Spec with the Type S's dual exhaust, new colours and new wheel designs.

Inside, the car gained a 10.5-inch head-up display, a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and a larger 12.3-inch touchscreen. The range was then restructured into three models: the front-drive Technology, the all-wheel-drive A-Spec and the high-performance Type S.

How safe was the TLX?

The 2021 TLX was named an IIHS Top Safety Pick+, earned good ratings in all six of the Institute's crashworthiness tests, and received a five-star overall rating from the NHTSA. Standard equipment included adaptive cruise control, automatic emergency braking and lane keeping assist.

A front passenger three-chamber airbag, co-developed with Autoliv, became standard, and it was marketed as a catcher's mitt because it cradles the occupant's head in an oblique collision. Traffic Jam Assist, which keeps the car moving in stop-and-go traffic without driver input, was also added.

What did the TLX-GT achieve in racing?

The TLX-GT was a race car built from the TLX SH-AWD, with a twin turbo version of the production V6. The Acura Motorsports Group at Honda Performance Development developed it for Pirelli World Challenge competition, and it was unveiled at the 2014 North American International Auto Show.

RealTime Racing ran a factory-backed car in the GT class in 2014, and Peter Cunningham claimed a best result of 13th place at Mid-Ohio and Sonoma. In 2015 the team fielded two full-time drivers, Cunningham and Ryan Eversley. Eversley won the first St. Petersburg race and finished sixth in the GT class drivers standings, while Cunningham finished 14th.

Eversley stayed on in 2016 and won both Road America races. Cunningham ran the first half of that season, taking a runner-up finish at Road America race 1, before Spencer Pumpelly took over for the final three rounds. Acura then moved its GT effort to the NSX GT3 in 2017.

Why did Acura end the TLX?

Acura confirmed in July 2025 that the TLX would stop after two generations, with the 2025 model year as its last. The company cited gradually decreasing sales and the changing market, which had moved towards crossover SUVs.

The Marysville Auto Plant in Ohio, where the TLX was built for North America, had been planned as the site for the battery electric RSX crossover before that project was cancelled.

What are the Acura TLX specifications?