The Acura TL: aesthetes abstain

It was unheard of in the automotive industry: last year, Acura managed to launch a new product without showing it face-to-face and in its right light for several months. Unusual, but oh so revealing, the new TL sedan was pictured from behind on the cover of its press kit! Along the highways, the large outdoor billboards also showed us a three-quarter rear view in the dim light. As for the television commercials, they were filmed at night, and the car passed very quickly under the insufficient lighting of a few scattered streetlights.

It must be said that the previous generation of the TL had it all: a spirited engine, as efficient as it is sober, a plush and comfortable interior, road handling as cheerful as it is reassuring, reliability above all suspicion, and a line, well, not too bad to look at. Not to mention its very competitive price for the category. This car was one of the real darlings of automotive columnists who never hesitated to recommend it. So that it is perfect and that it shines among the best, Curse!

Fate will have decided otherwise because Acura has chosen to strengthen the technical qualities of its TL while sabotaging its style. If, from certain angles, the design of the body may seem acceptable, the whole has enough to make any esthete nauseous. It starts with this monstrous grille that blithely confuses dynamism and brutality, or aggressiveness with violence, halfway between a snowplow and a gigantic bottle opener, which only succeeds in drawing attention to the inelegant proportions of an endless front overhang.

And what about the abominable resolution of certain surface details that just have no place in the major automotive leagues. In addition to hampering sales of the TL, these lines also affect the vehicle's primary functions by restricting access to the trunk, which is, moreover, rather large. By taking advantage of a redesign to disfigure its best-selling sedan, Acura at the same time broke the hearts of the faithful of the TL. What is even more appalling is when you realize that this is the winning design proposal, one chosen among several assumptions that Acura studios have created. There is reason to wonder about the competence of the brand's designers,

Aside from her dress which will end up causing you permanent retinal damage if you stare at it for too long, this new version of the TL has received some notable technical improvements. Many feared that the arrival of electric power steering would reduce the pleasure of driving; however, it is not. In this regard, the TL received, in 2009, the all-wheel-drive system SH-AWD until then reserved for the flagship of the range, the Acura RL. Thanks to this device which transfers traction to the outer wheels when exiting a curve, it is possible, in sporty driving, to get ahead of the chord point and "force" the turn with the accelerator. And it works! This system eliminates the most reckless trajectory errors, Blessing!

The soul of the car still resides in its sublime and very smooth 3.7-liter (305 hp / 275 lb-ft) V6 engine that you never tire of hearing sing under the hood. The SH-AWD system does steal some power from it, making sure that the traction is evenly distributed to all four wheels and preventing overflows. Although the acceleration does not appear lightning-fast since everything takes place in calm, we should not be fooled by appearances. For 2010, the TL in the SH-AWD version can now be fitted with a six-speed manual transmission, which will satisfy the most enthusiastic. With the automatic transmission, it is a pity that the paddles located behind the steering wheel, and which control manual gear changes in Sport mode, do not have redundancy on the gear lever.

The interior of the TL remains a very comfortable place to spend long hours on the road. At least for those who sit in front. Indeed, it is surprising to note, in a car of this category, that the rear seats are a little "fair" for adults. This could be attributed to the very thick backrests of the front seats which steal precious millimeters from the shins of the rear passengers. Here too, the pencil stroke is not very inspired and remains a bit messy, but the trim materials are of impeccable quality.

Let us also point out these decorative metallic accents, which replace the ignoble "faux wood advantageously in glossy plastic," which one imposes on us in all the other cars of this category. As was the case for other products in the Acura range, we regret the multifunctional touch screen's departure, which is replaced by a large knob at the bottom of the center console. It's much less intuitive, and it adds confusion to the dashboard.

Verdict...

In this segment, the elegance and prestige suggested by the body shapes, supported by the refinement of the cabin, are essential differentiators that allow a manufacturer to gain ground over its competitors (ask Audi, BMW, or Mercedes-Benz what they think ...). Apparently, Acura has chosen to ignore these codes with its recent products. And maybe that's why sales of Honda's luxury lineup are plummeting.

Indeed, one cannot point the finger at the exemplary reliability, the first rate safety, the brilliance of the mechanics or even the remarkable fuel economy of its vehicles to justify such a rout, any more than one can do Hats off to the economic crisis which has allowed other luxury car manufacturers to prosper more than ever.

In its current form, the Acura TL remains an excellent car, fun to drive and comfortable, but the beauty of which must be sought in its technical prowess. In short, it's a beautiful mechanism enclosed in a box that remains repulsive to look at. Which brings us to this inevitable paradox: why bother to create such a good product, only to dress it up in such a hideous way? And I must not be the only one asking myself this question. Surely there are a few quite perplexed Acura dealers who must be asking the same question when looking at their tumbling sales statistics.

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