Twenty years ago, who could imagine that LEDs would become such an important component even at car illumination? These little devices have proven themselves resistant enough to bigger uses than at home appliances, while the massive production has taken care of reducing their cost. From a more decorative debut than actually working, their use in cars evolved into providing the daytime lights, and now there’s this Acura enabling them to give one more big step. This article will introduce you to the first car to use 100% LED illumination.
Planned to arrive in 2013, this sedan will replace RL as Acura’s flagship car. This means RLX will be the responsible of competing with Germans like Mercedes-Benz S-Class, Italians like Maserati Quattroporte, Koreans like Hyundai Equus and compatriots such as Lexus LS. Since there’s never enough luxury for these cars, each automaker needs to find other ways of taking the attentions, specially from the Europeans’ and North-Americans’ worldwide huge appeal. That’s why Nissan’s high-end division uses a much more refined interpretation of their design identity on Infiniti cars while Toyota has created an entirely different style for Lexus’ cars using aggressive sporty lines – on the other hand, Hyundai and Kia’s of also creating luxury divisions reveal they seem to have finally understood that it’s impossible to attract wealthier customers with the same brands that sell cheap vehicles. And Honda restrain their Japanese style to their own cars, letting Acura follow a more classic path, being elegant without seeming old-fashioned. And this is the reason you won’t see strong cuts and creases in RLX, for example. Instead of turning all the necks like a Cadillac, this sedan uses imponent volumes created with discreet lines, resulting in a very classy car. The more observant looks may find German inspirations, but the fact is this sedan has its own personality.
Have you seen how many cars are using big LCD touchscreens at the central console? Well, if using one of those has become common for you, RLX uses two: one of them allows you to control the entertainment system, while the other works exclusively for the GPS navigator. This anticipates this car’s trim level, which includes tri-zone air-conditioner, AcuraLink traffic monitor, 18” or 19” wheels and a sound system with up to fourteen speakers. When it comes to the safety, this car brings lane-changing alert, adaptative cruise control, panoramic reverse-gear camera and anti-collision systems. And opening the hood reveals a V6 3.5, which uses direct injection to produce 310 hp, and three-cylinders deactivation to achieve the 23.52 mpg consumption rate, always using a six-speed automatic transmission and four-wheel traction. These are Acura’s first information for RLX, but there was also announced a hybrid version for soon, which will bring a double-clutch seven-speed transmission to command three electric engines and even a rear steering axle. Always with the beautiful headlights which use ten very sophisticated LEDs each, being capable of emitting up to twenty light beams in four different angles… and giving the definitive dismiss to the lamp illumination.
