New car Acura RLX

Sales of the Acura RL have all but dried up in recent years, so the division (and its dealers) must be eagerly awaiting the new flagship sedan, the RLX. Besides adding a letter to better align its name with most of the rest of Acura's lineup, the new sedan breaks with the past in other ways but not all. It remains smaller than some competitors -- Acura describes it as a mid-size sedan with the interior space of a large sedan. The overall length is the same, but the wheelbase has grown two inches. Again Acura uses a V-6, but it's a new direct-injected engine that displaces 3.5 liters. It makes 310 hp in its base, front-wheel-drive application. The uplevel model is a hybrid, in which the V-6 combines with three electric motors to deliver "more than 370 hp." The hybrid drives all four wheels, in a preview of the Sport Hybrid SH-AWD system expected in the new NSX. Acura is predicting EPA ratings of 30 mpg city and highway for the RLX hybrid. High-tech niceties include four-wheel steering (for the FWD model), two LCD screens, and connectivity that permits Internet radio, Bing search functionality, and audio feeds from Facebook and Twitter.

On sale Early 2013
Price $50,000-$56,000 (est.)
Engines 3.5L V-6, 310 hp; 3.5L V-6/electric hybrid, 370+ hp