NEW YORK AUTO SHOW: Acura boosts power on RL's V-6, adds awd

Click on the photo to view the RL gallery 2004 New York auto show indexNEW YORK -- Honda Motor Co. Ltd. is trying to mute criticism that it doesn't offer a V-8 engine or a rear-wheel-drive luxury sedan.Its answer takes the form of the new Acura RL sedan, which goes on sale this fall. Honda displayed a concept version of the car at the New York auto show.The RL will have the most powerful engine of any Acura on the market. The new 3.5-liter V-6 engine generates 300 hp, compared with 225 hp of the current model. It has a five-speed automatic transmission.The RL also will be the first Acura equipped with all-wheel drive. Its awd technology distributes torque between the front and rear wheels and between the left and right rear wheels. During aggressive driving, as much as 70 percent of the torque is delivered to the rear wheels. During a high-speed turn, the differential also sends as much as 100 percent of the rear-wheel torque to either wheel. This improves traction and helps the driver avoid a spinout.Critics have complained about Acura's lack of a V-8 engine or a rwdpowertrain. Honda executives are counting on the RL's powerful V-6 and awd to mollify customers.Dick Colliver, executive vice president of sales for American Honda Motor Co. Inc., says the prototype is similar to the production model and should silence the criticism."This is groundbreaking technology," he said of the awd system. "And this is the most powerful engine that Honda has ever built."A new navigation system will offer motorists real-time advisories about road construction, accidents and traffic conditions. It will be available in 20 major markets this fall.The RL also will be equipped with a keyless entry system that allows the driver to unlock and lock the doors, open the trunk and start the engine without a key. A new lighting system allows the headlights to swivel in the direction of a turn.The car will sell for less than $50,000. Likely purchasers will be men with annual household incomes of $150,000. Primary competitors will be the Audi A6, the BMW 530i, the Mercedes-Benz E320 and the Lexus GS 300.Acura hopes to sell as many as 15,000 units annually.

NEW YORK AUTO SHOW: Acura boosts power on RL's V-6, adds awd

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