Acura TLX Type S arrives in late May priced from low $50,000s

LOS ANGELES — More than a decade after Acura's last use of the Type S performance treatment on one of its vehicles, the return of the top-level trim on the new-generation TLX midsize sedan is set.

The 2021 TLX Type S will arrive in U.S. showrooms in late May, the automaker said, with a starting sticker price in the low $50,000s. Acura has said the latest MDX crossover will get the Type S treatment later this year.

On the TLX, the performance variant is equipped with a newly developed turbocharged V-6 engine that makes 355 hp, compared with lesser versions of the sedan that come with a four-cylinder turbocharged engine and 272 hp.

The TLX Type S receives exclusive Brembo four-piston front brakes, bigger wheels and wider tires, an additional Sport-plus driving mode and special exterior colors and interior trim accents — such as a gold "tiger-eye" exterior with white "orchid" leather on the inside.

The Type S also comes fully loaded with all the options found on the current top-trim TLX, such as all-wheel drive, heated and ventilated front seats and traffic-jam assist for semiautonomous driving at low speeds.

Actual prices will be released later, Acura said.

The "low-$50,000s" suggested retail price doesn't include shipping charges. Premium paint on the Type S also comes at an additional cost, Acura said.

The last Type S variant sold in the U.S. came on the TL sedan for the 2008 model year.