More concept news from this month’s New York Auto Show points the way forward to what SUV could be like in the future. Or at least what they could be like if the Honda Motor Company has its way. Say hello to the Acura ZDX. Sources say that the ZDX is ” … very close to [a] production version of the Japanese firm’s forthcoming crossover that is due to go on sale in the States in the fall of 2009.” So Acura is really going to build this thing, and it’s going to be hitting showrooms within months. Although at first bringing another SUV-like ride to the streets might not be the brightest of ideas, there is a certain rational here. BMW, to name one, is rolling out their X6 crossover SUVs as we speak, which has the same ‘it’s a coupe, and it’s SUV’ looks of the ZDX, so if Honda is wrong, they’re not the only ones being wrong.

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Who would have dreamed a year ago that the big names at the 2009 Chicago Auto Show would be Acura, Hyundai, Kia, and Mazda? Who would have ever imagined that a U.S. auto show would be dominated by companies from Japan and Korea?

Everyone thought the Chicago Auto Show would be a great opportunity for the Big 3 to pull out the stops and put a positive spin on a bad situation. But, instead of a much-needed infusion of confidence, all the Big 3 got was an old-school whuppin’ at the hands of the Foreign 4.

While the Big 3 was busy taking private jets to Washington D.C., closing production facilities and laying off workers at an alarming rate, it seems that the Foreign 4 has been hard at work.

Sure, the Big 3 did unveil some great new cars. But, questions still remain. How quickly can they get these vehicles to market? Are they earmarking bailout money for these projects? (They must be.) But, while the Big 3 wonders, the Foreign 4 plunders, and that’s the name of that tune.

4 new cars from the Foreign 4: The 2010 Acura TSX V-6, the 2010 Hyundai Genesis coupe R-Spec, the 2010 Kia Forte, and the 2009 Mazda MX-5 were displayed at the Chicago Auto Show.

Read the article from Kirk Bell, contributing author to CarReview and Search Chicago, after the jump:

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Here’s another car that we should have in the U.S., but sadly, it’s Euro only for the moment.

At Honda’s Geneva Motor Show booth this year will see the debut of the Accord Type-S decked out with a new 180-horsepower derivative of the firm’s 2.2-liter i-DTEC turbo diesel engine. Yes it’s a wagon, but that from-factor is very popular in Europe, and if you think that wagons can’t be fun, you need to play around with more Audi & BMW wagons.

Anyway, since this is a diesel the torque is impressive: 380Nm at a low-low 2000rpm. Fun. And the wagon also features a discreet aero-package. Oh, and in case this “Accord” looks familiar, yet odd, to some, that’s because it is, in reality, the Euro version of the Acura TSX (there’s no Acura nameplate outside of North America).

According to Graham Avent, Manager – Corporate Operations, Honda (UK), the new car, “…will be a welcome addition to the Accord range, especially for company car drivers that want a high-specification car in an even sportier package. This model will undoubtedly appeal to high-performance diesel enthusiasts, looking for that something extra, but we hope it will also create a halo-effect across the diesel Accord range.”

And we agree with him. Just one thing Graham: BRING IT TO AMERICA!!

Source: CarScoop

By Holly R.

• Super comfortable seats, which hold you in place nicely when railing corners, accelerating quickly, or just cruising along the freeway
• Easy to drive, easy to see out of and super sexy to look at
• Pure quality on the interior and exterior. Not a rattle, creak, jerk when opening or closing anything
• Really nice luxury features
• Lots of thoughtful (and hidden) cubbyholes for things
• Drives like a dream
• Firm suspension that reminds you that this really has sports-car qualities, yet smooth enough to not be a bone-jarring ride

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The ax continues to swing over at Honda, and this time, it’s a bit too close to home. This time the sources say the axeman cometh for, gulp, the S2000 and various rear wheel drive Acuras.

According to CarScoop (via England’s AutoCar) Honda’s restructuring plans call for the death of more models in addition to the NSX to cope with slowing demand worldwide. Honda has eliminated a range of rear-wheel drive models for the Acura range along with a new V8 engine also slated for Acura. Also to be killed, the convertible version of the CR-Z hybrid coupe form last year’s London Show and finally and most sadly, the successor to the Honda S2000 sports car.

I can live without the big sedans with the big V8s to push them, but losing the S2000 is quite the blow. I never fit in the right, but they sure were a hoot to drive. Losing the S2K AND the NSX means that Honda will be without ant sort of sports car. Which is both sad, and borderline unforgivable. Let’s hope that not all of these rumors are true.

Source: CarScoop

By Derek Mau

Pros

• Smooth and supple ride
• Lots of power on demand from a normally aspirated motor
• An abundant number of luxury features makes for happy passengers
• Full iPod integration
• Respectable fuel economy from a 305 hp engine

Cons

• Should have stayed true with the old exterior design

They say beauty is only skin deep. For the redesigned 2009 Acura TL you have to look under the skin to find its true beauty. With a lot of hype surrounding the new motor and suspension setup, I figured a true test for the new TL would be a long road trip. Like a blue-wing teal flying south for the winter, I decided to drive 400 miles from the San Francisco bay area to Los Angeles in search of warmer climate.

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Happy New Year everyone!

Another year has passed by and it is time for reflection upon the past year, as well as looking forward to more good things happening in 2009. 2008 had the debut of the largely anticipated Nissan GT-R which ran rings around the competition from the European stalwarts such as the BMW M3 and Porsche 911. In 2008, gas prices reached an all-time high of over $4 per gallon and dropped below $2 a gallon in less than six months. I don’t even want to mention the controversy surrounding the subject of bailing out the big 3 American auto makers because that conjures up more pain that the taxpayers have to bear. Getting past the greedy oil brokers and money-grubbing banks, there were still some outstanding cars that came out in 2008. CarReview’s editors reviewed the cars for 2008 and picked their favorites. Below is our list of outstanding vehicles that don’t require any handouts from congress.

(The photos are linked to the page with the corresponding consumer reviews.)
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By Peter N.

Pros

• Smooth, but powerful driving
• Excellent ergonomics and practicality
• Packed with advanced technology

Cons

• Bland styling

Introduction
I have long been a fan of Honda’s premier brand of cars, which has delivered many cars with solid performance at attractive price points. Lately, the Acura brand has put a significant emphasis on the technology they offer, touting their ability to bring the latest advancements in luxury automotive electronics to their customers. Has Acura created the next M-Drive or is this something humans can actually use?

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By John G.

Up:

• Perfectly tuned suspension, excellent road feel. SH-AWD really works
• Comfortable yet firmly supportive seats, great driving ergonomics
• A luxury car for people that understand performance isn’t just how fast you can leave a stoplight

Down:

• Can’t decide whether it’s futuristic or conservative. The result just looks strange
• Dash has too much plastic trim, too many plastic buttons for a $50K car
• Needs something more to differentiate it from the TL

Ever since they stopped naming their cars and started using cryptic acronyms, Acura has always had a major brand identity problem. Is it a luxury marque, or a performance marque?

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By Kirk Bell

Pros

• Powerful engines
• Sharp steering and handling
• Pleasant ride
• Available all-wheel drive
• Premium audio offered
• Value for the dollar

Cons

• Polarizing styling
• No split-folding rear seat
• Bland base wheels

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Review by Francis Cebedo | Photos by Derek Mau

Blings:

• The build quality is top notch
• The slick shifter is a joy to use
• The engine is very willing and has a broad power range

Dings:

• Power, power, power. A car of this stature can seem badly underpowered at times
• There is a bit of body roll and tire squeal when driven at the limit

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Hot-diggity! Acura comes out swinging hard with the redesigned 2009 TL and it looks “good“. Two distinct models are offered and both are heavy hitters with pumped-up engines. The FWD model gets a 3.5L V6, with VTEC®, that puts out a healthy 280 hp and 253 lb-ft of torque. The big news is now a SH-AWD® drive version of the TL is offered and it puts out pumps out more power than the Energizer Bunny with 305 hp and 273 lb-ft of torque from a 3.7L V6 VTEC®engine.

Lots of luxury items and performance features promise to make the 2009 TL a big hit with the home run crowd. We recently drove the new TL and will publish a full review with our impressions the week of September 8. If you haven’t seen too many pictures of the new TL, I included a handful of photos for your viewing pleasure. Official press release and more photos from Acura are below the jump.

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With an updated engine, revised styling and new features, the 2009 Acura TSX is hoping to gain some traction as an entry-level luxury sedan. Somehow the latest generation TSX comes up short when compared to other entry-level sedans. Competitively in the same class as the BMW 3-series, Audi A4 and the Volvo S40, the 2009 TSX could use a little extra to get ahead in class crowded with over-achievers. The handling could be a little tighter and being a FWD drive car doesn’t help much. Limited by its single engine offering, a normally aspirated 2.4-liter inline-4 producing 201 horsepower and 170 pound-feet of torque, the engine’s real power band begins in the upper rev range and the VTEC kicks in. Plus, it could use a little more low-end torque. The upside is above average gas mileage if you stay out of VTEC range. Watch our video review and find out how the new TSX sums up in overall value and performance.

The 2008 Acura TL Type-S provides a blend of comfort, convenience, and sportiness, at a reasonable price. The TL has a 6-Speed Manual Transmission with Performance Tires, 3.5L V6, 286-horsepower engine, an updated vehicle security immobilizer system, two new exterior colors and expansion to 76 metropolitan areas for the AcuraLink real-time traffic system.

Acura TL Type-S Photo Gallery	Acura TL Type-S Specs
The official website of Acura - www.acura.com

02/10/2008 - TORRANCE, Calif. -
Acura announced today it will debut the all-new 2009 Acura TSX sports sedan at the 2008 New York International Auto Show and released an exterior photo of the new model. Scheduled to go on-sale in the spring, the 2009 Acura TSX will be the second generation of Acura’s popular entry level sedan and feature numerous advancements in performance, styling, technology and safety.

“The new 2009 TSX speaks clearly to the direction we are taking our Acura sedans in the future,” said Dick Colliver, executive vice president auto sales, “The TSX is a significant step in the advancement of our sedan lineup and the continued enhancement of the Acura brand.”

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