Acura has announced it is working on a new turbocharged V6 engine and will revive the Type S name on several products going forward.
The announcement was made today during a press conference at the 2018 North American International Auto Show in Detroit. The turbocharged V6 will be exclusive to Acura products and will also be paired with the latest version of Acura’s ‘Super Handling All-Wheel Drive’ system, which debuted on the 2019 RDX this week. It’s not clear if that means an RDX Type S is coming, but considering the market’s current penchant for crossovers, it wouldn’t be such a bad idea.
The Type S badge was last used on the 2008 Acura TL. That model variant featured performance chassis tuning and a slightly more powerful version of the 3.5-liter VTEC V6, in addition to other track-ready add-ons such as performance tires and better brakes. We’re expecting similar equipment to denote future type Type S models.
SEE ALSO: Overhauled 2019 Acura RDX Crossover Debuts
In addition to Type S vehicles, Acura will also introduce more A-Spec sports styling models going forward. These will include a 2019 model year TLX A-Spec, which will launch this spring with a 2.4-liter four-cylinder, along with an RDX A-Spec to launch in the middle of this year.
“We have made a major commitment to Acura to bring each element of Precision Crafted Performance to life through a new generation of products,” said American Honda CEO Toshiaki Mikoshiba. “Acura will pursue a unique powertrain strategy that underscores the brand’s rightful place as the performance division of Honda.”
It’s not yet clear when the first new Type S model will arrive, but Acura says the vehicles will begin to roll out over the “coming years.” It doesn’t unreasonable to assume that we’ll see the first vehicle before 2020, but considering how long it took the NSX to come to market, that prediction may prove to be a bit ambitious.
Leave a Reply