2009 Acura RL. Click image to enlarge

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2009 Acura RL

Surrey, British Columbia – The ‘09 edition of Acura’s flagship, the RL, has been given a fairly extensive mid-cycle makeover that includes a new engine and transmission; its styling has been revised and there are some interior changes too. Acura also made some modifications to improve steering and handling and added a bevy of new technology and entertainment features.

Luxury sedan competition in the 60-grand price range is certainly varied and interesting, but glancing over at Lexus (its fiercest competitor) there is, surprisingly, no direct opponent to the RL.
The GS is smaller (and less expensive), the LS is bigger (and more expensive) and the ISF — well, is the ISF (and a different breed).

Under the RL’s hood, a new 3.7-litre V6 replaces the 3.5-litre in the previous RL and it comes with variable-valve timing for both the intake and exhaust valves. It gives the latest RL an extra 10 horsepower increasing it to an even 300; and maximum torque has been pumped-up from 256 to 271 ft.-lb.

A strengthened version of its five-speed automatic transmission, to handle the increased power, is also on board and it comes with new “smart” F1-style steering wheel mounted paddle shifters plus a new straight-gate console mounted gear selector.

Fuel consumption for this new powertrain combo is 13.1 L/100 km (22 mpg) city and 9.0 L/100 km (31 mpg) on the highway. That’s up a little over last year and it likes premium fuel, but it does have an ultra-low emissions rating.

2009 Acura RL. Click image to enlarge

My test RL came with the Elite package which adds an active front-lighting system, adaptive cruise control, collision-mitigation braking and ventilated (cooled/heated) front seats.

While the 2009 model is structurally the same as last year, the styling changes are many and effective in giving the ‘09 RL a more aggressive appearance. The most noticeable visible change is the new grille, which now features the “power plenum”, an Acura styling theme that first appeared on the redesigned ‘07 MDX. Styling changes were also made to its aluminum hood and trunk lid to give a more chiselled look and a (BMW-like) rear overhang. In addition, changes to the front and rear bumpers, lower rocker panels, headlights and taillights, and exhaust tips add to the edgy look – as well as improving its aerodynamics and reduce lift at highway speeds.

2009 Acura RL. Click image to enlarge

The RL lets the driver unlock its doors, including the trunk, and start the engine without ever taking the ignition key out of their pocket. The driver sinks into a plush, body-hugging seat with loose-fit soft leather upholstery; a sweeping span of sculptured wood trim across an elegant dash is very attractive.

I counted 15 soft-touch switch controls on its new-design steering wheel, not counting the new transmission paddle shifters. While most of the high-tech features of the RL cabin are obvious, there’s even more than meets the eye. What you can’t see are Acura’s new active sound-control system or its active noise-cancellation system. Microphones inside the cabin monitor unwanted sound and these systems can smooth or cancel it by using opposing sound waves. Voice-activated satellite navigation can also recognize up to 800 verbal commands and pin-point your location almost anywhere in North America. There’s a little extra room for rear passengers and these seats also come with electronic seat heaters. The trunk is fully lined but not as big as others in this class and its shape is a little odd.

2009 Acura RL. Click image to enlarge

A long list of passive safety features includes six airbags and active front head restraints – the latter a new addition for 2009. Three high-tech safety features also come with the already mentioned Elite package. In addition to setting a desired highway speed, active cruise control lets you set a time and distance interval between your RL and the vehicle in front. It automatically adjusts speed to maintain that interval by accelerating the RL or by applying the brakes to slow it down.

Active front lighting can automatically swivel the Xenon headlights up to 20 degrees in harmony with movement of the steering wheel and enhance driver vision while cornering at night. Lastly, Collision mitigation uses radar to calculate both distance and closing speed to a vehicle in front of the RL. If a programmed threshold is exceeded the driver first gets visual and audible warnings. Then the seatbelts are tightened, automatic braking commences and it gets progressively stronger, to reduce the force of an impact.

2009 Acura RL. Click image to enlarge

A key performance feature of the RL is its Super Handling All Wheel Drive (SH-AWD) system. In addition to the added traction benefits of a conventional all-wheel-drive system, the SH-AWD system utilizes torque vectoring, and can rotate the outside rear wheel faster than the front axle speed while cornering. If an understeer situation is detected while cornering the SH-AWD system uses this action to cause what Acura calls a “yaw moment” as it generates a turn-in effect. Improved handling, balance and controllability are the main benefits of this system in all weather conditions, including a perfectly dry road.

While not a light vehicle (1,860 kilograms), the RL is not as heavy as other vehicles in this class, particularly some of its V8 engine competitors. Yet the lack of a V8 engine option for the RL has been cited as a reason for its less than spectacular sales performance. The V6 doesn’t give that initial burst of raw power that you typically get from a V8, but it can still move the RL very promptly. A 7.2 second zero-to-100 km/hour acceleration time was clocked at this year’s Canadian Car of the Year evaluation event, which is very respectable.

A technically brilliant and a sophisticated luxury sedan, the Acura RL should not be overlooked just because it doesn’t fit neatly into any popular vehicle category and doesn’t offer a V8 engine.

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