CARSHAVA

Fast forward seven years. Acura invited a select group of journalists out to its dealer meeting in Las Vegas for a taste of things to come. Along with the new ILX sedan and RDX crossover, we laid eyes on the shapely NSX concept shown here -- and, better yet, received word that it previews an actual production car.
What A Long, Strange Trip It's Been
That immense lull between NSX models wasn't exactly intentional. Honda had been working on crafting a flagship sports car for quite a while, but what once seemed like a clear-cut plan quickly became tumultuous.
Let's recap: although the first-generation NSX ceased to be in 2005, Honda first started hinting at a successor back in 2003, when it began showing the HSC on the global auto show circuit. Two years later, while confirming demise of the original car, the company announced efforts to develop a successor "had intensified."
True to its word, a concept foreshadowing such a vehicle emerged in early 2007. The Advanced Sports Car Concept, which debuted at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, was said to hint at a new premium sports car, but many enthusiasts had trouble calling it the NSX. The reluctance was understandable, as the formula Honda was pursuing was a far cry from what we'd seen before. The ASCC eschewed a V-6 for a ten-cylinder engine, and also adopted a front engine layout and an all-wheel-drive system.
Spy photographers subsequently caught prototypes testing on public roads, but the project wouldn't last for long. In 2008, an unstable automotive market and questionable global economic stability led Honda to reconsider its priorities - not surprisingly, an expensive top-tier sports car wasn't exactly one of them. Although the development of a road car was canceled, the front-engine NSX project served as the basis of Honda's HSV-010 GT race car for the Japanese Super GT project.
Hope blossomed once again in early 2011, when Takanobu Ito, CEO of the Honda Motor Company and a former engineer on the original NSX project, confirmed his company was once again working on a new NSX.
Clean Slate
This latest approach shares virtually nothing with the company's last stab at an NSX successor. Previous ideas, notably those that called for a ten-cylinder engine to be placed ahead of the passenger compartment, have been discarded in favor of an approach officials believe is much more in line with Acura's brand identity.
As was the case with the original, the new NSX places its engine smack in the middle of its chassis. That engine will likely be a V-6, but that's where the similarities with the original car end. As was the case nearly two decades ago, Honda engineers view the car as a halo vehicle, one ideal for showcasing its engineering prowess and its latest and greatest technologies.
Subsequently, the NSX will utilize a form of the new hybrid Super Handling-AWD (SH-AWD) system. The V-6, likely a 3.5- or 3.7-liter, will drive the rear wheels by means of a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox. Unlike the current SH-AWD system, which would send power to the front wheels by way of a driveshaft and a mechanical differential, the NSX's front wheels will instead be powered by a pair of electric motors. As each motor is assigned to a wheel, the system has the ability to accelerate the outer wheel in a corner, creating a yaw moment that improves the car's ability to turn in and rotate. All told, the system could produce a net punch of about 400 hp.
Swoopy Styling
Of course, packaging that sort of technology in a plain wrapper wouldn't suffice for a halo car. Love it or hate it, the new NSX's sheetmetal will certainly turn heads. Despite borrowing the Audi R8's general proportions and stance -- i.e. wide track, cabin pushed close to the front axle, etc. -- the car has a visual identity all its own.
Acura's edgy design language takes center stage, but the beleaguered "beak" grille -- long a complaint of previous Acura designs -- is thankfully nowhere to be found. Thin LED headlamps give way to a panel that dominates the upper half of the grille. The car's side panels are relatively clean and unspoiled, interrupted only by a rather dramatic light kicker above the rocker panels and a character line that neatly folds into a pair of buttresses that wisp away from the roofline itself. A thin line of LEDs wraps itself into the rear fenders, runs the entire width of the rear fascia, and effectively serves as both brake lights and a center-mounted stop lamp. The display model we were shown lacked a full interior, but appeared to boast a waterfall instrument panel that evolved the twin cockpit theme used in the original NSX.
Although Acura's only showing the car in coupe form at this point, there are rumblings of a convertible variant, fueled in part by the appearance of a similar-looking roadster on the set of the forthcoming Avengers super hero movie. If approved for production, expect that car to differ only in terms of its decklid, rear fenders, and side character line.
Production Priorities
It's still unclear if the NSX will utilize its own architecture, or perhaps share its platform with another vehicle. It is, however, fairly certain to enter production. Officials tell us the development program is still in its infancy, but the car could enter series production as early as 2015.
Will a hybrid sports car scare off some purists? Perhaps. But it doesn't necessarily equate to a vehicle that's not enjoyable to drive. As was the case with the first NSX, engineers are striving for a balance between driving nirvana and daily tractability -- albeit this time with an ecological conscience thrown in for good measure.
"The NSX will make the driver one with the car to enhance dynamic driving abilities without getting in the way," says Honda CEO Ito. "Like the first NSX, we will again express high performance through engineering efficiency - but even as we focus on the fun to drive spirit of the NSX, I think a supercar must respond positively to environmental responsibilities."

The Civic's New Clothes
As we've previously reported, the ILX shares its foundation with Honda's latest compact offering, the 2012 Civic. But, unlike the Canadian-market CSX, this is a bit more sophisticated than a Civic with an Acura grille insert and emblems.
As can be seen, the ILX shares no exterior sheetmetal with its Civic sibling. Instead, it blends a TSX-like nose with a taut body that's both chiseled yet smoothed at the same time. Character lines on the front door panels give way to a ZDX-like kink in the rear fenders. That kink, in combination with a sharp upward bend in the daylight opening, lends the car a bit of a coupe-like look. The combination appears a bit ungainly in photography, but looks surprisingly good when viewed in person.
The interior follows Acura convention not only in terms of look, but available technology. ILX models will be available with keyless entry and ignition, Pandora internet radio connectivity, and a SMS text message interface. We're told a Technology Package - which typically bundles navigation with an upgraded audio system and a few other goodies - is also in the cards, but officials have yet to precisely describe content levels. Three Forms
We do know Acura plans on offering the ILX in one body style, but in three different flavors. The "base" car will utilize a 2.0-liter I-4, which is mated to a five-speed automatic transmission. Want a sportier feel? The ILX can also be ordered with the 2.4-liter DOHC I-4 used in the Honda Civic Si family, which is only available with a six-speed manual transmission. Exact specifications have yet to be released, but expect an ILX so equipped to pack about 201 hp and 170 lb-ft of torque.
The ILX's third variant is a first for the Acura brand: a hybrid. The ILX Hybrid will crib the gas-electric driveline from its Civic sibling, meaning it will utilize a 1.5-liter I-4 paired with Honda's Integrated Motor Assist system. The Civic Hybrid earns a 44-mpg city/highway rating from the EPA, but Acura hints the ILX's driveline may be tuned to deliver a bit more performance instead of identical fuel economy figures. Something's Got To Give
The ILX is an attractive package, and the idea behind it - a car whose design is driven and controlled by the North American market it's being sold in - isn't a bad one. Nor is the idea of offering a premium small car under $30,000, considering Acura's current entry-level offering, the TSX, is priced from $31,000, just out of reach of the millennial generation Acura longs to attract.
But something - perhaps elsewhere in Acura's lineup - has to give. The ILX effectively undercuts the TSX, and officials concede it may eat into the TSX's volumes. Meanwhile, after a growth spurt designed to appease the European market, the second-generation TSX is large enough to begin encroaching upon the TL. We wouldn't be surprised if either one of those nameplates is revised or eliminated in the next several years, but Acura reps aren't disclosing future plans for either at this point in time.
Expect more information on the production-ready 2013 ILX to emerge soon - perhaps even the 2012 Chicago Auto Show in February - seeing as production will begin this spring at Honda's plant in Greensburg, Indiana.

Bye-Bye, Boy Racer
The original RDX faced few competitors when it first launched in 2006, but as the segment continued to grow and expand over the years, Acura's stab at a CUV stood out from the pack. While other luxury brands were packing stuffing six-cylinder engines into their small SUV offerings, Acura instead plopped a hairy 240-horsepower, turbocharged 2.3-liter I-4 underhood. Better yet, buyers could also opt for the brand's signature SH-AWD system, which used a mechanical differential to shift power between the rear wheels to aid cornering.
The result - a small luxury crossover with the attitude of a hot hatch - was perhaps endearing to enthusiasts, but a bit of an oddity in the market that's driven on refinement; on comfort; on sophistication. That's no longer the case. Though RDX's primary customers - both young, affluent professionals and older empty nesters - appreciated the power and comfort packed into the RDX's footprint, Vicki Poponi, Acura's assistant vice president of product planning, says they came back asking for something a bit more refined and a little less thirsty at the pump. Softer, Friendlier Exterior
From a styling standpoint, the new 2013 RDX seems to fit that requirement. Gone are the knife-sharp edges that dominated the exterior of the first-generation model. The new model still sports a pointed nose and headlamps inspired by the ZDX and MDX crossovers, but many surfaces are softer and far less cluttered than before - something aided in part by removing the lower cladding that marred the last model.
The sharp-edged, dark interiors of before are also eschewed in favor for a softer look. The cabin is dominated by softer, more curvaceous shapes, and accented with matte trim and premium leather in an attempt to move upscale. Engineers increased the amount of sound deadening used, while simultaneously employing an active noise cancellation to help insulate the cabin.
Although the MDX-esque styling makes the new RDX seem larger than before, its footprint hasn't grown all that much. At 183.5 inches long, the new RDX has grown only about an inch, although its wheelbase - which comes in at 112.8 inches - is about an inch-and-a-half greater than before. That said, the RDX is about five inches longer than the 2012 Honda CR-V, which shares the same platform. From Four To Six
Despite sharing roots with Honda's latest small SUV, the RDX again boasts a driveline of its own. For 2013, the turbocharged I-4 is no more, but the RDX isn't adopting the CR-V's 2.4-liter I-4. Instead, the 2013 RDX gains the 3.5-liter V-6 used in the TSX V-6 and base TL models. Acura says this engine cranks out 273 hp, about 33 more than the old turbo-four. A six-speed automatic is the only transmission offered, and a key part in improving fuel economy. Figures for the 2013 RDX are still being finalized, but front-wheel-drive models are expected to return 20 mpg in the city, and 28 in the highway - a mild improvement compared to the 19/24 mpg (city/highway) rating earned by its predecessor.
Another big change lies with the optional all-wheel-drive system. The SH-AWD driveline is no more; instead, it's replaced with a conventional all-wheel-drive driveline that's both lighter and less expensive than the SH-AWD system. We wouldn't be surprised if the drivetrain is similar - if not identical - to that on the CR-V, which uses a new electronically-controlled clutch pack to send power to the rear wheels. Focus On The Customer
Will enthusiasts and lead-foot journalists miss SH-AWD? Perhaps, especially when diving into corners like there's no tomorrow - but there's a good chance many RDX shoppers won't. Poponi says this is the perfect illustration of Acura's "smart luxury" mantra. "We need to understand what customers' needs are so we can deliver the right product with the right technologies at the right price point. We don't need to simply take an engineering feature and put it on everything we build."
Is the 2013 RDX still a CUV that thinks it's a hot hatch? No. Will it light enthusiasts' hearts on fire? Perhaps not. But it is clearly a much more sophisticated product born from mature decision making - and that may pay dividends in an increasingly mature market segment. Seeing as production begins in East Liberty, Ohio, this spring, we'll find out soon enough.
2013 Acura RDX
On Sale: Late 2012
Powertrain
Engine: 3.5-liter DOHC V-6
Power: 273 hp
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Drive: front-wheel; all-wheel
Dimensions
Length: 183.7 in
Wheelbase: 105.7 in
Width: 73.8 in
Height: 64.2 in

There's big news under the RDX's hood: the first turbocharged engine (other than European-market turbodiesels) for a Honda or Acura street vehicle. The all-new, 2.3-liter i-VTEC turbocharged four-cylinder makes 240 hp and 260 lb-ft of torque and is mated to a five-speed manu-matic transmission with steering wheel mounted paddle shifters. Acura's Super Handling All Wheel Drive system is standard. One would assume that the RDX is built on a variant of the Honda CR-V platform, but Acura insists that it is actually underpinned by an "all-new global light truck platform." We assume the company will elaborate on that assertion in due time.
As you would expect, the RDX will be equipped with standard front, side, and side curtain air bags. The cabin also can be fitted with Acura's navigation system with real-time traffic reports and an ELS DVD-Audio surround sound stereo system.
The RDX, which will be assembled in Ohio, will enter the small, premium crossover segment, which the BMW X3 hasn't exactly set afire. They'll be joined soon by the Land Rover Freelander replacement and eventually the Audi Q5.