- Acura's midsize sedan gets a raft of midcycle updates.
- The 2012 TL features new front and rear styling, plus a revised interior.
- A new Sequential SportShift six-speed automatic transmission is available.
CHICAGO — Acura has applied a raft of midcycle changes to its midsize TL sedan for 2012. The new TL, which debuted today at the 2011 Chicago Auto Show, is tentatively slated for a major overhaul in model year 2014.
The 2012 Acura TL gets new front and rear styling, including updated bumpers, grille, headlamps and taillamps.
The most significant mechanical change is the availability of a new Sequential SportShift six-speed automatic transmission, which helps boost EPA city/highway fuel economy ratings to 20/29 mpg.
The 2012 TL comes in a standard 280-horsepower front-wheel-drive edition, as well as an all-wheel-drive 305-hp model. The latter can be equipped with a six-speed manual gearbox.
New 17- and 18-inch wheels are featured, along with a new Advance package that bundles ventilated front seats with a new blind-spot information system.
Inside Line says: Modest but important changes only on the 2012 TL, while we wait a few more years for the next-generation sedan. — Paul Lienert, Correspondent
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s2krazy says:
03:49 PM, 02/11/2011
I guess I'm in the minority, but I actually like the way the current TL looks. I don't think it needed to be restyled. I liked it because it was unique and interesting to look at. Now they just made it look more bland.
zoomzoomn says:
07:26 AM, 02/11/2011
How do you take a car that ends up looking just plain ugly and restyle into something that looks totally forgettable. Way to go, Acura.
dyno says:
04:47 PM, 02/10/2011
Well, they toned down the buck tooth smiling grill ... but it's still buck tooth. This is what happens when the design team does not have a single car guy on it.
It's just embarrassing when Hyundia has more style.
exinobel102 says:
02:36 PM, 02/10/2011
I'd wish Acura would make an effort to make this car look half as good as it drives.
hondacura4 says:
01:04 PM, 02/10/2011
"I wish they would make a 6MT available on the base TL but the 6 speed auto now makes it competitive again. If only they would bring back the Type S with SH-AWD and perhaps and turbocharged 3.5L V6 with at least 350 hp to compete with the S4."
Hondalvr4life, out of the few Audi S4 6MT vs TL SH-awd 6MT comparisons I've seen the TL actually faired quite well. The TL's main advantages were lower price, better shifter, much better turn in response. The S4's main advantages of course were it's styling, stronger straight line accleration and slightly better feedback from its steering. In terms of handling, the TL drove better the harder you pushed it while the S4 turned into understeer the harder you pushed it. Also the SH-awd 6MT trim took the place of the Type-S trim and the current 6MT TL will run circles around the Type S in all areas of performance.
I admit this car isnt the looker it should be but the 6MT SH-awd model performs much better than it gets credit for.
kosmo69 says:
11:25 AM, 02/10/2011
Ok, it better but still ugly, but not fugly.
I so want to like this car. The S drives soo well.
aston_dbs says:
10:51 AM, 02/10/2011
Call me crazy... but
IMHO, the tweak makes this TL even worse...
The front end transforms this TL (and make it) blander like the... RL...
What a shame...
top_hat says:
09:03 AM, 02/10/2011
Not as ugly... but still ugly. The interior is still a downgrade from the previous generation and from most other cars in its class. I had a 2004 and a 2006 TL. After driving one of the new generation TLs, I defected to BMW. BMW is slightly more expensive, but worth it to me.
unkl_tony says:
07:38 AM, 02/10/2011
The grille and the faux aluminum trim on the trunk need to go. Eventhough the grille is redesigned it still looks retarded, because when you look at the grille you say to yourself why is it only half open? The reshaping of the lower bumper openings do look better than the previous ones looked. You get the impression that they liked the shape of the openings then rembered at the last minute that the turn signals and the fog lights needed to be installed. Not a badly shaped car but Acura is taking good shapes and adding a bunch of busy touches that spoil the flowing lines. The MDX headlights are horrendous just to draw reference. You either love or hate how the trunk opening mimick the the shape of the grille but with the rear have so much vertical surface area, the tail lights could have been larger or they could have followed the line that the trunk opening already follows.
saunupe1911 says:
07:30 AM, 02/10/2011
Better grill, still ugly. It sucks that this car is so ugly because the tech and performance is top notch