SPIED: STUD or DUD? First Look At The 2021 Acura TLX! Holy 6-Series Gran Coupe Ripoff?

One of the most mysterious companies to us over the years has to be Acura. So much potential, yet such lukewarm results.

They beat Lexus and Infiniti to the game and were the first 'premium' Japanese products sold in a branded separate dealership from Honda.

We were big fans of the original Legend coupe and expected more big things from them. But all that ever came were uninspired products built on an idea of making better sameness.

A glimmer of hope came with MDX and TL (I owned one and loved it) but that was it for taking excitement to the next level.

Was as satisfying as a two minute fireworks show on the 4th of July.

So could these leaked shots of the next TLX from a patent filing give us hope that the best is yet to come?

Let us know...Is it a STUD or DUD?

blackbr - 5/2/2020 6:15:50 AM

+4 Boost

Actual photos of this car have already been leaked. Why show a rendering?

Dexter1 - 5/2/2020 7:08:04 AM

+2 Boost

Not sure where the 6-series comparison came from. This is typical Acura missing the mark again.

carloslassiter - 5/2/2020 8:32:45 AM

+3 Boost

Acura hasn't changed their look in 15 years.

MDarringer - 5/2/2020 11:58:46 AM

+2 Boost

So you didn't catch on that they changed from the beak/power plenum to the gaping mouth with stars in it?

jeffgall - 5/2/2020 8:34:31 AM

+1 Boost

Looks more like the child of a Stinger and Audi

pauerb - 5/2/2020 9:08:43 AM

+4 Boost

This looks to be about 75% of the concept which is a shame. Concept looked promising. Hopefully I'll be wrong.

MrEE - 5/2/2020 9:28:03 AM

+5 Boost

BMW has been adopting Honda design for a long time.

MDarringer - 5/2/2020 11:38:00 AM

+4 Boost

Yeah that 3 Series is a total Civic ripoff. #CarbonCopy

MDarringer - 5/2/2020 10:20:56 AM

+1 Boost

New levels of terrible. The current TLX was a move in the right direction from the ugly TL before it. The concept look production ready but even it was not forward thinking enough. This is a stumble in the wrong direction. Is Acura run by Cadillac? Both know how to do concepts that are wonderful and then never bring them to production.

The tail lights remind me of an older Lacrosse and the roof-to-tail photo reminds me of a last generation Sonata.

F1_Driver - 5/3/2020 12:55:12 AM

0 Boost

The tail lights look like the current Buick Regal:

https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/theoaklandpress.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/f/2a/f2a95e1e-95ee-11e8-86e9-8356175fb8e7/5b62579060f60.image.jpg?resize=1200%2C800

malba2367 - 5/2/2020 10:57:21 AM

+4 Boost

The concept actually looked pretty good...this looks blah.

mpls - 5/2/2020 2:04:36 PM

+4 Boost

what 6 serie? ven in ths rendering, looks better than a 6 series..

carloslassiter - 5/3/2020 12:29:22 PM

+2 Boost

So you didn't catch on that they changed from the beak/power plenum to the gaping mouth with stars in it?
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Honestly no. if those two things do indeed represent different Acura design directions, I can say confidently that they both suck equally.

MDarringer - 5/3/2020 4:13:17 PM

+1 Boost

Oh absolutely, but the 2009-14 TL has virtually nothing in common stylistically with the 2015/current TLX.

cidflekken - 5/3/2020 2:33:06 PM

+3 Boost

Jesus, people. Since when...seriously, when...has anything from a patent filing looked good? They all look like fake attempts at small-scale replicas of the real thing. The colored B and C pillars here make it look awful even moreso, which we all know those will be blacked out.
Spy photos of the test mule show the trunk lid deck to not be a long as it's made to look here. It appears to be much closer to the concept, which gives it almost a fastback appearance.

And I see no resemblance to a 6GC.

MDarringer - 5/3/2020 3:44:10 PM

0 Boost

A shorter deck would make it look even uglier.

cidflekken - 5/3/2020 11:40:22 PM

+3 Boost

The concept had a shorter rear deck and a longer greenhouse. I think it looks really good.