Welcome to sunny San Diego
(Credit: CNET Networks)You just don't expect snow in San Diego, but that's what we got last week at a launch event for the 2009 Acura TSX. Due to the terms of an embargo, we have to hold off on giving you any information on our driving experiences from the event, but we can tell you that, thanks to a freak snowstorm, we ended up stuck on a mountainside for the better part of three hours, much of it waiting for a snowplow to come and clear us a path to safety. Usually, this would have been a tedious wait, but by a great stroke of good fortune, your correspondent found himself in a car with Dan Bonawitz, vice president of corporate planning and logistics at American Honda. Bonawitz had some interesting things to say about some of the technologies on forthcoming Acura and Honda vehicles (aside from the top-secret 2009 TSX in which we were driving).
First, he mentioned that Acura's Collision Mitigation Braking System (CMBS), currently exclusive to the flagship RL sedan, would likely make its way to other models in the U.S. lineup in the future. While we're not expecting to see the radar-based system in the redesigned TL sedan, due to be unveiled later this year, we wouldn't be surprised to see it on future iterations of the MDX or RDX SUVs. The second tech-related tidbit was that Honda is not intending to bring the Internavi Premium Club to the United States. Internavi is a subscription-based service currently available in Japan that provides weather and user-submitted geotags on points of interest to drivers via an Internet connection. Instead, Bonawitz said that Acura vehicles in the United States would continue to use the AcuraLink architecture to stream data such as traffic and weather to their GPS navigation systems. Asked when Honda would be bringing out a successor to the Honda S2000, Bonawitz said that we can expect to see the current-generation model "for at least another year," which suggests to us that there might be something in the works for 2010. According to Bonawitz, 2010 is also the prospective date for introduction of Acura's delayed "NSX-replacement" V-10-powered supercar, which is expected to be based on Acura's Advanced Sports Car Concept.
The 2009 TSX will be unveiled in New York
(Credit: Acura)Acura has begun to drip-feed us information about its updated TSX sedan, which will be formally unveiled at this year's New York auto show. Based on the single beauty show we got today, the styling of the 2009 TSX departs from that of the current model in several significant ways. The front end has the same beak-shaped arrangement that many of Acura's newer models, including the 2009 RL, which was unveiled last week. At the stern, the new TSX appears to have more of a raked rear windshield than the current model. It also appears to forgo the horizontal decklid of the current generation car, in favor of a smoother, more bulbous rear profile.
The new TSX is expected to be the first diesel-powered Honda in the United States
(Credit: CNET Networks)The new TSX is expected to get Honda's new 2.2-liter i-DTEC diesel engine when it goes on sale later this year, making it the first diesel-powered car from Honda Motor to reach the United States. There is currently no information available on Interior upgrades of the new model, but don't be surprised to see it equipped with Acura's version of XM NavWeather, which has already been announced for the 2009 RL.
Click the image to access the gallery
The gadget-laden Acura RL has long been a favorite here at CNET Car Tech. As one of the first cars to offer a navigation system with real-time traffic data, and an active collision mitigation system, the current generation RL was ahead of the pack in terms of cabin and drivetrain technology. However, as we found in our recent review of the 2007 RL, the model has started to show its age. Acura is remedying that with the release of the 2009 RL. The 2009 RL comes with a new body style, a more powerful engine, and some more pioneering cabin technology including real-time weather information, and a navigation system that can automatically reroute around congestion. Check out our photo gallery here.
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