2009 Acura RL

Our Full Review

By  Paul Eisenstein, Executive Editor

Hoping to kick some new life into the brand, Acura rolled into Chicago with an almost completely new version of its RL flagship, which will hit U.S. showrooms later this year. The 2009 Acura RL “defines our brand and further refines our engineering credentials,” declared the Honda luxury division’s marketing chief, Dick Colliver. While some platform fundamentals hold over from the last-generation RL, more than 80 percent of the new model has been revised or completely redesigned, including virtually all of its sheetmetal. Developing a distinctive, rather than derivative look has been critical, Acura officials conceded, to rebuilding what was the very first of the Japanese luxury brands. Nose on, the RL features a new, wing-shaped chrome crossbar grille. It’s framed by a pair of striking new headlamps. Like seemingly all new luxury sedans , the ’09 Acura enhances aerodynamics through the use of a high trunk lid. Arrow-like, ... Read full review

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