2013 Acura RDX Crossover Revealed as Production Model

About a month ago, the vehicle looked the same, but Acura was calling it a concep. But now, they’ve added a full interior and changed venues from Detroit to Chicago, and presto: it’s the new Acura RDX luxury crossover as it should be when you buy it.This is the second generation of the five-seater crossover that’s supposed to bring luxury to the masses. The design changes it underwent have made it a bit more understated than before. However, we are fond of the interior, which does look upmarket.

The big news is that 2013 RSX has gotten a 3.5-liter V6 with 273 horsepower that’s available in either front- or all-wheel drive, mated to a lighter six-speed automatic and a lock-up torque converter. The FWD version is the most frugal, being capable of 20 mpg city and 28 mpg highway.

Source;
http://www.autoevolution.com/news/2013-acura-rdx-crossover-revealed-as-production-model-42478.html

Ward's Auto Confirms: Honda Cancels Acura Diesel

By Christie Schweinsberg WardsAuto.com, Oct 30, 2008 10:29 AM

Honda Motor Co. Ltd.’s plan to bring a diesel-equipped Acura TSX to the U.S. next year is dead before arrival.

“The (diesel in the) Acura has been canceled,” a source familiar with the program tells Ward’s.

A report in the Japanese business daily Nikkei News today says Honda will delay launching a diesel engine in the U.S. until 2010 or later.

A rumor, published this week on the “Temple of VTEC,” a Honda enthusiasts’ website, claims the engine did not meet U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s emissions standards when tested with an automatic transmission.

The diesel-powered TSX equipped with a manual gearbox reportedly passed muster, but Honda rejected the business case to make the vehicle available in the U.S. without an automatic.

American Honda Motor Co. Inc. declines comment.

Honda first announced plans to bring a diesel engine to the U.S. in May 2006. It later was revealed the engine would be the i-DTEC 4-cyl. turbodiesel, already available in the European Honda Accord that is sold in the U.S. as the Acura TSX.

While Fukui declined to reveal which model would receive the diesel, sources say it was intended to power the TSX midsize sedan.

Fukui was bullish on his company’s diesel plans, which were to include the Honda brand at the time, saying the business case suggested “an appropriate profit level,” despite the price premium applied to diesel fuel. He also forecast eventual annual U.S. sales of 150,000 units.

Allen Schaeffer, executive director of the non-profit diesel-advocacy group, Diesel Technology Forum, expresses surprise at the notion Honda did not foresee testing problems.

In terms of performance and emissions achievements, we’ve seen data presented at technical conferences that (Honda) could make this system work,” Schaeffer says. “People don’t make those kinds of announcements without expecting to meet emissions standards.”

For the rest of the article;
http://www.vtec.net/news/news-item?news_item_id=797648

Rumours Galore! Acura TSX Diesel and TSX V6 Update

Now, this is not good news for diesel fans in North America if it's true and keep in mind that this is truely just a RUMOUR at this point. However to find something like this on Temple of Vtec (which is a very credible source), gives me some concern that this may be true. Now I don't know what this could mean to the prospective diesel Accord or CRV, but it wouldn't look good, although I do know that the Accord and CRV diesel are to be released a year or two later, so that may give Honda the time to get things right.
Earlier this year at the 2008 Detroit Auto Show, Honda CEO Takeo Fukui announced that 2009 would see Honda's first clean diesel engine to be sold in the USA. Though it was stated that the diesel engine would appear in an undisclosed Acura model, it was all but common knowledge that the TSX would be the first model to get the diesel engine.

Fast forward nearly 10 months, and we've received an anonymous tip asserting that the i-DTEC TSX has been delayed indefinitely (if not cancelled outright). According to the anonymous sources, the 6MT version of the i-DTEC TSX has successfully cleared emissions certification, but the automatic-equipped version has been unable to pass certification. According to these sources, Acura believes that the demand for a TSX diesel would be greatly compromised if it were only offered with a 6-speed manual, so the decision was allegedly made to put the TSX diesel on indefinite hold.

That's the bad news. The good news is that a V-6 version is said to be coming soon - it's supposedly being "fast-tracked" to make up for the missing diesel. We're still seeking any details we can uncover on that powertrain.

Source;
http://www.vtec.net/news/news-item?news_item_id=796361