ACURA RL Models/Series Timeline, Specifications & Photos

The second generation of the Acura RL has received a mid-model change, as the Acura named the facelift, in 2008 for the 2009 model year. The improvements were found in most parts of the car.

After a slow start in the premium market, the luxury brand from Honda introduced the first generation of the RL in 1996 with a front-wheel-drive model. It was more of a name change from the European Honda Legend to the U.S. version named Legend. A similar name was used before in the U.S. by Honda and the Japanese car-maker didn't want to confuse its customers with the same names for both brands.

The second generation of the RL was introduced in 2004 and it featured an electronically controlled all-wheel-drive system, named Super Handling AWD. A computer sensed the cornering direction and speed and adjusted the torque sent to the wheels, aiding the cornering abilities of the car. Even though the vehicle was not a sports sedan, it was able to achieve good performances while cornering.

From the outside, the facelift showed the new design for the grille, which looked like a shield. New, 18” light-alloy wheels were installed as standard, replacing the 17” wheels from the no-mmc version. The MMC RL suspension was upgraded with higher-rate coil springs, larger diameter anti-sway bars and stiffer bushings all around.

The engine was upgraded from a 3.5-liter to a 3.7-liter unit and it was mated to the same 5-speed automatic gearbox, but with paddle shifters behind the steering wheel.

Longer, wider and more powerful than its ancestor, the second generation of Acura's flagship in the luxury segment, the RL, surprised everyone when it was launched in 2004. Featuring a modern look, with its own design language, the RL was packed with technology built for the roads and especially for fast drives on slippery surfaces. With a total length of 4917 mm (193.6 in), a width of 1847 mm (72.7 in) and a height of 1450 mm (57.1 in), the RL was hardly a member of the full-size sedan family, but still offered enough room for five comfortable seats.

The interior featured standard leather seats and a 5-speed automatic transmission with sequential shifting on the manual mode. Other comfort amenities included a 10-speaker Bose sound system with an Active Noice Cancellation system, which reduced the noises from outside making every trip, a comfortable and quiet one. The infotainment system included an 8” color display for the DVD-based navigation system.

Under the hood, there was a 3.5-liter V6 engine, which offered 300 hp and 353 Nm (260 lb.-ft) of torque. The all-wheel-drive system allows up to 70% of the power to be sent to the rear wheels and up to 100% of the rear torque to be sent to one wheel if the torque vectoring system used would “think” it is necessary, thanks to its intelligent all-wheel-drive with active differentials.