2021 Acura TLX Type S Arrives in May with 355 Horsepower
After 13 years away, the Type S performance nameplate is making its big return. Acura announced the 2021 TLX Type S will launch in late May with a starting price somewhere “in the low $50,000s.” This is, increasingly, proving to be a very competitive price point among high-performance cars, and we’re greatly looking forward to seeing how the Type S fares.
Based on the second-generation TLX, which first went on sale last September, the Type S will be all about delivering a thrilling and totally unique driving experience. Under the hood, it will have a completely new, turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 rated at 355 horsepower and 354 lb-ft of torque, making it the most powerful Type S to yet come out of a Honda factory.
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At the front, the Type S will use a double-wishbone suspension. Combined with an advanced all-wheel-drive system and an exclusive Sport+ driving mode specially designed to enhance performance (the normal models only go as high as Sport), the Type S promises to be a blast behind the wheel.
All models also get Acura’s adaptive dampers, Brembo four-piston brakes, and 20-inch multi-spoke wheels wrapped in Pirelli all-season tires. For more than just a little extra performance, lightweight wheels with Pirelli P Zero summer tires are available.
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Inside, the Type S will feature suede-trimmed, 16-way power seats with adjustable side bolsters and Type S embossing. And just in case the all-new V6’s soundtrack is not up to the standards of modern driving enthusiasts, the car will also get the 17-speaker, ELS Studio 3D premium sound that Esquire hailed as one of the best sound systems you can get in a car today.
The all-new Acura TLX Type S, like many new Acura models, rides on an exclusive platform designed to make the car feel totally unique from other cars, including those with which it shares a badge. Let’s hope the Type S is as good as it sounds.
Kurt Verlin was born in France and lives in the United States. Throughout his life he was always told French was the language of romance, but it was English he fell in love with. He likes cats, music, cars, 30 Rock, Formula 1, and pretending to be a race car driver in simulators; but most of all, he just likes to write about it all. See more articles by Kurt.