2009 Acura TL fully revealed
by Alex Nunez on Aug 9th 2008 at 9:22AM 
Click above for more photos of the 2009 Acura TL
The floodgates will open on the '09 Acura TL soon enough, but in the meantime, Inside Line has posted a set of press photos and confirmed the car's final specs. As has been previously reported, there are two versions: a base 3.5L front-drive car with 285 horses and the range-topping TL SH-AWD, which gets a 305-horsepower 3.7L V6. The Type S is history, replaced in essence by the SH-AWD. Both TL models are mated to 5-speed automatics, and a stiffer chassis should help make time spent behind the wheel more engaging.
Inside, the layout is one that should be familiar to anyone who's spent time in a new Honda or Acura. Metallic-look wings arc out from a center stack topped by a multifunction LCD screen and finished at the bottom by Honda's all-in-one controller for audio/info/nav interfaces. In short, techno-gadgetry abounds. The new TL is a larger car than it predecessor, with a 1.4-inch longer wheelbase and 6.2 inches added to its overall length. Consequently, interior space also improves over the outgoing sedan.
While the current-gen TL is Acura's most attractive vehicle, we have a feeling the new-for-2009 edition may not age as gracefully. The new corporate shield grille is in place, adding bling to the nose and offering enough frontal reflective surface to repel a Klingon phaser bombardment. If you miss the obviously-an-Acura front end, you might need to do a double-take to recognize in profile thanks to a C-pillar kink that apes BMW...and Infiniti, and the Jaguar XF, just to name a few. Out back, the trunklid repeats the shield motif that started up front. Regarding the car's styling, there's much for you to discuss in the comments below. Stay tuned for plenty more information and our first drive impressions of the new TL in the days to come.
Gallery: 2009 Acura TL
[Source: Inside Line]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 9)
Rally Man 9:25AM (8/09/2008)
I just don't like Acura's new design theme.
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Beastage 10:56AM (8/09/2008)
No doubt, that front is just too much anime.
bananas 11:00AM (8/09/2008)
Me either! This thing is absolutely obnoxious and disgusting style-wise. I owned a TL from '99 to '03 and really liked that car. The second gen was an improvement, but this thing is horrible.
I cannot decide which look worse, the front end or the rear with that gawd-awful trunk. Yikes, I just threw-up in my mouth a litle bit!
rypt 11:01AM (8/09/2008)
Got Bumper?
almost Dr. G.. 11:13AM (8/09/2008)
me either.. i used to think acuras were extremely nice but too conservative.. now they are just ugly.. the interiors are still beautiful but damn i wouldnt even consider purchasing one..
AMcA 11:50AM (8/09/2008)
Hideous. Absolutely hideous.
Vintage 12:02PM (8/09/2008)
I think it looks like Caddy's brand language.
Glenn 12:57PM (8/09/2008)
Nose looks like a giant can opener -- humm, might be handy.
Torrent 1:47PM (8/09/2008)
It's like a Toucan collided with the front grille.
nastinupe 8:43PM (8/09/2008)
My 2005 TL just became a classic. I feel a little depreciation happening with every click of the mouse. Thanks Acura for making me not feel like boo boo for having a car who's design is not the most current. I'm glad that financed my car for 6 years instead of 5. I'm not getting rid of it now.
Not to mention that I hate knobs in lieu of touch screens.
Also, no new technology in the cabin.
I'm staying in my TL until the 2007 Mercedes S Class depreciates to $45k then I will jump ship and get me one of those babies.
Kaptain75329 10:28PM (8/09/2008)
"I just don't like Acura's new design theme."
What? You mean the "Machine from Superman III eats cars instead of people" theme? Yea I'm not feeling it either. Actually, I think I'm just not feeling well at all.
n400 12:06AM (8/10/2008)
Wow! It's pretty rare to see this much unanimous disgust.
Maybe Honda had a different target audience in mind.
pmalloy4391 12:18AM (8/10/2008)
give me a pontiac G-8... much better looking and more power for around the same price This thing got hit with the ugly stick a few hundred times
Xcountryflyer 3:48AM (8/10/2008)
I've been dreading this thing with every spy photo that came out and it proved to be just as ugly as expected. This thing is wretched. I hope it doesn't sell so they learn their lesson. And I used to be such a Honda fan. Sad sad.
Dahk 3:57PM (8/10/2008)
While its true this thing looks hideous at the moment, if you think about it, many of commercial designs released by Honda have also looked pretty bad INITIALLY.
The Honda Accords here in the states (esp the sedan) looked pretty bad, but you sorta grew into and by like a year later, it became a pretty damn awesome car.
Just my thoughts. Still looks hideous, atm.
Mike!!ekiM 8:16PM (8/11/2008)
Ouch! My eyes are sore.
yacoub 9:27AM (8/09/2008)
So the same unimaginative slushbox and FWD (or FWD-biased AWD), and now with an uglier exterior. What a loser. I'm sure it'll sell just fine.
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cheezwiz 9:56AM (8/11/2008)
Acura lost some respect in my book over not offering a manual. Not that I'd ever buy this land barge, so who cares. I'm clearly not in its demographic.
jon 9:30AM (8/09/2008)
I honestly dont understand what acura is doing... this seems like a step backwards as far as design goes IMO... they seemed to have good ideas on their SUVs and i thought some of that form language would transfer over onto their sedans... instead they go with the buck tooth design...
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RG 9:30AM (8/09/2008)
I dunno, the whole thing looks cheap to me. The grill is horrid (hopefully aftermarket will fix it, but even the back seems a little fussy.
Interior is amazing though, then again Honda never needed work in that department.
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