Acura readies Luxury Hybrid Sedan for roll out

Acura, Honda’s luxury division, is getting set to debut its first luxury sedan to use hybrid powertrain technology later this month at the Los Angeles Auto Show. TheRLX Sport Hybrid SH-AWD will sport the same fuel efficiency gear as its much more zippy sibling, the upcoming Acura NSX.

Acura said its RLX Sport Hybrid SH-AWD will have 377 total system horsepower, delivered by a hybrid system that mates “a 3.5-liter SOHC direct-injected i-VTEC V-6 engine with a 7-speed dual clutch  transmission and three high-output electric motors.” Described as offering V8 like performance with 4-cylinder fuel economy, it is projected this sedan will get an EPA fuel economy rating of 30 miles per gallon combined.

image via Acura

The RLX hybrid first surfaced as a concept back at the 2012 New York Auto Show, signaling a new direction for Acura’s flagship vehicle. At the time other features which were included with it were 20-inch forged aluminum wheels, a dual-stacked array with a total of ten separate high-intensity LED lamps in the headlamps, lane assist, dual LCD touch screens for access to communications, navigation and infotainment technologies and a 14-speaker ultra premium audio system.

There was no word as of yet on pricing, but expect Honda  to likely address that when the car officially is premiered in Los Angeles, where it will join the 310-horsepower RLX with Precision All-Wheel Steer (P-AWS) in the Acura model line in 2014. The RLX P-AWS model made its world debut at the Los Angeles International Auto Show in 2012 and went on sale earlier this year.

* Nino Marchetti, EarthTechling