As the supposed pinnacle of Acura luxury-performance, the RLX Sport Hybrid SH-AWD hasn’t made much of a splash since its launch as a 2014 model. Granted, if the flagship RLX was a sport-ute instead of a sedan, it would be a whole different story. It’s not, though, and Canada’s appetite for full-sized, premium-priced four-doors is far from robust. (Also offered as a less expensive non-hybrid, front-wheel-drive model, sales for the RLX for the first nine months of the year are a rather disappointing 142 units.)
While not perfect, the near-$70,000 Sport Hybrid SH-AWD version – which Honda once touted as Acura’s most powerful and technologically advanced vehicle – is an uncommon blend of technologies (for an automobile), its all-wheel drivetrain powered by a gas/electric hybrid setup.
Admittedly, hybrid power is somewhat old hat, and many automakers are throwing their R&D mega-dollars at newer plug-in electric technologies. But it’s a proven fuel-saving system (just ask Toyota) that, in the wake of Volkswagen’s unfolding “Dieselgate” scandal, is looking pretty good by comparison.
Acura RLX Sport Hybrid
Brian Harper, Driving
Although most people tend to think of hybrid cars as slow, mild-mannered transportation, Honda at least makes the Sport Hybrid interesting. The car shares its basic engine architecture with the front-drive RLX, a 310-horsepower 3.5-litre, direct-injected SOHC V6 with i-VTEC and variable cylinder management. Peak torque to the front wheels is rated at 273 lb.-ft. at 4,700 rpm. A seven-speed dual-clutch transmission is standard on the Sport Hybrid. Unlike a conventional automatic transmission, the DCT eliminates the need for a torque converter. It operates in fully automatic mode or it can be shifted manually via steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters. Noteworthy is that this is essentially the same drivetrain layout as will be found in the upcoming NSX sports car.
The Sport Hybrid uses three electric motors – a single 35-kilowatt (47 horsepower) motor integrated with the transmission supplements the engine in driving the front wheels, while a rear-mounted “Twin Motor Unit” containing two 27-kw (36 horsepower) motors distributes electric-motor torque to the rear wheels. Both the front and rear motors capture kinetic energy during vehicle deceleration and braking, converting it to electricity to supply the 72-cell, 1.3-kWh lithium-ion battery pack, located behind the rear seatback. Together, the V6 and three electric motors produce a total system output of 377 horsepower and 341 lb.-ft. of torque.
Supported by the instantaneous torque delivered by the high-output electric motors, the Sport Hybrid SH-AWD will accelerate to 100 km/h in a time fairly comparable with V8-powered rivals. At last year’s AJAC TestFest, the Acura, when put in sport mode and given the (admittedly non-eco-friendly) boot, scampered to 100 km/h in six seconds flat, while pulling off an 80-to-120 passing move in 4.2 seconds. Try that in your Prius!
Acura RLX Sport Hybrid
Brian Harper, Driving
There is a certain contrarian nature to the car, though. Driving it so as to make the most of the Sport Hybrid’s fuel-efficient nature reveals a sluggishness – particularly the handling – that is not endearing. The electric power-assisted rack-and-pinion steering seems slow to self-centre when making turns, as if bogged down by the hybrid’s 1,980-kilogram weight. The payoff is far better fuel economy for a vehicle of the Sport Hybrid’s size. I averaged 10.7 L/100 km during my week with the Acura, almost all of that in-town driving. Considering its fuel efficiency and all-wheel drivetrain, the RLX would make a fair alternative to any midsize sport-ute — including Acura’s own MDX — except for its limited trunk space.
Here’s the thing, though. Forget that the Sport Hybrid is a hybrid. Treat it as you would a sport sedan and it delivers a far more rewarding experience. Having already established its bona fides in acceleration, I was more than surprised when hooning it onto highway on-ramps at less than prudent speeds. The sedan held the intended line without a whimper of protest and with just a hint of body roll — with the drivetrain icon in the head-up display informing me just how the power was being meted out. Standard Agile Handling Assist uses active braking to help guide it through curves with smaller steering inputs.
Other than price, my only concern with the Sport Hybrid is that its styling is too conventional – both externally and internally. Nothing’s out of place or glaringly odd, just nondescript. Even staid Toyota puts more pizzazz into the design of its products. The only exception in the button-festooned, colour-muted cabin is the lack of a traditional console-mounted shifter. Instead, as in the MDX sport-ute I recently drove, there’s a fully electronic, shift-by-wire gear selector, with Park, Neutral and Drive selected with the push of a button. Reverse is achieved by pulling back on a switch.
Setting aside its styling anonymity, the RLX doesn’t shirk in safety, luxury, driver-assistive or information/media technologies. It’s fully contented, with all the modern conveniences, including impressive sound quality from the 14-speaker Krell premium audio system. Even more impressive is the car’s roominess, with ample stretch-out room front and back for those on the plus side of six feet.
Here’s the rub, though: If Honda really wanted to promote the sophistication of its hybrid/AWD powertrain, it would drop the system into one of its popular sport-utes, likely the Honda Pilot and/or Acura MDX, which could then go up against Toyota’s Highlander Hybrid/Lexus RX 450h models. Highlighting it in a pricey, full-sized sedan is condemning it to obscurity.
The RLX Sport Hybrid might set a new bar in luxury performance sedans – Honda, naturally, thinks it does – but it is a car few will gravitate to. Pity!
