The current-generation Acura TLX has been on the market since the 2021 model year, which means it’s the perfect candidate for a mid-cycle update. However, only the keenest eyes will be able notice the cosmetic changes Acura made to the 2024 TLX, with the automaker instead focusing its efforts on streamlined packaging, additional standard features, and a quieter cabin.
For starters, the facelifted TLX will be available in three variants: the front-drive Technology, all-wheel-drive A-Spec, and flagship Type S. Gone is the base TLX, and it’s no longer possible to get the automaker’s Super Handling All-Wheel Drive on the Technology. Unfortunately, the Advance model is also on the chopping block, taking its more luxury-oriented styling and adaptive dampers with it.
However, Acura isn’t eliminating everything that makes the TLX a premium sedan. Popular features like leather seating, an ELS Studio premium sound system, and adjustable ambient lighting are now standard thanks to the Tech package’s promotion to “base model,” and the sport-styled A-Spec brings all-wheel drive at no cost.
The TLX will also get an improved version of the AcuraWatch safety and driver-assistance suite. The windshield-mounted front camera has a 90-degree field of view, while the millimeter-wave radar system in the grille has a 120-degree field – on the outgoing TLX, both measured 50 degrees. This expanded angle improves collision detection and enhances the system’s ability to recognize pedestrians, bicycles, road markings, and signs. The blind spot detection system also reaches farther behind the car, enabling approaching vehicle warnings.
According to Acura, customers also asked for a quieter driving experience, so the 2024 TLX A-Spec has acoustic front door glass; thicker carpet; and added insulation in the wheel wells, B-pillar, and doors. The A-Spec also gets active noise canceling as part of its ELS Studio 3D audio system, helping reduce sonic intrusion. Those updates also apply to the higher-performance TLX Type S, giving the sporty sedan a more hushed cabin in addition to its heady power.
All versions of the TLX get a new, “frameless” grille design, causing the Diamond Pentagon’s textures to extend all the way to the bodywork. The alterations are subtle, but the 2024 TLX does indeed look incrementally sleeker than its immediate predecessor. As before, the Technology and A-Spec feature 19-inch wheels, though the former gets a new machined finish and the latter has a more aggressive split-spoke design in Shark Gray. The A-Spec also gets a revised rear fascia with two Type S–inspired round tailpipes.
Speaking of, the Type S also receives the frameless grille but with a trim-specific inner texture that looks more aggressive and intricate than before. The 20-inch wheels come standard with a glossy Berlina Black finish, and while the hand-painted PMC Edition has been discontinued (hopefully temporarily), its gold Y-spoke wheels will be available as an accessory option.
The 2024 TLX will also offer two new colors: Liquid Carbon Metallic on the Technology and Urban Gray Pearl on the A-Spec and Type S. That second offering looks a bit like the Nardo-esque shade that’s becoming common among today’s carmarkers, but look closer and it reveals a lustrous, gold-tinged pearlcoat that’s subtle and sophisticated.
Acura hasn’t revealed monetary specifics, but a representative told Motor1.com that the base price would rise commensurate with the newly standard Technology package. The 2023 TLX Technology FWD starts at $45,245 including $1,195 destination, while the 2023 A-Spec SH-AWD is $50,195 and the Type S is $56,945. Expect the 2024 model to add a few Benjamins to those figures when the sedan goes on sale later this month, keeping Acura in the hunt when it comes to sporty luxury sedans like the BMW 3 Series and Lexus IS.
