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Precision Concept previews the future of Acura design [w/video]

When we drove the 2014 Acura RLX Sport Hybrid two years ago we celebrated its massive handling and carped on its milquetoast styling. We'd have done backflips if the internals of the brand's flagship sedan had been wrapped in the sheetmetal of the Acura Precision Concept. Don't get us wrong, we still have some questions about the front end of the car in these images, but we're all-in on the side view and, more importantly, we applaud Acura for making a bold design statement. Acura says the Precision concept "literally will shape the direction of all future Acura products," bringing a "bolder, more distinctive future for Acura vehicle design." Hallelujah. As if you couldn't tell, this is the product of the Acura Design Studio in California, where Acura NSX veteran Michelle Christensen led the exterior work and NSX veteran John Norman led the interior design. Up front is what's called a Diamond Pentagon grille, which looks fussy here but we won't make final judgments until we see it on the Detroit Auto Show floor later today. Come around to the side and the low-slung, rear-wheel-drive proportions on 22-inch wheels are the last thing we'd expect from a design study for an Acura sedan. It is about two inches shorter than the 2016 BMW 750i with a wheelbase that is 4.4 inches shorter, and sits six inches lower. Intensely sculpted surfaces flow from the exterior into the cabin, like the CHMSL that breaks the rear backlight to roll into the rear headrests. Interior elements thrust like geologic formations, popping with mixed materials, floating rear seats, a small steering wheel and floating gauge locked onto a tiered instrument panel. The wide, curved screen atop the center console experiments with a floating touchpad to control a concept human-machine interface. Acura says everything about the Precision concept is an expression of the company's "Precision Crafted Performance DNA." We have no idea how Acura plans to integrate this into its product line; put the Precision on a showroom floor right now and every other current Acura model save the NSX would squeal away and hide. But we welcome the attempt. We can't wait to see what happens. Acura Precision Concept Points to Bold Future for Acura Design DETROIT, January 12, 2016 – The Acura Precision Concept model made its world debut at the 2016 North American International Auto Show today, pointing toward a bolder, more distinctive future for Acura vehicle design.

Acura to unveil 2019 RDX production version in New York

Acura says it will unveil the all-new 2019 RDX crossover at the New York International Auto Show along with a new A-Spec sport variant. Acura unveiled the RDX Prototype in January in Detroit, saying it was a close representation of the production version, save for the more concept-y side mirrors and larger wheels. It released a teaser image Monday of the A-Spec front end featuring a special badge along the side fender. It's the first application of the sport appearance, which the company says "adds sport appearance detailing, inside and out," on an Acura SUV and is supposed to be part of all core Acura models in the future. View 12 Photos Due to go on sale midyear, the 2019 RDX was designed and developed in the U.S. for the first time. Its styling is courtesy of the brand's design studio in Los Angeles, while engineering was handled in Raymond, Ohio. It's set to be built at Acura's assembly plant in East Liberty, Ohio, while the 2.0-liter four-cylinder VTEC Turbo engine will be made in nearby Anna, Ohio. The third-generation of the crossover takes its cues from the Precision Concept and Precision Cockpit concept, both from 2016. It gets a new Acura-only platform that sheds weight and stiffens the body, and it adds more interior space, rear legroom and cargo space, a panoramic sliding moonroof. The reveal will be live-streamed starting at 12:15 p.m. ET March 28 on Acura's YouTube, Facebook and Twitter channels. Related Video: Image Credit: Acura New York Auto Show Acura Crossover Luxury acura rdx 2018 new york auto show

Ford tumbles to second worst in Consumer Reports reliability survey, list dominated by Japanese [w/video]

It's no secret that MyFord Touch has had its share of problems since being introduced, but the most recent reliability survey from Consumer Reports shows just how much this infotainment system has affected Ford. Just two years ago, the automaker was in the top 10 for the institute's reliability rankings, but since then, it has tumbled to the second-lowest rung just above dead-last Jaguar. In addition to MyFord Touch, CR also attributes a handful of new products that have had issues right out of the gate.
Compiled from 1.2 million subscriber surveys, this year's auto reliability survey heavily favors Japanese automakers, with eight of the 10 spots hailing from Japan. Toyota brands grabbed the top three spots (Scion, Toyota and Lexus - in that order) with Mazda, Subaru, Honda and Acura filling the next four spots. The only non-Asian automaker cracking the top 10 was Audi at number eight.
Audi climbed a total of 18 spots from last year, and Cadillac and GMC round out this year's top gainers breaking into the top 15. Helping Cadillac's upward movement, the CTS Coupe was named the most reliable domestic car. Lincoln, Volvo and Chrysler join Ford on this year's biggest loser list.