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Acura has announced new lease prices for the 2021 TLX just in time for the holiday season.

The Acura TLX is all-new for 2021. It's built on a new architecture that we're told is the brand's most rigid other than the NSX. In our first-drive review, we called it "a true enthusiast's sedan." Now, we know that another benefit of the car's redo is improved crash performance, as the new TLX has earned a Top Safety Pick+ award from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

The 2021 TLX bettered its predecessor in the challenging driver's-side small-overlap front crash test, achieving a Good score versus the previous model's Acceptable rating. The 2021 TLX also garnered a Good score for the passenger-side small-overlap front crash test (the previous version was not tested) and for the agency's other crash tests as well: moderate-overlap front, side-impact, roof crush and head restraints and seats.

The 2021 Acura TLX has a 13.5-cubic-foot trunk according to the spec sheet. That would be comparable to a typical compact mainstream sedan despite the TLX's exterior dimensions being more akin to a midsize sedan (its 194.6-inch length is right smack between a Toyota Camry and Honda Accord). Luxury cars usually sacrifice utility for style, and by adapting cab-rearward proportions for this latest generation, it shouldn't be surprising that the TLX follows the trend. 

However, how much utility does the new TLX sacrifice and is the trunk still useful? Let's find out.

Acura has great expectations for the all-new 2021 TLX sports sedan, the first model to embody the brand's ‘Precision Crafted Performance’ philosophy.

The redesigned 2021 Acura TLX will launch in the United States on September 28 and a handful of publications have had the opportunity to test it.

Buildup for the 2021 Acura TLX started more than a year ago when Acura released the stunning Type S Concept. It was long, low, wide and graced with gorgeous rear-drive proportions. Plus, it was slathered in some of the best blue paint we've ever seen. Acura could not have thought of a better way to say, "Hey, we're back!"

It's no surprise that the Type S Concept is a dead ringer for the production TLX. Acura designers told us the car was just about finished when the concept debuted. So yeah, the new TLX and TLX Type S were always going to look this good. The latter won't be arriving until next spring, but our first drive of this next-gen base TLX has us hopeful for the Type S and its 3.0-liter turbocharged V6. And maybe just a little nervous, too. 

The 2021 Acura TLX is officially rolling off the assembly line in Marysville, Ohio. This marks the beginning of a new generation for the Acura, which promises to be "the quickest, best-handling and most well-appointed sport sedan in the brand's 35-year history." Heady words, considering the brand has produced many impressive sedans over the past few decades.

Both the standard TLX and the TLX Type S will be made alongside each other, and the engines lurking within will be assembled nearby in Anna, Ohio. Only the standard TLX with the 2.0-liter turbo four-cylinder will be available initially, but the Type S and its 3.0-liter turbocharged V6 will arrive next spring. 

The 2021 Acura TLX will start at $38,525 (including a $1,025 destination fee) when it arrives in dealerships this fall. The flagship Type S model, which will be powered by a twin-turbocharged V6, will not arrive until spring, and while Acura has not yet finalized pricing, we're told it will start above the $50,000 mark. 

The $38,525 base price of the 2021 TLX makes it $4,500 more dear than the model it replaces, but competitive with most of its luxury peers, largely thanks to its far more potent base engine. In fact, the 272-horsepower 2.0-liter turbo mill in the 2021 model in only down 18 horsepower from the V6 offered as the upgraded engine in the 2020. The new also TLX gets an updated platform that brings back its traditional double-wishbone front suspension, introduces a new turbocharged four-cylinder engine, and marks the return of the sporty Type S to the model lineup.

Acura's first in-house crossover/SUV is finally ready for another full redesign, and these latest spy photos give us our best look yet. This 2022 Acura MDX was caught by one of our spy photographers with bare minimum vinyl wrap camouflage. As such, we can tell that the new model will be quite a bit more athletic and share many styling cues with the recently revealed TLX sedan.

Starting from the front, the MDX features the pentagonal grille from the TLX. While the outgoing version has a similar grille, this one is wider and flatter. It also has headlights that fit with the grille better, adopting a more angular, slimmer shape compared to the old MDX. The grille and headlights sit higher in the front fascia, too. Combined with what looks like a longer nose, the new MDX has a more proud, upright look versus the slumped, slightly minivan-esque design of the current model.

When it arrives in showrooms this fall, the 2021 Acura TLX will be the first vehicle equipped with the new three-chamber front passenger airbag design Honda announced last year, reinforcing the automaker's commitment to infused the sports sedan with state-of-the-art safety bonafides.

As explained in the video above, the new airbag was designed and developed by engineers at Honda's R&D campus in Ohio and auto supplier Autoliv to mitigate the risk of severe brain trauma associated with angled frontal collisions. With its official launch in the 2021 TLX, the airbag will begin to be offered to other automakers through Autoliv.

The 2021 Acura TLX has been revealed, and it looks superb. We also have a handful of hard numbers, so you know that we've got to take a look at how they compare to the competition. As we only have numbers for the base turbocharged four-cylinder model, we're only looking at similarly equipped competitors. And with the small to midsize luxury sedan segment burgeoning these days, we've selected a mix of rear-drive, front-drive and all-wheel-drive options to compare to this front-drive-based sedan. You can see the raw numbers below, and a summary of them under that.

We've been given our first official glimpse into the brand-new 2021 Acura TLX sedan, and so far we like what we see. It's clear that Acura wants to be considered a brand that focuses on performance, boosting power with two turbocharged engine options and the return of the Type S variant after a decade-long absence.

Acura stuck close to the well-received Type S concept when styling the new TLX, which means the sedan boasts crisp lines, aggressively creased sheetmetal and a low, wide stance. An angular grille is flanked by Acura's Jewel Eye headlights and Chicane LED running lights to create an expressive face, and similarly shaped taillights at the back end finish off a cohesive design. An A-Spec sport package adds darkened elements along with a unique set of 19-inch wheels and a rear spoiler.

Acura claims the 2021 TLX will be the "quickest, best-handling, and most well-appointed sport sedan in Acura history." The experts at Autoblog won't be able to put that statement to the test for several months, but all signs thus far are positive. After showing off the rear of the car a week ago, Acura just released a new teaser of the front fascia. Along with the photo, Acura announced the upcoming TLX will use its own brand-exclusive sports sedan platform and will have a double wishbone front suspension.

Before the 2021 TLX's digital unveiling that will take place, May 28 at 1:00 p.m. EST (10:00 a.m. PDT) on Acura.com, Honda's luxury branch has slowly been releasing enticing tidbits about the all-new four-door. The teasers show the car will look very similar to the beautiful Type S Concept, and a Type S performance variant will use a powerful turbocharged 3.0-liter V6.  

The 2021 Acura TLX will revive the sporty Type S model after a 10-year moratorium, and this time around, it's getting a turbocharged V6, further setting it apart from other sedans in the Honda corporate family. 

Acura says the new TLX will draw heavily upon the styling shown on two of its recent concepts: the Precision, which was shown in 2016, and the Type S, which was shown last year. The evolution of the styling is obvious even from Acura's darkened teaser image, which depicts a slightly more curvaceous take on 2019's Type S while retaining most of the same key design elements, including the quad-outlet exhaust and pronounced underbody diffuser.