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First Times Drive: Acura RLX Sport Hybrid AWD

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Consider it Acura’s flagship flagship.

Next spring, Honda’s luxury division will put on sale the pinnacle of the brand’s lineup, the RLX Sport Hybrid AWD. As the name implies, this zestier version of Acura’s largish-midsize car adds both all-wheel drive and a hybrid drivetrain to the tepid RLX we tested in May.

This new model accomplishes two crucial things for Acura.

PHOTO: Acura’s RLX Sport Hybrid AWD

It gives the brand an all-wheel-drive sedan to offer customers in snowy climes where Audi’s Quattro and Mercedes-Benz’ 4Matic systems are popular among luxury buyers. And the added power of the hybrid system allows Acura to compete against V-8 models from competitors such as BMW, Infiniti and the aforementioned Audi and Mercedes duo.

Fortunately for Acura fans, this version is more compelling than the base RLX. That model was an underwhelming wannabe, a front-wheel-drive model swimming in a pool of rear-wheel-drive overachievers. Though not a bad car by any means, it just didn’t give potential buyers any meaningful reason to choose it over its peers.

This new RLX AWD Hybrid does, though it shouldn’t be confused with a sport sedan. It combines appreciable power and decent handling with impressive fuel economy.

Power on this model comes from three sources.

The first is a 3.5-liter, direct-injected V-6 that makes 310 horsepower and 273 pound-feet of torque. It pushes its power to the front wheels via an all-new, smooth-shifting seven-speed dual-clutch transmission.

Hidden within that gearbox is the car’s second power source, a small 35-kilowatt electric motor that also feeds power and regenerative braking from the front wheels.

Meanwhile, at the back are two more electric motors feeding power to the rear wheels. A neat trick is that each of these 36-horsepower rear motors operate independently of one another. For example, in a curve this RLX can simultaneously regenerate power on the inside wheel, while powering the outside wheel.

This clever torque-vectoring system gives the RLX hybrid a much more neutral feel than the base model. It now moves through turns without pushing the front of the car like some wayward elephant. The electric motors kick in seamlessly; you’d be hard pressed to know where the car’s power is coming from without using the display screen on the dashboard.

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A byproduct of this system is that the car had a slight tendency to snap around mid-corner faster than you’d expect, which took a little getting used to. That being said, few RLX drivers will actually push it hard enough to find this a common problem.

All these power sources add up to a robust 377 horsepower and 377 pound-feet of torque.

Though those numbers seem like a lot on paper, it was rare that the car felt like it had this much to use. It certainly has more than enough gusto in a straight line from a dead stop, but it doesn’t surge out of corners like you’d expect.

The new dual-clutch gearbox responsible for doling out this power is a good one. Its shifts are precise and smooth, and a huge performance leap over the continuously variable gearbox that Lexus uses in the GS Hybrid. The RLX’s transmission is controlled via slick new push-button setup on the center console, as well as steering-wheel mounted paddle shifters.

The gearbox, and the car as a whole, also have a sport mode. This setting sharpens the car’s throttle input, and alters the point at which the car uses regenerative braking and power from electric motors.

The steering resistance doesn’t change when you put the RLX into sport mode, which runs counter to the setup in many cars on the road today. This left the steering conspicuously light during spirited driving, and not in a good way. More feedback and communication from the road would have gone a long way toward this car’s handling abilities.

All of this is packaged together in a car that manages impressive fuel economy. City mileage jumps to 28 mpg from 20 in the base RLX. Meanwhile, your highway number climbs by one to 32.

Acura will announce pricing details closer to the car’s on-sale date, but the automaker did say the base RLX Sport Hybrid would start at around $60,000. The loaded model we tested will go for around $65,000.

When it does, it should give dealers a true flagship car to lure away shoppers interested in cars such as the Lexus GS. The RLX Sport Hybrid rights many of the wrongs we saw in the base model RLX. It’s a compelling example of how to use cutting-edge tech to wring practical efficiency and handling out of a luxury sedan.

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