Acura TSX

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This page is about this vehicle's North American model, see Honda Accord (JDM) for article

Acura TSX

Manufacturer	Honda
Also called	Honda Accord
Production	2004–present
Assembly	Sayama, Japan
Class	Entry-level luxury car
Body style	4-door sedan
Engine	2.4L 205 hp I4
Wheelbase	105.1 in
Length	183.4 in
Width	69.4 in
Height	57.3 in
Fuel capacity	17.1 US gal.
Related	Honda Accord Tourer
Similar	Audi A4 Saab 9-3 Volvo S60

Pre-facelift Acura TSX

The Acura TSX is an automobile manufactured by Honda, introduced in April 2003, sold in North America to compete in the entry-level luxury car segment against the BMW 3 Series, Audi A4, Mercedes-Benz C-Class, Saab 9-3 and Lexus IS.

Sold in North America under the Acura name, it filled the gap as Acura's 4-door, entry-level sedan since the demise of the Integra sedan in 2001]. The TSX is badge engineered from the CL-series Honda Accord sold in Europe and Japan. However, the TSX had a restyled interior and different suspension tuning when it was introduced. The interior is now standardized for all three markets. As of 2006, the TSX is the smallest sedan in the Acura model line, other than the Civic-based CSX sold only in Canada. Prices range from US$27,890 - $29,890. All TSXs were built in Sayama, Japan. In the Australian & New Zealand markets, Honda sells the car as the Accord Euro, a smaller mid-size car, where the US Accord is sold in the large car category.

1 Overview
2 Engine
3 Awards
4 Footnotes
5 References
6 External links

[edit] Overview

The 2006 model year TSX's powertrain is comprised of a 2.4-liter inline four-cylinder engine, a six-speed manual transmission (which features a magnesium casing, to reduce weight), and a front wheel drive layout. A five-speed automatic transmission is optional and does not incur extra cost in the U.S. based on MSRP. [1] Such is not the case in Canada.

The engine, the K24A2, is related to the engine in the Honda Accord (7th generation), the Honda CR-V, the Honda Element, and a smaller version in the Acura RSX and RSX Type-S. The K24A2 features intelligent variable valve timing and produces 205 horsepower (150 kW) in this iteration.

The TSX's suspension setup of a double wishbone front and a multi-link in the rear was especially tuned by the Honda engineers to maximize handling and cornering speed.

In 2006, the TSX has been updated with a sportier exterior styling featuring a new front look, standard, integral fog lights, restyled wheels and a bolder rear look with standard side skirts. State of the art interior features have been added, including more standard safety features, and luxury features such as Bluetooth-compatible HandsFreeLink

In testing conducted by the United States based Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the Acura TSX received an overall rating of Poor rear crash protection,[2] an overall rating of Good for frontal offset testing,[3] and an overall rating of Acceptable for side impact testing.[4]

[edit] Engine

In addition, the 2006 Acura TSX features a new 2.4-litre engine making 205 hp (SAE J1349 net). The advertised increased horsepower figures on previous models were over-estimated by +10 horses, the actual horsepower rating is 205. SAE J1349 is a third party program designed to eliminate ambiguities that allowed engine makers to cite power and torque ratings higher than the engine's actual capabilities. ^[1]. The most significant changes to the motor are described as follows:

On the intake side of the TSX engine, the diameter of both the throttle body and the intake duct were enlarged to increase induction flow rate from 95 liters per second to 110 liters per second. In addition the diameter and shape of the intake valve were enhanced to help increase intake flow by 16 percent and the high RPM cam profile for the intake cam was modified to provide increased intake valve lift and duration. In addition, a ventilation passage was machined into the engine block to reduce pumping friction by increasing air flow between cylinders.

The European Honda Accord is also available with a Diesel engine, a 2.2L i-CTDi engine of 140 hp. It was the first Diesel engine made by Honda.

[edit] Awards

The Acura TSX was on Car and Driver's Ten Best list in its first three years of production (2004 - 2006).
Top-Value Car of 2004 in the Category: Sedan under $35,000 from SmartMoney.com.
It has received the "Frontal Five Star Rating" from the NHTSA's frontal crash tests.
"Best Pick" in a Frontal Impact from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.