“The TLX will mark the debut of a new name for Acura’s mid-size modern luxury sedan entry, replacing the outgoing TL model,” Honda said in a statement.
The TLX Prototype was designed in Acura’s Los Angeles studio and the production model is being developed by Acura engineers at the company’s Ohio research and development center in Liberty. It will also be produced at the Marysville auto plant 1, home to the current Acura TL, Honda said.
Honda has some 14,000 Ohio employees, including a distribution center in Troy. Some 1,000 Dayton-area residents commute to Honda facilities around the state each day, the automaker has said.
Honda has 632 Tier-1 suppliers in North America, including 155 in Ohio. The automaker spends about $9.2 billion on Ohio suppliers, the company has said.
The new model will feature “more emotional styling with tidier, sports sedan proportions wrapped around two all-new advanced powertrains that provide even more athletic performance, along with a host of signature Acura technologies,” Honda said.
The TLX is designed to appeal to luxury sports sedan buyers, including existing TL and TSX customers, Honda said.
Honda also said Acura will discontinue sales of the TSX model in 2014.
Acura is increasingly finding a home in Ohio. Earlier this year, Honda announced it will build its Acura NSX sports car, also in Marysville.
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