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Honda slaps Legend name on JDM Acura RLX

It's been eighteen years since we last saw the Legend nameplate in Acura showrooms here in the US, but in Japan it's still very much alive as Honda's flagship sedan. And now the Japanese automaker has revealed the latest generation.
Set to go on sale across Japan on January 22 - 30 years since the nameplate was introduced - the new Honda Legend is essentially the same model we already know in the States as the new Acura RLX. Only by "essentially," we mean exactly. It is the RLX, only with Honda badges instead of Acura ones. The manufacturer hasn't even changed the grille or the wheels.
Although the RLX is being offered Stateside in two forms, the new JDM Honda Legend will only come in one form, equivalent to our Sport Hybrid, with Super Handling All-Wheel Drive and a hybrid powertrain pairing a 3.5-liter V6 to a seven-speed dual clutch transmission with integrated electric motor. For the privilege of owning the most luxurious car Honda makes, Japanese customers will have to pony up ¥6,800,000 - which about adds up to $59,950 we'd pay for an RLX Sport Hybrid.

2013 Acura ILX 2.4

Going Mainstream Has Its Privileges
Acura's experiment with niche models has failed. Competing in the luxury car business by filling white space with product just didn't work for the Japanese automaker. In place of slow-selling models like its ZDX and quirky first-gen RDX, the mindset at Acura has recently switched to more conventional products with vastly improved volume potential. The redesigned 2013 RDX, for example, sold almost as many units in 2012 as it did in 2010 and 2011 combined, and the all-new 2013 ILX has sold more units each month - since going on sale in May - than Acura sold in ZDXs and RLs in all of last year.
While the redesigned RDX is a crucial product to compete with luxury compact crossovers, the ILX might be the most important new product for Acura, as a growing number of premium makes are starting to realize the importance of upscale entry-level compact cars. Ironically, this segment was a pivotal part of the brand's success in the 1980s and '90s thanks to the Integra, but Acura completely abandoned the genre when it killed off the RSX coupe in 2006. The addition of the ILX not only gives Acura a competitive small car again, it also drops the brand's entry price by almost $5,000.

2013 Acura TL Special Edition rolls up carrying $37,405* price tag

Acura hasn't done a whole lot with its aging TL line in recent years, the sedan only getting a very mild refresh for the 2012 model year. And while we don't see that changing anytime soon (as we reported earlier, the car is likely going to be replaced with a new TLX sedan that will serve as the replacement for both it and the smaller TSX), Acura is offering this new 2013 Special Edition TL, priced from $37,405 *plus $895 in destination fees.
The new TL SE slots in just above the base model and below the TL with Technology Package in terms of pricing, but offers a bit more in the way of added content. Special Edition features include unique 10-spoke, 18-inch alloy wheels, a body-colored decklid spoiler and the appropriate SE badging. Keyless entry with pushbutton start is also standard on the Special Edition model, and the whole package is available in four exterior colors - Bellanova White, Crystal Black, Graphite Luster and Silver Moon - all with a dark leather interior.
Acura will offer the Special Edition with the TL's base engine, a naturally aspirated 3.5-liter V6 good for 280 horsepower and 254 pound-feet of torque, mated to a six-speed automatic transmission. The Special Edition is on sale now, and you can peruse all the other official details in Acura's press blast below.