2021 Acura TLX Type S

The coveted badge is back!

- Miguel Cortina

FIRST DRIVE

Nearly 13 years after the Type S badge left the U.S. market, the 2021 Acura TLX Type S has arrived. The return of the Type S subbrand will continue with the MDX three-row crossover, and Acura says there’s more Type S news coming later this year. The popular RDX will also get the sporty badge.

The TLX Type S is powered by a 355-hp, 354-lb-ft 3.0-liter V-6 with a twin-scroll turbo. It also employs a 10-speed automatic transmission that sends power to all four wheels via Acura’s Super Handling All-Wheel Drive system. The engine is a significant step up from the 272-hp, 280-lb-ft 2.0-liter turbo-four that powers the standard TLX, and although the torque-vectoring AWD setup is the same one available across Acura’s lineup, where it can send up to 70 percent of the torque to the rear axle and 100 percent of that torque to the right or left rear wheel.