Acura betting on new 400-hp luxury sedan and coupe to compete with Tier 1 brands

We keep hearing reports about Acura’s desire to become a Tier 1 luxury brand and now we get some insight into what the Honda brand has under its sleeve. In an attempt to move the brand upmarket, Honda will start offering Acura-only models that will compete with Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Lexus.

Following the 2009 Acura TL, Acura will get a brand new luxury sedan, rumored to be a four-door-coupe, that will compete with the likes of the Mercedes-Benz CLS. The new model will arrive just before the next-generation NSX in 2011 and will be powered by a 4.5-liter V-8 producing more than 400-hp. It is rumored to be built on a rear-wheel-drive architecture with all-wheel-drive as an option.

Acura is also rumored to be working on a Acura-only coupe – that will replace the gap left by the CL that ended production in 2003. A retractable hardtop version of the coupe is also hanging in the rumor-mill.

As for the greenness, the new 2009 Acura TSX will get a diesel version next year. A hybrid version of the redesigned RDX 2011 is also expected along with a V6 diesel for the redesigned MDX.

Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required)