2014 Acura RLX priced at $49,345

The 2014 Acura RLX goes on sale Friday with a starting price of $49,345 including a destination charge of $895. The top trim with the Advance Package starts at $61,345.

All RLX sedans will get Acura's new 3.5-liter V6 making 310 hp and 272 lb-ft of torque. The motor makes use of Honda's Earth Dreams technologies and has direct injection and cylinder deactivation that cuts the engine from six to three cylinders. Acura says the RLX has an EPA rating of 20 mpg in the city and 31 mpg on the highway.

Power goes to the front wheels via a six-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters and a sport mode. An all-wheel-drive model will go on sale at a later date.

The new RLX will also have Acura's Precision All-Wheel Steer (P-AWS) system that monitors and calculates the correct amount of independent rear-wheel steering for stability during spirited driving.

Other technologies include the AcuraLink system, which can deliver media, convenience and security services along with Pandora, Sirius and other web apps. The RLX is also the first Acura to use Aha by Harman, a cloud-based system featuring more media and other customizable choices.

As with any Acura, the RLX has a host of driver assistance and safety technologies including a multi-angle rearview camera, forward collision warning, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist, adaptive cruise control and a few others. It also gets the new JewelEye LED headlights, which reminds us a bit of the Jeff Goldblum movie “The Fly.”

The RLX Concept was revealed at last year's New York auto show, while the production model was shown in Los Angeles. The RLX replaces the RL sedan in Acura's lineup.

By Jake Lingeman