Acura Adds More Premium Features to 2016 RLX Sport Hybrid SH-AWD

The body style and pricing of the Acura RLX Sport Hybrid SH-AWD haven’t changed for 2016 but the technology has. The model will have a host of new features already available in other Acura vehicles including AcuraWatch and a 360-degree Surround View Camera system.
AcuraWatch, which will be standard in all model levels, will contain “safety and driver assistive technologies and an available Surround View Camera4, bi-directional starter and heated steering wheel.”
The AcuraWatch™ suite includes:
- Adaptive Cruise Control with Low-Speed Follow
- Collision Mitigation Braking System
- Forward Collision Warning
- Lane Departure Warning
- Lane Keeping Assist System
- Road Departure Mitigation*
- Blind Spot Information
- Multi-View Rear Camera with Dynamic Guidelines
- Cross Traffic Monitor*
*New for 2016
The 2016 Acura RLX is available in two trims, RLX Sport Hybrid SH-AWD with Technology Package and RLX Sport Hybrid SH-AWD with Advance Package. The RLX with Technology Package has been enhanced with AcuraWatch™ as standard. The RLX with Advance Package has been additionally improved with Surround View Camera4, bi-directional keyless remote engine starter and heated steering wheel.
TRIM | MSRP1 | EPA Rating3 |
RLX Sport Hybrid SH-AWD with Technology Package | $59,950 | 28/32/30 |
RLX Sport Hybrid SH-AWD with Advance Package | $65,950 | 28/32/30 |
From Acura, here is how the technology that is new for 2016 works:
Road Departure Mitigation (RDM)4 – Road Departure Mitigation (RDM) uses a Monocular Camera (mounted on the upper portion of the windshield) to identify solid or dashed painted lane lines, Botts’ Dots and Cat Eye markers. RDM uses both steering force, via EPS, and braking force, via VSA, to help the RLX Sport Hybrid from leaving a detected lane or detected roadway.
The monocular camera can recognize lane features and identify a lane or roadway edge. If the RDM system determines that the RLX Sport Hybrid is about to leave a detected lane or roadway defined by solid lines without a turn signal in use, it will provide steering assist (primary) and, in rare occasions when steering is not sufficient, braking assist to help the driver stay on the road. If a lane only identified by dashed lines, Bott’s Dots or Cat Eye markers and the system determines that there is an unintended departure, no braking assist will be provided. Instead, the RLX Sport Hybrid will use active steering force to help return to the detected lane. RDM is integrated with the Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA) system to provide moderate braking, and with the Electric Power Steering (EPS) system to provide steering input.
Multiple visual and audible warnings alert the driver when the RDM system is taking corrective action. These include a lane departure warning on the driver’s Multi Information Display (MID) along with an audible warning. RDM also has a customizable initial warning of either a steering wheel shake/vibration and/or an audible alert. This can be customized in the vehicle settings.
Cross Traffic Monitor5 – Another new driver assistive technology included with AcuraWatch™, the Cross Traffic Monitor works in conjunction with the RLX’s blind spot information (BSI) radar sensors to enhance driver confidence when backing up. The system is especially useful when reversing in congested parking lots with an obstructed view from the driver’s seat.
The system utilizes a pair of radar units located in the rear quarter panels. When Reverse is selected and an approaching vehicle is detected, arrows indicating the approaching vehicle’s direction are shown on the center display’s rear camera image. An audible warning is simultaneously emitted.
Surround View Camera6 – For 2016, the Acura RLX Sport Hybrid with Advance Package includes Acura’s Surround View Camera system6 that provides a 360-degree image of the area around the vehicle. The surround view camera system is designed to assist drivers during critical and precise maneuvers in snug parking situations. Using four separate cameras, views from behind, directly in front of, and both left and right sides of the vehicle can be displayed on the navigation screen. The system can also use all four cameras to seamlessly create a composite bird’s eye image, to provide the driver with information about the surroundings. In addition, dynamic on-screen guidelines help the driver see their projected path relative to the lines demarking parking spaces or other objects, allowing them to maneuver with greater confidence.
The only luxury sedan with a three-motor, torque-vectoring hybrid powertrain, the 2016 Acura RLX Sport Hybrid will carry a Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) of $59,950 with Technology Package and $65,950 with Advance Package.