Since its introduction in the fall of 1998, the Acura 3.2TL has become the benchmark for vehicle technology, performance, safety and style in the mid-luxury performance sedan segment. All-new refinements for the 2000 model year, including a 5-speed SportShift sequential automatic transmission, advanced side airbags and an optional Digital Video Disc (DVD) based Acura Navigation System enhance an already comprehensive package of standard equipment. Coupled with improvements in acceleration, fuel economy and vehicle emissions, the new 3.2TL reinforces Acura's position as a leader in the premium automobile segment.
"The TL is the ultimate performance sedan in Acura's model lineup and has attracted drivers who may have otherwise purchased European sports sedans," says Dick Colliver, executive vice president, Acura division. "The extensive array of standard performance, technology and safety features combined with a stylish and functional design have made the new TL one of the fastest selling vehicles in Acura's 14 year history."
The heart of the TL's performance is a race-inspired engine-transmission combination, beginning with the 225-horsepower, all-aluminum V6 powerplant with the legendary VTEC system. First introduced in the NSX supercar, the Acura VTEC (Variable Valve Timing and Lift Electronic Control) system allows for a fine balance of low-end torque combined with high-rpm horsepower for confident acceleration from a standstill, or at highway speeds.
A new manifold design, revised intake ports along with larger intake and exhaust valves help the 3.2 liter 24-valve powerplant improve mid-range torque and acceleration, while also meeting tough Low Emissions Vehicle (LEV) standards - Ultra Low Emission Vehicle (ULEV) standards on California models. Peak 225 horsepower is achieved at 5,600 rpm while torque is rated at 215 ft.-lb at 4,700 rpm.
This powerplant is mated to an all new 5-speed sequential SportShift automatic transmission. By moving the center console-mounted transmission selector handle to the left of the Drive position into the special SportShift gate, individual shifts can be executed with a quick fore or aft motion of the lever.
For 2000, the new 5-speed transmission allows the TL to accelerate from 0-60 miles per hour, half a second quicker than last year's model, while allowing for lower rpm's at cruising speeds for increased fuel economy and a quieter ride. Improvements in shift quality allow for smoother up and down-shifts with a quicker response than other semi-manual type transmissions.
Also for the new millennium, the TL features numerous safety innovations including Acura's exclusive advanced side air bag system and a dual-stage, front passenger supplemental restraint system (SRS) air bag. The side air bags are designed to help protect the driver and front passenger in a side-impact collision and are mounted in the outboard, upper seatbacks of both front seats. In the event of a collision, the side air bag system senses the direction and severity of the impact, then determines whether or not to deploy the side air bag. To help further ensure the safety of a small passenger, a series of seven sensors in the passenger seatback determine the size and position of the occupant to assist the system in determining if it is safe to deploy the side air bag. This Acura exclusive side air bag system was engineered to reduce the potential for injuries to a small child from deployment of the side air bag itself.
To further protect the front-seat passenger during a frontal impact collision, a dual-stage inflator varies the deployment power of the passenger front air bag by changing the rate of inflation during a moderate to severe impact collision. When used in conjunction with the 3-point seatbelt, this technology further reduces the potential for injury to the passenger from the deployment forces of the air bag. Other key crash-protection technologies include side-impact door beams, a door panel stiffening structure and side-impact absorption materials in the doors.
Along with a comprehensive list of standard safety technologies, the TL boasts an impressive array of standard comfort and convenience features, including leather seating, heated front seats, power driver and front passenger seats, automatic climate control, power moonroof, wood-grained trim, and an Acura/Bose® AM/FM/cassette/CD player audio system.
The fully appointed TL is so comprehensively fitted that only one factory option is offered: the in-dash Acura Navigation System. For the 2000 model year, Acura is the first and only automobile brand in the industry to offer a new Digital Video Disc (DVD) mapping database, providing coverage of the continental United States on one DVD disc. The new DVD database has been programmed to include nearly eight times as many points of interest than the combined databases of the previous system, while a large, color LCD display with a new matte-finish touch screen reduces glare and fingerprinting. This latest Acura Navigation System with voice prompt is one of the most sophisticated, yet easy-to-use, global positioning system (GPS) satellite linked navigation systems on the market today.
Many of the Acura TL's performance, safety and convenience technologies were designed and engineered at the Honda R&D facilities in the United States. Assembled at the Marysville Auto Plant in Ohio, the TL is the second Acura model, after the CL coupe, to be designed, engineered and assembled in the U.S. The TL's 3.2-liter engine is assembled in Anna, Ohio, contributing to the car's high local parts content.
Like all Acura models, the 2000 3.2TL is covered by a comprehensive 4-year/50,000 mile bumper-to-bumper limited warranty. Additional ownership benefits include Acura Total Luxury Care (TLC), which provides free 24-hour roadside assistance, concierge service and trip routing.