2003 Acura 3.2 TL - Body

— Torrance, Calif.

OVERVIEW
Designed and engineered by Honda R&D in Torrance, California, and Raymond, Ohio, the Acura 3.2 TL features a sleek appearance combined with a measure of sporty flair. Exterior styling highlights include a pronounced wedge shape, a raked belt line, an aggressive grille, and standard fog lights.

Inside, the TL cabin offers an oasis of luxury and refinement. A total of 110.5 cubic feet of interior volume provides midsize-car spaciousness. Leather-trimmed seating and wood-patterned trim add to the rich, warm ambiance, while abundant standard features - including an in-dash, 6-disc CD changer; memory driver's seat and mirrors; adjustable headrests; and an auto up/down driver's window with anti-pinch - provide exceptional ease and convenience. New for 2003, all TL models with the Acura Satellite-Linked Navigation System come standard with OnStar".

The TL Type-S sports a unique cockpit treatment that matches its high-powered personality, including perforated leather seating with deeply sculptured front buckets, a perforated-leather steering wheel, a Type-S shift knob, and metallic-face gauges.

Insulation materials in the doors, door seals and diffuser style side view mirrors combine to reduce Noise, Vibration and Harshness (NVH) to ultra-low levels.

Body and Interior at a Glance

Styling

  • Dynamic, flowing lines
  • Cabin-forward silhouette
  • Moderately high belt line and pronounced wedge shape

Interior

  • Leather-trimmed seating and door panels
  • Automatic Climate Control System
  • Power moonroof
  • Acura/Bose Music System with in-dash, 6-disc CD changer
  • 8-way power driver's seat with memory
  • Wood-patterned trim
  • Available DVD-based Acura Satellite-Linked Navigation System with OnStar" service

Quality and Refinement

  • Heat-rejecting green glass
  • Full frame windows for improved sealing and reduced wind noise
  • Gas strut hood supports provide easy operation
  • Rigid door structures
  • Jointless front and rear windshield molding

 NVH Control

  • Noise-damping insulation in doors
  • Gap-filling foam seals roof-pillar cavities
  • Triple door seals
  • Extensive melt sheet insulation used in rear wheel-house regions
  • Rigid steering-hangar beam, steering-column shaft, and accelerator cable bracket for reduced vibration in steering wheel and throttle pedal

Comfort/Utility

  • Midsize car total interior volume (110.5 cubic feet)
  • Generous 14.3 cubic-feet trunk
  • Abundant interior head, leg, shoulder and hip room
  • Easy step-in for rear passengers 

Corrosion Resistance

  • Double-sided galvanized steel panels in all high-corrosion areas
  • Anti-chipping primer applied to leading edges of hood and fenders
  • PVC and wax sealer applied to underbody
  • Anti-acid-etch clear coat on dark colors helps protect paint from acid rain

STYLING
The 3.2 TL combines sophisticated styling with a vibrant, sporting spirit. Distinctive and refined in its lines, the TL features a high belt line and a cabin-forward silhouette that make a strong styling statement.

To create an intimate, personal feel, the greenhouse of the TL is visually distinct from the body's muscular lines. A strong shoulder to the upper body accentuates this feeling. High-gloss black accents on the window frames and B-pillars add a subtle upscale flair.

The front end of the TL sports an aggressive grille, fenders and bumpers, Xenon High Intensity Discharge (HID) headlights, and integrated fog lights as standard. In the rear, a crisp break at the top of the rear panel lends a sporting edge.

The TL is available in an array of colors including White Diamond Pearl, Satin Silver Metallic, Naples Gold Metallic, Firepepper Red Pearl, Aegean Blue Pearl, Eternal Blue Pearl, Noble Green Pearl, Anthracite Metallic, and Nighthawk Black Pearl.

In Fall of 2002, the TL will receive two new exterior colors with Desert Mist replacing Naples Gold and Royal Ruby replacing Firepepper Red.

PRECISE FIT AND FINISH
The world-class fit and finish of the TL is readily apparent at a brief glance or under the closest scrutiny. The TL's doors, for instance, are tuned with stiff structures, laser-welded door panel blanks, special plastic-encapsulated door checkers and latches, and generous sound damping materials - all of which combine to deliver a high-quality "thunk" when the doors are closed. Special power-window motors increase window speed and reduce noise, while the windows themselves are sealed with reliable sash-type door structures.

UNIT BODY STRUCTURE
For the best-possible ride, handling, and NVH control, the TL unit body was designed to provide maximum torsional and bending rigidity without adding excess weight.

Exceptional rigidity is achieved through the use of a high-strength cabin and ladder-type-subframe with large box-section rails and strategically placed reinforcements. This rigid structure allows the suspension mounting points to maintain a consistent position, resulting in improved handling precision, ride comfort and safety.

DOOR CONSTRUCTION
For enhanced weather sealing and reduced wind noise, the highly rigid door structures of the TL are designed with full-frame windows. By laser welding the door panels, steel panels of different thickness can be used in the door - allowing the designers to use the optimum steel thickness in each area for a strong yet lightweight door.

NOISE, VIBRATION, AND HARSHNESS (NVH)
To ensure a quiet ride, insulation materials have been incorporated into the doors and gap-filling foam seals all roof-pillar cavities. The TL utilizes triple door seals for reduced cabin noise while extensive insulation is incorporated into the rear wheel-house regions. The TL also utilizes a rigid steering-hanger beam, steering-column shaft and accelerator cable bracket for reduced steering wheel and throttle pedal vibration.

In addition, the outside rearview mirrors have also been shaped to pass cleanly through the air, reducing wind noise and contributing to an exceptionally quiet cabin environment.

XENON HIGH INTENSITY DISCHARGE (HID) HEADLIGHTS
For exceptionally clear visibility when driving at night, the TL Type-S is equipped with reflector-type Xenon High Intensity Discharge (HID) headlights. These premium headlights are three times as efficient as conventional halogen lamps (using less electrical energy) and produce nearly double the illumination and bulb life. The brilliant beam delivered by the Xenon headlights improves illumination by 45 percent on low beam (the TL uses conventional halogen high beams).

To prevent the battery drain that can occur if the headlights are accidentally left on, the TL is equipped with an auto-off feature that turns off the headlights 15 seconds after the driver's door is closed or the doors are locked.

ADVANCED MATERIAL TECHNOLOGY
The TL is crafted using an impressive array of sophisticated technologies and advanced materials, including:

  • Laser-welded inner door panel blanks for increased strength and decreased weight
  • High-gloss B-pillars with high scratch resistance
  • High-strength, dent-resistant steel doors
  • Side-door protectors and side-sill garnishes use a durable body-color film for greater chip and scratch resistance
  • Body-color roof molding
  • Lightweight, fiberglass hood insulator
  • Anti-acid-etch clear coat (dark colors)
  • Chrome-plated, injection-molded door handles
  • Two-thirds of plastic materials are polypropylene or polyethylene and are easily recyclable 

WIND NOISE PERFORMANCE
To achieve low levels of wind noise, the designers of the TL relied upon extensive wind-tunnel development and computer simulations. The TL's body-panel shapes were carefully engineered to minimize wind noise, and the folding side-mirror shapes have been extensively refined to bring wind noise to ultra-low levels.

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