BY ALISA PRIDDLE, PHOTOGRAPHY BY AARON KILEY, JAMES MERTES, AND THE MANUFACTURERS

We always look forward to world debuts and the Acura RL’s entrance at the 2008 Chicago auto show was no different.

The luxury flagship was redesigned inside and out, and we were anticipating more flash for a car that had some character, but didn’t provoke swivel-head reactions when you saw one on the road.

And now we’re confused. We’re not sure what the RL is trying to be stylistically. Its bloodline to the new Honda Accord is blatantly obvious especially as the Accord has grown to full-size dimensions. The problem with this familial resemblance is the Accord is an affordable family vehicle while the RL is supposed to telegraph luxury and fine quality and suggest to Accord drivers that they should work harder to achieve RL status.

The 2009 RL also seeks to cement its ties to its siblings, such as the MDX SUV. We called the grille goofy on the MDX and it strikes us as even less appropriate on the RL given the way it accentuates the car’s beak. And the angular lines of the nose are at odds with the rounded rear. Acura calls the look athletic and aggressive, with better aerodynamics.

On a more positive note, the headlights and door handles resemble those on the European Accord that will be sold here as the Acura TSX.

Looks Aside, the Car Promises to be Better

Acura execs in the past have said the new RL must address issues such as interior room and comfort, with styling an also-ran in the must-fix race. Mission accomplished as there is more rear-passenger room, and we are promised redress of confusing cockpits of the past with larger, more clearly marked buttons for an easier-to-use HVAC system.

But, when it comes to dynamics, we still expect the car to excel. Power comes from the larger 3.7-liter V-6 from the MDX producing 300 horsepower and 271 pound-feet of torque. Acura claims that this V-6 is its first SOHC use of its VTEC valvetrain actuation for both the intake and exhaust valves. We would be remiss if we didn’t note this is a luxury flagship without a V-8.

We also appreciate confirmation of a quicker-reacting Super Handling All-Wheel Drive (SH-AWD) system that uses torque vectoring to make the outside rear wheels faster in aggressive turns. Acura takes an excellent system and makes it even better, we hope.