There comes a point in life when everything changes. For Acura, that happened three years back when it showcased the Precision concept - a model that showcased the company’s new design philosophy. Up to this point, only the 2019 RDX follows the design language. However, the company is all set to reveal a production-ready concept at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance that showcases Acura’s flagship product that will be inspired by the Precision Concept. It gets better - Acura could also revive the "Legend" moniker for this new flagship sedan.

The Precision Concept Is Helping Acura Revamp Itself

2017 Acura Precision Concept shown here

Acura was not doing as well as its competitors - Lexus and Infiniti. The reason was the bland design language and limited body styles. Acura had just three sedans and two SUVs in its portfolio back then. However, things changed when the company decided to go bold and beautiful at the 2016 Detroit Auto Show. Acura brought the Precision concept to Detroit and this model turned a lot of heads.

The design was bold, distinct, and futuristic, something that Acura was never associated with.

The sedan wore a low-slung, sporty avatar with a fastback-like roof that would make anyone fall in love with it instantly. Fast forward three years and Acura is planning to unveil a performance sedan based on the Precision Concept at the 2019 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance in August this year.

The Rise Of A Legend or is it a Resurrection?

While the sedan is all set to take center stage at the prestigious event, Car and Driver has noted that Acura might reincarnate a moniker from its bag of history. ’Legend’ says it will reinvigorate the car’s lineup and further help boost sales. No, you don’t get a prize for guessing the answer. The publication has reported that Acura could bring back the Legend nameplate for this performance sedan.

The Legend moniker plays a very important role in Acura and Honda's history. In the 1980s, Honda decided to enter the U.S. market with a new brand that would solely sell premium vehicles.

This led to Acura’s inception, and the first car under this new brand was called the Legend. The Legend was the company’s first executive class vehicle, the first production car with a V-6 engine, and the first one to feature a longitudinal front-wheel-drive platform. This led to two other Japanese mainstream automakers, Toyota and Nissan, coming up their own luxury brands in the U.S. - Lexus and Infiniti. Five years after its launch, the company launched the second-generation of the Legend in 1990. This time, the car became slightly sportier, influenced by the NSX, and featured stuff like raked rear glass, five-spoke aluminum alloys, sportscar-styled instrument cluster, etc.

In 1993, the Legend saw a shift in its character and was released as a coupe.

This tilted its core purpose of serving as a luxury car to ripping the roads as a sports car. Acura pumped 30 extra horses into the 3.2-liter, V-6 engine, paired it to a manual gearbox, upgraded the suspension, installed larger brake pads, and added a front passenger airbag as well. The Acura Legend was finally laid to rest in 1995, although the Legend’s clone was sold by Daewoo from 1994 to 1999 since it held the intellectual rights for the second-generation of the nameplate.

The Legend Has Some Company As Well

After the new performance-sedan, Acura will showcase a brand-new TLX which is set to launch late 2019 or early 2020.

This is quite interesting because the current TLX facelift is only a few years old. The same goes for the MDX as well, which will be launched around the same time as the TLX. Mind you, these will not be mere facelifts; they will be brand new cars built from scratch. In fact, the TLX will most likely be offered in Type S trim that will feature Acura’s new twin-turbo V-6 mill. Several mockups of the two new releases were spotted at the Acura Design Studio. The front fascia featured vertical air intakes, while the hook-shaped taillights graced the back. The TLX Type-S will feature a ducktail spoiler, similar to one seen on the new Toyota Supra.

It's not just the 'Legend' that will make a comeback; Acura is also planning to revive the ZDX crossover coupe.

Acura introduced the model in 2009, and it was on sale for the next four years. Although it was a fantastic looking car, it was probably ahead of its time. The market is completely different today from what it used to be before. The company is playing smart by bringing the model back to life as it could boost the sales for the company. The segment is currently dominated by the German trio, but Acura could pitch in its product at a much lower price and give the Germans some tough competition.

It looks like Acura has a lot to look forward to this year. What are your thoughts on this? Share them with us in the comments section below.

Further reading

Read our full review on the 2017 Acura Precision Concept.

Source: Car & Driver