OVERVIEW
The body of the Acura TL has been designed and crafted to provide a
spacious seating area, excellent visibility, and a quiet cabin free
of road and wind noise, and to provide a rigid cell highly resistant
to impact forces.
The top priority in creating the body was to impart a sense of luxury to all the mechanical and aesthetic aspects of the TL. To achieve this, the engineers examined every feature of the body and optimized it for function, ease of use, or simply a more pleasing appearance.
In keeping with the sense of luxury and refinement, the designers and stylists created a body of subtle beauty that states its case with authority but doesn't scream its purpose. The shape is classically Acura, with a low sloping hood, large greenhouse, rear quarters properly proportioned and integrated into the design of the front, and a wide, muscular stance.
From the windshield back, both TL models share identical exterior body panels. They differ only in front fenders, hood and grille. The 3.2TL has a grille with vertical strakes while the 2.5TL has horizontal strakes.
PRECISE FIT AND FINISH
To enhance the look and feel of the TL, its body panels were designed
to have very narrow gaps and a flush fit between adjacent body
panels. The fit between glass and metal has also been kept to a
minimum.
GAS-FILLED HOOD DAMPERS
To ease the opening and closing of the 3.2TL hood, the engineers
chose to apply gas-filled dampers. These reduce the effort required
to operate the hood by imparting the force stored in the compressed
gas in the dampers. The initial force required to open the hood is
reduced by approximately 50%. When the hood opens to 20 degrees it
continues to open automatically.
ALUMINUM BUMPER BEAM
In order to reduce weight and facilitate recycling at the end of the
vehicle's service life, body engineers specified an aluminum front
bumper beam for the 2.5TL instead of a plastic beam. The aluminum
beam also saves over 2 kg compared to a conventional tubular steel
beam.
PLASTIC MOULDING DOOR CHECKER
The attention to detail is evident in even small operating systems.
For example, body engineers developed a new door checker system. The
new system uses a plastic moulding over the door check strap. The
moulding has a thicker cross section than the type previously used in
Acura automobiles. In addition to enhancing the feel, the new system
is also quieter in operation.
VISIBILITY
The large greenhouse contributes to a spacious feeling for the
occupants and also provides excellent visibility for enhanced safety.
Visibility was optimized by using slim but rigid pillars, by
providing a low sloping hood and a low beltline, and by providing an
ideal location for the driver's H-point.
Both TL models have a total visibility of 307 degrees.
HEAT-REJECTING GLASS
In order to minimize heat absorption into the passenger cabin, the TL
uses newly developed heat-rejecting, green-tinted glass. This glass
is specially formulated to reject radiant heat by deflecting infrared
and ultraviolet rays. This new type of glass performs significantly
better than conventional blue-tinted glass in keeping the interior
cooler.
TRUNK STORAGE
To enhance the cargo carrying capacity, the TL features a large trunk
with a low liftover height. To increase the versatility and utility
of the TL, the trunk has been equipped with a storage pocket on the
right side of the trunk. It can hold small items, keeping them secure
while the car is in motion. A trunk pass-through hatch also allows
the storage of long items such as snow skis.