OVERVIEW
Because it is the flagship in the Acura line, the RL's interior
received a great deal of attention - from major issues such as
control location and passenger head, hip, and shoulder room to
smaller details such as extra-large beverage holders and a special
compartment intended specifically for the driver's sunglasses. The
overall design objective is to give the interior a very open, relaxed
ambience, much like the comfortable living room of an elegant, yet
casual, contemporary luxury home.
MATERIALS
Only the finest materials have been chosen for the RL cabin. The
glove-soft, hand-selected leather seating surfaces that give the RL
its luxurious look and feel are American hides tanned with an
innovative process that helps the leather retain its soft, supple
feel and resilient strength far longer than conventional automobile
interior leather. Oils in conventional leather tend to slowly
evaporate - especially when the car is parked in the bright summer
sun - causing leather to prematurely age and dry out over time or
form deposits on the rear window and windshield glass when the
interior cools, eventually causing a persistent and hard-to-remove
"fogging" effect. The leather used in the RL is specially treated to
resist this phenomenon, and reduces window fogging 90 percent better
than conventional leather.
The camphor wood that adorns the cockpit is of similar unparalleled quality. It comes from Tendo - a woodworking firm so esteemed its work is displayed in the New York Museum of Modern Art.
SEATING
The driver and front passenger seats are the products of extensive
research and development. Designed to absorb vibrations and bumps,
they provide outstanding comfort without sacrificing the firm support
needed during enthusiastic driving.
In testing, the RL seats decreased the upward force felt by test subjects by 50 percent over conventional seats; that is, the subjects felt the jarring of irregular road surfaces only half as strongly as with a conventional design.
Human factors research revealed that the human body has its own resonant frequency; that is, the vibration frequency at which the internal organs of the body pick up an outside vibration and resonate with it. If felt strongly, vibration in this frequency range is very unpleasant, and human test subjects generally gauge the vibration felt in a moving car on the level of vibration felt in this narrow range, between 5 and 10 Hz or cycles per second.
To damp out as much of this vibration frequency as possible, the configuration of the springs in the RL seat cushions were analyzed using the NASTRAN finite-element analysis program. Six different designs were tried before one was found that performed to Acura's exacting standards. Both front seats incorporate an advanced suspension system that helps isolate occupants from road harshness.
Every attempt is made to maximize comfort. Gently rounded thigh bolsters at the front avoid digging into driver and passenger thighs. The front lateral seam, which often runs across the seat under the thighs, is positioned forward and down, eliminating this possible source of discomfort.
The front seats are designed to also make rear-seat passengers more comfortable. The backs of the seats are concave, giving rear seat passengers nearly an inch of extra knee room. The seat rail structure was designed to give rear-seat passengers nearly an inch more horizontal foot room, while the underside of the seat is carpeted to prevent shoe scuffs.
The driver's seat is eight-way power adjustable. Linked by a memory system with the outside mirrors and with the electronic tilt and telescoping steering wheel, it permits one of two preset configurations to be accessed at the touch of a button. The front passenger's seat is four-way power adjustable. Both front seats are also heated.
The rear seats are designed and built to fit full-sized adults in total comfort as well. A fold-down center armrest incorporates its own dual beverage holder, and a pass-through to the trunk allows long objects to be carried without soiling or marring the interior.
INTERIOR COMFORT AND CONVENIENCE
Advances in soundproofing throughout the RL make its interior
extremely quiet and vibration-free. With added insulation under the
hood, in the engine compartment, and under the dashboard, every
effort has been made to ensure that no unnecessary sound or vibration
intrudes on the driving experience.
The RL is the most lavishly equipped Acura ever built. Nearly everything is standard, including cruise control, individual reading lights, power windows and door locks, a power moonroof, and remote keyless entry. The center console features an adjustable, two-position armrest and an illuminated storage area with a 12-volt accessory power outlet and a tray designed to hold a cellular phone.
SPEED-SENSITIVE INTERMITTENT WIPERS
The RL is equipped with an automatic, speed-sensitive intermittent
wiper system that slows down the wipers when the RL is stopped or
moving slowly and increases their speed when vehicle velocity
increases. Acura designed the wipers to be as quiet as possible while
in operation.
AUTOMATIC HEADLIGHT SYSTEM
In the RL, a sensor at the front of the instrument panel senses
outside illumination levels; when darkness occurs during automatic
mode, the headlights, taillights, and instrument panel lighting are
automatically turned on for nighttime convenience. When the vehicle
is parked at night, the lights remain lit after the ignition switch
is turned off, but extinguish automatically when the driver's door is
opened.
INSTRUMENTS AND CONTROLS
Acura automobiles have always been known for their high level of
ergonomic design and control harmony; however, the RL aspires to a
whole new level of human engineering. The cockpit, for example, is
based on a "trinocular" design. A large central speedometer and
associated gauges monitor driving functions. A left-side, slightly
smaller circle of gauges contains the tachometer while a symmetrical
right-side circle includes the fuel gauge and less-used, yet
important indicators. The large display and illuminated instruments
provide easy recognition. Significant time and effort have been
expended to design displays that require only quick monitoring
glances, making each switch and control nearly as easy to use the
first time as it will be after years of familiarity.
AUTOMATIC CLIMATE CONTROL
The RL is equipped with a state-of-the-art automatic climate control
system. Not only powerful in terms of cooling capacity and
efficiency, it is also extremely quiet, even when quickly cooling the
interior on a hot Death Valley day. Rear-seat passengers have
personal control over the direction of heating or cooling air coming
their way. Every effort has been taken to ensure cooling uniformity
from front to rear, and an innovative subcondenser improves the
efficiency of the unit substantially. In controlled testing, the A/C
system cooled the interior from 100 degrees to 70 degrees Fahrenheit
in 15 minutes - quicker than any competitor in its class.
MICRON AIR FILTRATION
A state-of-the-art air-filtration system removes pollen and other
contaminants from the interior environment. The filter element is
fine enough to trap all particles of three microns or larger,
including almost all pollen and dust, and inhibit the passage of
bacteria as small as 0.5 microns as well as some components of
cigarette smoke and particulates in diesel exhaust. The filter has
two layers. Both are composed of felt-like, nonwoven fabric fibers,
and one layer is electrostatically charged to help attract and trap
dust and other airborne particles.
HEAT-REJECTING GLASS
In the RL, special, solar-energy-absorbing, green-tinted glass is
used, minimizing the effects of the hot sun on the interior and its
occupants. This reduces the load on the climate control system for
better cooling efficiency, delays the temperature rise in the
interior when the vehicle is parked, and further protects the
interior leather and other materials from the effects of heat.
AUDIO SYSTEM
The RL Acura/Bose® Music System is the most impressive sound system
ever designed for an Acura automobile. Developed and tuned at the
esteemed Bose Corporation for the RL, the highly sophisticated music
system is an integral element of the RL cabin design, delivering
musical reproduction of truly dazzling power and clarity. Using
state-of-the-art tools such as microphone-equipped mannequins to
analyze every facet of the RL interior, Bose engineers were able to
design a sound system perfectly matched to the RL cabin.
The system is driven by custom-equalized, 225-watt amplifiers. From the easily accessible, dash-mounted control unit, audio output is sent to the auxiliary power amplifier unit located in the trunk. Separate amplifiers are provided inside the unit for each of the eight precisely positioned Bose speakers. Two 6.5-inch, single-cone, full-range speakers, and two 2.5-inch tweeters are positioned in the lower front door panels. Two 5.25-inch, full-range speakers are mounted in the rear-door panels, and two 6 x 9-inch low-frequency drivers are located in the rear package shelf also positioned high in the front doors. Each tweeter is powered by a 12.5-watt amplifier, each of the four full-range speakers has its own 25-watt amplifier, and the two rear speakers, which act in concert as subwoofers, share a 100-watt amplifier.
For convenience, the RL is equipped with a standard 6-disc CD changer. The changer unit is mounted securely and discreetly in the car's trunk.
The antennae for the various receiver systems are all built into the rear window. These include the AM/FM antenna and the antenna for the radio-based keyless entry system. The elimination of antenna masts lessens complexity and reduces wind noise for the rear-seat passengers.
ACURA SATELLITE-LINKED NAVIGATION SYSTEM
The only factory-installed option on the RL, the Acura
Satellite-Linked Navigation System is designed to make finding almost
any destination as easy as touching a screen. It features a 7-inch,
matte-finish, touch-screen LCD display that resists fingerprinting
and is easy to read. The display has a picture-in-picture capability,
so you can see the "big picture" map and get detailed turning
instructions simultaneously. The system will also display current
position coordinates at any time, and a balloon function instantly
shows the address of any location selected on the map.
Smart logic allows you to type in your destination with only a few keystrokes, and route calculation time is very fast. You can also preprogram a route with up to five destinations, or have the moving map display icons for gas stations, restaurants, or ATMs. A Digital Video Disc (DVD) on-board database contains the continental United States on a single disc.
The Acura Navigation System unit uses Global Positioning System (GPS) data received from satellites, as well as its own inertial guidance system, to precisely pinpoint the location and velocity of the car. When asked to guide the driver from one location to another, the system provides both audio and visual cues, helping the driver find the proper destination quickly and easily and with minimal distraction. Verbal instructions such as "Keep right" or "Next exit on the right" give the driver the basic direction, and a visual LCD moving map with a directional arrow, located high on the center console, provides detailed information on street names, turning instructions and driving distances. The navigation system also provides information and directions to 3.7 million local restaurants, theaters and points of interest.
Selected points of interest can be found by simply by inputting its phone number. The voice guidance control has 11 different volume settings and automatically mutes the audio entertainment system front speakers momentarily when direction instructions are given.
ONSTAR® IN-VEHICLE COMMUNICATIONS AND ASSISTANCE SERVICE
Providing an extra level of security and convenience, the new OnStar
system offers 24-hour emergency assistance, accident notification,
air bag deployment, stolen vehicle tracking, door unlock command and
vehicle tracking.
The OnStar activation button is located on the rearview mirror. Pressing the button provides quick access to a live OnStar Advisor, any time day or night. Thanks to input from orbiting GPS satellites, the OnStar advisor can easily pinpoint the location of the owner's vehicle to help provide assistance.
In the event of theft, subscribers need only contact the OnStar Center (after filing a police report) and provide a personal identification number. An OnStar Advisor can then track the car and direct authorities to its exact location.
RL owners can choose between the Safety and Security Plan, which includes safety and security features, the Premium Services Plan, which adds route support, concierge and convenience services and ride assist. The Personal-Calling Package, which includes wireless phone and "Virtual Advisor" Internet services, is available as part of both the Safety and Security Plan and the Premium Services Plan.
KEYLESS ENTRY/SECURITY/IMMOBILIZER SYSTEM
A remote keyless entry system is standard on the RL. The keyless
entry system is radio-controlled - this gives much better range than
a conventional infrared system - allowing the driver to unlock the RL
or activate the "panic button" antitheft function while still a
considerable distance from the car. A special electronically coded
key prevents the car from being started, even if a mechanical
duplicate of the proper key shape is used. A transponder, built into
the key, signals the immobilizer control unit that the key is
genuine. If the car is hot-wired, or an unauthorized key is used, the
car simply will not start. This system is a substantial deterrent to
theft.