Acura Precision Concept Sets Future Design Direction: 2016 Detroit Auto Show
DETROIT – Edgy, aggressive and ultra-modern, the Acura Precision Concept made its global debut at the 2016 Detroit Auto Show.
Acura’s Precision Concept is less a car than a harbinger of what’s to come. Its purpose for the automaker is to set the tone for the design language of the brand.
Fundamentally, this concept is a four-door, four-passenger sedan with reverse-opening rear doors. Its proportions, surfacing and details will eventually replace the more tepid styling currently found across Acura’s lineup.
Low-slung and imposing, the Precision Concept appears far larger than the brand’s current RLX flagship sedan. It’s no visual trick, as the Precision Concept’s 204-inch length and 122-inch wheelbase stretch 8 and 10 inches greater, respectively, than the RLX.
At 84 inches wide, it’s also a whopping 10 inches wider and its roof rests nearly 6 inches lower. Its 22-inch wheels dwarf the 19s of the RLX and are pushed to the extremes of the bodywork to lend it a hunkered, poised stance.
The long distance between the bottom of the windshield and the front axle shifts its visual mass rearward for a more aggressive stance, and its numerous bold slashes and edges look sharp enough to shave with.
One of the design themes repeated throughout is the idea of converging the outer surfaces with the cabin. For instance, the rocker panels curl inward to become the platform for the backseats, while the third brake light housing protrudes into the cabin to support the headrests. It’s an idea that isn’t just concept car flight-of-fancy, according to designer Dave Marek. “We’re looking to carry this inside-outside approach into our production lineup.”
Taillights appear to hover in space, with the bodywork scalloped out behind them. Gone is the awkward metallic beak found in the grille of recent models, replaced with a sharp-edged “diamond pentagon” grille. “You don’t have to look too far into the future to see this new grille treatment on a production vehicle,” promises Marek.
Inside, the cabin is equally extreme, yet inviting. Materials comprise stitched leather, wood grains (including those for the front door speakers, which resemble ripples in a pond) and spare use of metallic accents. A floating center stack controls an enormously wide, curved central display screen that rests near the base of the windshield. It’s high contrast meets high style.
Edmunds says: Acura’s future design language provides a much-needed jolt of confidence to the brand. It can’t come soon enough.
