Possible patent drawings indicating Acura TLX and MDX model changes in 2021.
Images purported to be patent drawings submitted by Acura to the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) may reveal the design of the next two vehicles.
The purported patent drawing, posted online last week by a Worldscoop Forum member, if legitimate, would herald the redesign of the TLX and MDX.
The redesigned TLX and MDX are expected to be introduced in the 2021 model year, meaning we should see a reveal later this year or early next year.
Interestingly, the purported patent drawings appear to match images posted last summer by an Acurazine Forum member who claims to have found them while exploring files embedded in RDX's infotainment software.
Acura confirmed to Car and Driver at the time that those earlier images (above) were legitimate and were "concept renderings" based on the 2016 Acura Precision Concept design language and were "for placement purposes only."
Acura has been silent on plans for a redesigned MDX, but the automaker rolled out the Type S Concept last year to preview a redesigned TLX. It has also obtained spy shots of a prototype of the upcoming sedan.
The TLX will feature a new twin-turbocharged V-6 engine, which will give the TLX Type S model a new look. This sport variant should come standard with all-wheel drive and upgraded tires, suspension, and brakes.
Production of the redesigned TLX should take place at the Marysville Auto Plant in Ohio, which is responsible for the current generation. The current MDX is produced at the East Liberty, Ohio plant and Honda Manufacturing of Alabama, and production may continue at both locations for the new generation.