The 2009 Acura-TL SH-AWD  is engineered to live up to the highest standards for a performance luxury sedan. With a wider track, larger tires (including newly available 18-inch and 19-inch sizes), and the availability of Super Handling All-Wheel-Drive and the largest engine ever in an Acura sedan. The Acura  TL SH-AWD is fully equipped to perform its mission. Both the Acura-TL and the Acura-TL SH-AWD are rewarding and entertaining to drive, whether around town or on a long, winding road to adventure. The same goes for seasonal driving. When equipped with SH-AWD the Acura-TL is as confidence inspiring on wet or snowy roads as it is on dry pavement, and standard Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA) makes the drive even more secure. Unlike some competitors, who add all-wheel-drive to their vehicles primarily to help conquer winter conditions, the available Acura-TL SH-AWD was designed to enhance sporty handling and the vehicle's winter-driving capability. This means that the Acura-TL SH-AWD is inspiring to drive year-round. Research showed that customers in this segment want overall driving character first-and that's the priority the Acura-TL focuses on, while simultaneously maintaining all-season capability.

The Acura-TL SH-AWD has a lightweight unit-body as the basis for a great-handling sport sedan, with low mass allowing quick acceleration, cornering and braking capability. Meanwhile, structural stiffness provides maximum suspension and steering precision, an ultra-quiet interior and lasting durability. The 2009 SH-AWD Acura-TL meets all these objectives with sophisticated unit-body engineering that provides maximum stiffness as well as low weight through the use of the highest volume of high-strength steel in Acura-TL history, as well as the use of key aluminum components. As a result of the front-suspension strut bar and a pair of additional lateral stiffeners at the front of the SH-AWD vehicle, lateral body rigidity is up 15-percent compared to the previous generation Acura-TL. In fact the new Acura-TL SH-AWD unit-body is so rigid that six mass dampers formerly used to quell vibration have been deleted, for a weight savings of nearly 14 lbs.

The use of aluminum for the SH-AWD Acura-TL hood, front and rear bumper beams, and instrument-panel beam helps reduce overall weight for improved acceleration, cornering, braking and fuel economy. A total of 51.7 lbs. is saved by the use of aluminum body components.The Acura-TL SH-AWD has unique suspension tuning including special coil spring, damping and stabilizer-bar rates, and even special subframe mounting dampers-all tuned for flatter cornering with reduced pitching motions under acceleration and braking. The system is also tuned specifically for the all-wheel drive vehicle dynamics, as well as for the unique P245/45R18 tires on the Acura-TL SH-AWD. As a result the Acura TL SH-AWD feels even more nimble than the front-wheel-drive Acura-TL in aggressive cornering situations.

The 2009 SH-AWD Acura-TL has 4-wheel disc brakes with Electronic Brake force Distribution (EBD) and Brake Assist. While the previous Acura-TL used single-piston front brake calipers, the new SH-AWD Acura-TL employs dual-piston calipers in front with single-piston calipers handling braking duties in back. The SH-AWD Acura-TL calipers squeeze radially vented cast-iron front rotors and solid cast-iron rear rotors. The SH-AWD Acura-TL front rotors measure 12.6 inches in diameter (an increase of 0.8 inch over the previous Acura-TL) and the rear rotors measure 13.1 inches in diameter (an increase of 2.0 inches compared to the previous-generation Acura-TL). The SH-AWD Acura-TL new brakes generate a 21-percent increase in front brake pad contact area and 22-percent more brake-pad contact area in the rear.

•  SH-AWD Acura-TL meets all these objectives.
• SH-AWD is fully equipped to perform its mission.
• SH-AWD has unique suspension tuning .
• Acura-TL SH-AWD was designed to enhance sporty handling and the vehicle's winter-driving capability.