HONDA could have a stronger challenger in the executive car sector in the UK within two years with a new vehicle unveiled by its North American luxury arm Acura at the New York auto show.

The Acura RL is likely to be a replacement for the Honda Legend, which has been sold to only a handful of customers in the UK in recent years and, like the high-performance NSX, is available only by special order.

However, the Acura RL is expected to provide a stronger challenge in North America for cars like the new Audi A6, BMW 530i, Mercedes-Benz E320 and Lexus GS models, with a world-first all-wheel drive system than can split torque between the wheels on each side of the car as well as between front and rear.

Acura executive vice-president Dick Colliver said the system, called super handling all-wheel drive (SH-AWD), virtually eliminated understeer (when the front tyres of a vehicle lose grip and the car runs wide in bends) and allowed the wheels on the outside of the bend to accelerate faster, offering better traction.

Using a new 3.5-litre V6 VTEC engine, the new Acura will feature adaptive headlights and keyless access and ignition.

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