Every few years, we get lucky and an automaker delivers a knockout concept followed by a production car that holds true to the show car and doesn't water down its vision. Think BMW i8, Porsche Taycan, Jaguar F-Type, and Acura NSX.

We were stoked when Acura revealed the 2019 Type S Concept, a dramatic, aggressive exercise we called the most exciting shape to come from the automaker since the aforementioned hybrid mid-engine supercar. The production car, the newest TLX sedan, was handsome but a bit diluted. Acura's 2024 face-lift brings us closer to the car that had us so optimistic a few years back. The update is safe—not a dramatic restyling or mechanical overhaul—but improved styling combined with better tech and superior safety features deliver more appeal than ever.

Acura started with adjusting the front-end treatment. First off, the chromelike or gloss black border around the grille is gone, and Acura extended the trim on the upper edge between the headlights, which gives the impression of a longer, more aggressive hood.

We see improvement in the center of the grille, too; Acura miniaturized the driver assist sensors, which were previously packaged in a smartphone-sized unit between the Acura badge and the mesh behind it. The logo up front is now marginally bigger, but the designers and engineers crammed new and improved sensors (more on that momentarily) and the badge in the same space. Acura's grille mesh designs are new, too, and they're different between the A-Spec and Type S.

The result is a much cleaner look that better resembles the Type S Concept that preceded this TLX. Acura may not have been able to replicate that vehicle's swept-back headlights, invisible door handles, or extensive use of forged carbon, but the 2024 TLX has finally captured its inspiration's essence.

This year's updates include two new paint options, too. Folks can now order their TLX A-Spec or Type S in Urban Gray Pearl, and the entry-level TLX Technology package now offers Liquid Carbon Metallic.

Acura has also simplified the trim ladder. Instead of front- and all-wheel-drive variants of all four-cylinder cars, buyers can now choose a front-drive TLX with the previously optional Technology package (19-inch wheels, leather seating, premium audio, ambient lighting), an AWD TLX A-Spec, and the range-topping (also AWD) TLX Type S. The A-Spec and Type S get new 19- and 20-inch wheel designs, respectively, and A-Spec gains new round exhaust finishers and a tweaked gloss black rear spoiler to further differentiate it from the base car.

Remember when we mentioned the driver assist sensors? In addition to packaging them better, Acura has implemented a camera and radar sensors that improve on the larger units in the pre-refresh TLX. The front camera now has a 90-degree field of view, and the radar in the grille can see even wider, the combination of which should result in improved automatic emergency braking and detection of cyclists or pedestrians.

The automaker also installed a blind-spot monitoring radar with superior range to the unit in last year's cars. As for the functional benefit, the TLX can not only warn you of a vehicle currently in your blind spot but also of a fast-approaching car that could be racing to hide behind the C-pillar. None of this tech is groundbreaking, but both are welcome additions.

Drivers who swap in from a '21-23 TLX should notice a quieter drive, too. For all 2024 models, Acura installs thicker carpeting across the line, while A-Specs also get new front fender liners, revised door seals, acoustic front glass, and improved active noise canceling software to reduce outside tire and wind racket infiltrating the cabin. Engineers left the quieter glass off the Type S so owners don't forget about its turbo V-6.

In terms of changes that could alter the driving experience, that's about it aside from a new Sport+ drive mode for the Type S said to improve throttle response. Base and A-Spec variants still get a 272-hp turbocharged 2.0-liter I-4, and the Type S employs the same 3.0-liter turbo V-6 Acura offers in the MDX Type S; both engine options work with a 10-speed automatic.

That's a shame, considering we haven't found any TLX especially engaging from behind the wheel. We called out inconsistent AWD system behavior, touchy brakes, and an underwhelming powertrain in the Type S and a lazy, uncompetitive transmission when driving the A-Spec.

Thankfully, we've found the cabin a lovely place to be, and Acura has improved the TLX's tech offerings with this 2024 refresh. Where the pre-face-lift sedan had a 10.2-inch infotainment screen and a 7.0-inch instrument cluster display flanked by analog gauges, this year's model gets a configurable full digital gauge cluster (with special graphics for the Sport+ drive mode in the Type S) and a 12.3-inch center infotainment screen, the setup Acura introduced in the 2022 MDX. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are now standard.

Acura's touchpad infotainment controller remains, and that center display is not a touchscreen. This approach can be a little unintuitive, but if you treat the touchpad like a touch-sensitive 2.0-inch rectangle that mimics the center display instead of like a laptop's trackpad, it can be relatively responsive. Still, we'd like to see the redundancy of touchscreen controls for those who prefer them, like BMW does with its iDrive system.

The 2024 TLX also expands the offerings of a couple features that were previously exclusive to the TLX Advance and curiously unavailable on Type S. Acura's performance sedan now includes a higher-resolution 360-degree camera view and a head-up display as standard.

Acura reports the 2024 TLX will start arriving on dealer lots in late November, just in time for an impulsive Black Friday buy or a giant red bow for the holidays. Pricing has yet to be announced, but Acura reps hinted it'll be slightly spendier than the outgoing model.

That said, the price jump for base models will be bigger than they made it sound. Buyers could score an entry-level FWD 2023 TLX for $41,245, but because the aforementioned Technology pack is now standard, the price floor ascends considerably. A 2023 TLX Technology started just north of $45K, so figure the comparable 2024 base model will ring in a grand or two higher.