Acura's best-selling car makes a big break from parent Honda Accord with all-wheel drive, more power, and aggressive no-clone styling. The Acura TL is based on the Honda Accord, and with the Accord redesigned for 2008, a new TL can't be far behind. And it isn't. In fact, it's on the way for 2009. Honda is very good at keeping secrets, so the next iteration of Acura's best selling car is still largely a cipher at this point. But we can make some educated guesses based on persistent rumors. For starters, the 2009 Acura TL should switch from front-wheel drive, which Accord retains, to the Super-Handling AWD used for Acura's RL flagship sedan and RDX and MDX sport-utilities. That's a welcome and overdue move in our book. Even with standard traction control, today's front-drive TL doesn't put its power down very well, prone to irritating wheelspin and torque steer sideways pulling with even moderate throttle. All-wheel drive will eliminate that, making for a safer and more rewarding drive. Not coincidentally, it also lets the TL take on prestigious AWD sports sedans from Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz.

The 2009 Acura TL should also get a more-potent base engine, with the current 3.2-liter V6 replaced by a version of the Type-S model's 3.5. We think horsepower will check in at around 275, up from 258, matched by fatter torque output that should benefit midrange acceleration with an automatic transmission, which will probably remain mandatory. To keep pace, the Type-S would go from 286 to maybe 300 horsepower, also with more torque in the bargain. Given Honda's usual emphasis on the best fuel economy with the lowest emissions, both TL engines should employ the company's cylinder-deactivation feature. We also don't rule out some kind of sequential manual transmission for the Type-S, perhaps to replace the optional automatic as another "brag" feature to match the vaunted German brands.

Accord's 2008 redesign brings slightly greater size and sharper, sportier lines. The TL should follow suit, but styling differences with Accord will be even more pronounced so that only the most car-savvy eyes can spot the shared basic structure. Acura is eager to move upmarket to be more competitive against the Big Three Germans, plus Infiniti and Lexus, and planners have decided a unique "Acura look" is key to that effort. While we don't expect anything as wild as the recent Acura Advanced Sedan Concept, the next TL should be more "sculpted" than the current model, an aggressive mix of edges and curves. We have not yet driven a 2009 Acura TL.