What is an Acura TL called in Japan?
There is no direct Japanese name for the Acura TL. Acura is not sold as a separate brand in Japan, so the TL does not exist as an official Japanese-market model. The closest Honda-market equivalents, depending on the era, are the Honda Legend or Honda Inspire, with the Accord-based platform serving as a reference point for earlier generations.
Background: Acura’s presence in Japan
Acura has historically operated as the North American luxury brand of Honda. In Japan, Honda markets its sedans under the Honda badge and uses distinct nameplates such as Legend (flagship) and Inspire for premium or mid-size models. Because there has never been an official Acura dealership network in Japan, the TL badge was never used there.
Closest Japanese-market equivalents to the TL
Note: There is no exact Japan-market TL, but several Honda models have served a similar role in size and luxury within the Japanese lineup.
- Honda Legend — Honda’s flagship luxury sedan, offering high-end features and premium positioning that align with the TL’s market segment in the U.S.
- Honda Inspire — a mid-size to upper-mid-size premium sedan used in Japan, sized to match the TL’s stature in many years of its production.
- Honda Accord (Japan-market variant) — the mainstream, lower-luxury option that shares underpinnings with TL generations, useful as a non-premium reference point but not a direct TL replacement.
In short, the TL nameplate is not used in Japan. Buyers seeking a TL-like experience would look to Honda’s Legend or Inspire rather than a TL badge, depending on the generation and the specific features they want.
Summary
The Acura TL is not a recognized name in the Japanese market. Because Acura operates primarily outside Japan, there is no direct Japanese designation for the TL. The closest equivalents within Honda’s Japan lineup are the Legend (flagship) and Inspire (premium mid-size), with Accord-based options providing baseline similarity. For a TL-like experience in Japan, those are the models most often considered.
Is Acura TL and TLX the same?
The Acura TLX is a four-door entry-level luxury sedan sold by Acura, a luxury division of Honda, since 2014 for the 2015 model year. It is the successor to both the TL and TSX models. The discontinuation of the RLX after the 2020 model year left the TLX as the flagship sedan in Acura's lineup.
What is the Acura TSX called in Japan?
Honda Accord
Born in Sayama, Japan and also called Honda Accord in Japan and Europe. The Acura TSX (CL9) was introduced to USA in 2003, with a K24A2 i-VTEC engine which produced 205 horsepower, in this case, paired with a six-speed manual transmission (which featured a magnesium casing, to reduce weight).
Do they have Acura in Japan?
No, the Acura brand is not sold in Japan; it is Honda's luxury division primarily for the North American market. While Acura vehicles are developed by Honda, which is a Japanese company, the Acura brand itself does not have a presence in its home country. Cars sold in Japan are branded as Hondas, and in the past, some models were essentially rebadged and tweaked versions of Japanese Domestic Market (JDM) Honda models.
- Acura is a North American brand: Acura was launched in 1986 and is primarily marketed in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Panama.
- No Acura brand in Japan: The luxury and performance division does not operate as Acura in Japan.
- Models sold as Hondas: Vehicles that are badged as Acuras in North America are sold as Hondas in Japan. For example, the Acura TL was sold in Japan as a Honda Inspire or Saber.
- Production details: While Acura is a Japanese-owned company, most of its vehicles are manufactured in North America, though some high-performance models like the NSX have been produced in Japan.
What is Acura TL in Japan?
The Acura TL is called the Honda Inspire and Honda Saber in Japan. For the first generation of the TL (1996-2000), models were sold under these two names depending on the trim and retail channel.
- Honda Inspire: This name was used for the models that were the successors to the Acura Vigor in Japan.
- Honda Saber: This name was also used for the first generation of the TL in Japan.
