What is the Acura TL called in Japan?
The Acura TL has no official Japanese market name. Acura, Honda’s luxury division, is not sold as a standalone brand in Japan, so the TL was never marketed there under that badge. In practice, a TL-like sedan would be sold in Japan under Honda branding, with no direct one-to-one name mapping to the TL.
For readers seeking a TL-like experience in Japan, the closest Honda-branded alternatives are mid-size sedans such as the Inspire or Accord-based offerings. Names and configurations vary by generation and market strategy, and there is no exact Japanese name for the TL itself.
Official status in Japan
Japan’s domestic market does not carry Acura as a separate dealer network. Consequently, the TL never carried an official Japanese designation. Honda’s lineup in Japan has historically covered the same segment under Honda badges rather than Acura labels.
To understand where a TL would fit in Japan, it helps to compare with Honda models designed to occupy a similar space in the lineup. That typically means mid-size, value-rich sedans rather than the high-lidelity luxury slope that Acura aims for in North America.
Closest Honda-branded matches in the Japanese market, by position and size, include the following:
- Honda Inspire (mid-size luxury sedan in a Japan-focused variant)
- Honda Accord-based sedans (global configurations continued under Honda badges in Japan)
In short, there is no official Japanese name for the Acura TL; the model remains a North American badge with no direct Japan-specific branding.
Summary
The TL name does not have a Japanese counterpart because Acura is not a Japan-based brand. If you’re evaluating a TL-like option in Japan, you’d look to Honda-branded mid-size sedans such as the Inspire or Accord-derived models, rather than a TL designation.
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.
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 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).
What is an Acura TL in Japan?
The Acura TL is a car model that was manufactured by Acura, the luxury division of Honda. It was introduced in 1995 for the 1996 model year, to replace the Acura Vigor and was badged for the Japanese-market from 1996 to 2000 as the Honda Inspire and from 1996 to 2004 as the Honda Saber.
