To some extent, Acura has never recovered from the advent of Lexus. They had a very good first few years with the Asian luxury brand space all to themselves, only to be consigned to the second tier by the larger, faster, quieter, smoother newcomer. But the real damage came later. First they dropped the popular Legend and Integra nameplates. Most recently they gifted all of their cars with an unattracive chrome bucktooth grille. I was far from alone in wondering if Acura had totally forgotten what they’re about. I went to total’s triple reveal looking for a signs of intelligent life.

The first reveal, of a redesigned RDX compact crossover. It’s definitely improved, with a 3.5-liter V6 replacing the turbocharged 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine in the interest of fuel economy. More power as well. Aren’t sales of turbocharged four cylinders currently surging because of their superior fuel economy compared to V6 engines? Apparently this potential wasn’t remotelly realized in the RDX’s case. The new interior is also wider than the old one. But will the new RDX feel as agile and be as much fun to drive? No way to know. Immediaely obvioius, though: the exterior styling is acceptable at best. They weren’t feeling this one. Few journalists gathered around this one after the presentation.

I had very low expectations for Acura’s upcoming Civic-sized car, the ILX. The name is certainly…illing. Why not just bring back “Integra”? And it’s just so easy to botch a premium car based on a mainstream compact. But, even with the latest version of Acura’s trademark grille, the ILX looks surprisingly good. A Scion tC-like rear pillar and short rear deck (though with a trunk, not a hatch) lend it aggressive proportions. An interesting character lines esses up to form a haunch over the rear wheel.

Then there’s the NSX. If NSX had resurrected its icon, the first serious Japanese challenger to the Italian exotics, and mucked it up, then enthusiasts might never have forgiven then. But the new NSX looks just about perfect, if perhaps a touch short on character and originality. Unlike with the original, the wheels appear large enough for the body and the rear quarters aren’t overly long. Keep looking at he car, and it starts to appear less generic, with some dynamic, well-integrated arcs in the bodyside. Power will come, as with the original, from a mid-mounted V6. But, because one of Acura’s core values is sustainability, there will also be a an elecric motor driving the front wheels. The attending enthusiast press, jaded and nearing the end of a long day, roared in applause. Not because the new NSX will be a hybrid, but because all fears that Honda would mess the car up could be cast aside.

The biggest surprise of the show thus far: the new NSX will be engineered by Honda’s U.S. group and manufactured in Ohio.

Suddenly I’m looking forward to the next TSX and TL. Let’s hope Acura doesn’t relapse into its coma in the interim.