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Acura is the luxury vehicle division of Japanese automaker Honda Motor
Company's North American¨Cbased subsidiary American Honda Motor Company.1 The
brand has been available in the United States and Canada since March 1986,
marketing luxury, performance, and high-performance vehicles. It was introduced
to Hong Kong in 1991, Mexico in 2004, and China in 2006. Honda's plan to
introduce Acura to the Japanese market in 2008 was delayed, due to economic
reasons,2 and later withheld as a result of the 2008 financial crisis.3
The
creation of Acura coincided with the introduction of a Japanese Honda dealership
sales channel, called Honda Clio, which sold luxury vehicles, joining previously
established Honda Verno, followed by Honda Primo the following year. Acura holds
the distinction of being the first Japanese automotive luxury brand.4 In its
first few years of existence, Acura was among the best-selling luxury marques in
the US. Though sales were down in the mid-to-late 1990s, the brand experienced a
revival in the early 2000s, due to drastic redesigns and the introductions of
new models.
Acura re-introduced the TL Type-S for the 2007 model year. 2009
marked the all new TL and TSX models as well as a mid-year model update for the
RL; all three made their debuts in the 2008 calendar year. Acura planned on
redesigning the RL by 2011 as well as announced the creation of a brand new
luxury crossover vehicle called the ZDX, previewed by the concept of the same
name.
The ZDX was the first Acura designed in Acura's design studio located
at Torrance in Southern California. The ZDX was designed by Michelle Christensen
and based on the Acura MDX using that vehicles 3.7 litre V6 engine (300 bhp) and
SH-AWD system. A common misconception is that it is based on the Honda Crosstour
which was based on the Honda Accord rather than the bigger and more complex
underpinnings of the MDX. It is also the first Acura to be completely built in
North America. The production model of the ZDX made its debut in the Orange
County Auto Show in Southern California on October 15, 2009. The concept behind
the ZDX is that it is a "four door coupe," and the design emphasis of the body
of the car is like a "pulled back slingshot." Another prominent design aspect of
the ZDX is the wide rear shoulders above the rear wheels. The ZDX went on sale
in December 2009.
Acura initially had plans for the third generation of RL to
be a rear wheel drive V8 sedan for its flagship, but shelved the plans in the
wake of the 2008 economic downturn.12
Acura announced new TSX wagon in the
2010 New York Auto Show and the car is due to go on sale in Fall of 2010. The
wagon version of the TSX is based on the wagon version of the Euro-spec Honda
Accord which has been in the European market for some time. However, Acura did
not announce any plans for the third-generation RL.
For the 2010 model year
the MDX models received some slight exterior changes and increased equipment
levels. Mechanically the engine remained unchanged but the transmission was
updated from the previous 5-speeds to 6-speeds including steering column mounted
shift override paddles. This new transmission was shared with the ZDX.
In
2012, Acura introduced a new model called the ILX which is based heavily on the
Honda Civic platform. It shares the same 3 power train variants from the Civic:
the 2.0L, 2.4L VTEC and a 1.5L Hybrid. It also unveiled the Acura RLX Concept, a
replacement for the RL sedan, at the New York International Auto Show. The ILX
went on sale in May 2012 in the United States as a 2013 model.
Also in 2012,
Acura "reinvented" another model, The RDX concept. For the new model, Acura
dropped the 4 cylinder turbo for a 3.5L V6. When the official 2013 Acura RDX was
released, it was relatively similar to the concept but had changes in wheels,
taillights, and some other cosmetics. A lot of this Acura looks like its brother
the ILX. The 2013 RDX doesn't have the SH-AWD system instead it has "AWD with
intelligent control", similar to the CR-V's AWD system. The RDX is now available
with BASE, BASE AWD, TECH., and TECH AWD.
In 2013, Acura showed a 2014
Concept of the MDX. Shortly after, it was released to the public. MDX competes
with Lexus RX, Audi A7 and many others. For the first time, buyers of the 2014
MDX didn't have to get the SH-AWD. This model also gets the Jewel Eye LED lights
similar to the RLX. The trim levels are BASE, TECH, TECH AND ENTERTAINMENT, and
ADVANCE AND ENTERTAINMENT. All of these can be equipped with SH-AWD.
For the
2014 model of the RDX. Acura drops color Amber Brownstone which was really
popular for Kona Coffee Metallic from the CR-V. The new color is a little
darker. Changes for the 2014 ILX include the 1.5L engine being dropped and
leather now being standard on all trims.
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