As an owner of a 2006 RSX Type S, I would have loved for Acura to reboot a hatchback coupe with a manual, but of course that’s not what this is.
It’s a the new brand for the ILX, but even being based on the new Civic and having some of the well reviewed nature of the new TLX is not a bad thing.
It’s likely it’ll still start under $30k decently equipped, not a bad thing in this market. I’m guessing a 200+hp version of the Civic’s 1.5T in the base car and the TLX’s 272-hp 2.0T in the Type S. Again, if well priced and fun to drive, it should be decently well.
The GSR redline at 8100 and at that time has the most hp per liter (or was it the Eclipse turbo). VTEC baby! The build quality on those cars were very good as I remembered. Sadly, lower priced two door coupes must not be a good selling segment for North America.
It’s not replacing the ILX, it’s just going to be the entry level vehicle into the brand, without a vehicle placed below it, based off the civic platform… like the ILX.
I guess it is inevitable…this is the automotive cycle if you think about it…
every year particular models grow in size (& price) & eventually outgrows the segment it was introduced in this leaving a void & needing a newer (smaller, cheaper) model.
The market-speak in that “article” was bordering on intolerable: “it underscores Acura’s positioning as an inclusive luxury brand that likes to punch above its weight.”
WTF does that even mean??? No one wants an “inclusive” luxury brand, and Acura hasn’t been punching above its “weight” (price?) for, like, 2.5 decades. The Lite-Brite silhouette of the first-gen Integra is also… lame.
Now that the Integra will replace the ILX… sorry I mean be in place of it but not replacing it, but appearing right at the same time the ILX sunsets in the same segment, they should rename the TLX to the Legend. Though as well all know the TLX tracks it’s heritage back to the Vigor and the RLX is (was) the descendant of the Legend. But everyone knows the Legend and vary few know the Vigor.
In all fairness, there’s only so much you can do with light-up drones in the night sky. I thought it was creative, even if not terribly descriptive in a visual sense.
That’s the thing. I don’t even know if the “true” luxury brands are getting cross shopped. I think everyone knows that Acura is a subsidiary of Honda, and I think that people who get Acuras “just” want a fancier version of a Honda. And there’s nothing wrong w/ that. It just doesn’t make for particularly interesting cars, IMHO.
Oh, is THAT what all the light-up stuff was? I thought it was totally computer-made (and purposely designed to invoke “RETRO”). Okay, if those were drones in the sky, I’ll admit that’s pretty good. Let’s hope the car itself is as interesting…
Some people do. That’s what independent era Saab and Volvo new car buyers did when they bought those cars; they wanted upscale without the negative (to them) connotations of more exclusive brands like Mercedes, BMW, etc.
There are people who can easily afford Lambos who buy Porsches instead. At every tier there’s a group of people who don’t want a level of flash & bling that’s one above what they’re comfortable with.
I really don’t think that’s what it is but people who buy Acuras want luxury experience & are willing to pay good $$ but Acura has failed to elevate themselves or refine themselves to be able to considered as a cross shop brand with real mainstream luxury brands.
I worked for a startup who’s founder did exactly that, after the company got bought, he bought a Volvo S-80 saying he didn’t want a BMW or Mercedes, man it had a lot of problems though.
Even the supposed success story of Lexus can be picked apart; it survives solely on rebadged Camry platform models like RX and ES. Unlike the first gen LS, no one cross shops them with a Mercedes S class any more. It’s an afterthought in its segment. Just like the GS was before they had mercy on it and killed it.
TLDR none of this is easy. Even Lexus couldn’t do it.
