Quote:Honda Motor Co., seeking to revive its Acura luxury brand, is introducing a sedan intended for younger buyers unable to afford higher-end marques. It’s part of an effort to improve Acura’s image with new models.
The compact ILX is aimed at “Generation-Y” drivers who are turning 30, Honda said at a briefing in Las Vegas this month. The sedan will start “well under $30,000” when it goes on sale in early 2012, and will be shown next month at the Detroit auto show, said Vicki Poponi, assistant vice president for product planning at Honda’s U.S. unit.
“The brand is in trouble,” said Jessica Caldwell, an analyst for researcher Edmunds.com. “The consensus for many of the current models is the vehicles just look bland. They have to do something to capture peoples’ emotions with styling.”

Quote:Honda Manufacturing of Indiana, LLC (HMIN) today announced that it will be the exclusive manufacturer of the Acura ILX, an all-new luxury sedan going into mass production in Indiana in the spring of 2012. The new Acura ILX sedan will be positioned at the gateway to the Acura lineup and will be offered with both gasoline and gas-electric hybrid powertrain options. The new Acura ILX will be Acura's first-ever hybrid model, as well as the first Acura model to be produced in Indiana.

"Building this all-new Acura vehicle as the exclusive global source is a big responsibility for our associates," said HMIN President Jun Nishimoto. "I am very proud of what our Indiana team has accomplished in such a short time, and we have great confidence in our ability to produce a world-class luxury vehicle that exceeds the expectations of Acura customers."

The Acura ILX will join the TL sedan, ZDX crossover vehicle, and the MDX and RDX sport-utility vehicles as the fifth Acura model produced exclusively in North America. Acura finished second among all luxury brands in the J.D. Power and Associates' 2011 Initial Quality Study.

HMIN was recognized earlier this year for its outstanding quality as one of only three automobile plants globally to earn a Platinum Award for outstanding quality based on the results of J.D. Power and Associates' 2011 Initial Quality Survey℠ (IQS). The plant recently added nearly 1,000 associates to support the move to two-shift production, which started on Oct. 24, 2011, doubling the plant's capacity to 200,000 vehicles per year. The Acura ILX will be the first hybrid vehicle to be made in America at a Honda plant. Gasoline engines for the new Acura ILX will be produced at the Anna, Ohio, engine plant of Honda of America Mfg., Inc.

Acura will unveil a concept version of the new ILX sedan at the 2012 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit during media preview days, Jan. 9-10, 2012. Acura also will debut a new RDX sport-utility vehicle and a concept version of the next-generation Acura NSX supercar at the show, as it moves to further strengthen its product lineup with new products, new technologies and a sharper brand focus.

jaybird;156837 Wrote:Once again proof that acura is not a luxury nameplate!

Quote:“The brand is in trouble,” said Jessica Caldwell, an analyst for researcher Edmunds.com. “The consensus for many of the current models is the vehicles just look bland. They have to do something to capture peoples’ emotions with styling.”

zeep;156867 Wrote:I don't understand why they give this ILX a proper name like Integra?
Think about it, a lot of people my age know what the Acura Integra is, and I'm sure people in their 20-30s know what the Integra is or at least owned one. RSX is also a decent name and probably more well known than the Integra.
ILX makes me think of a computer, not a car. So to sum it up, it's a stupid name and hopefully the car will be decent.

The 'Burg;156869 Wrote:

zeep;156867 Wrote:I don't understand why they give this ILX a proper name like Integra?
Think about it, a lot of people my age know what the Acura Integra is, and I'm sure people in their 20-30s know what the Integra is or at least owned one. RSX is also a decent name and probably more well known than the Integra.
ILX makes me think of a computer, not a car. So to sum it up, it's a stupid name and hopefully the car will be decent.

Zeep - you answered your own question without realizing it. Acura hired a bunch of business grads who somehow convinced Honda that Acura's "brand image" was suffering because people knew what a Legend or an Integra was, but didn't know what "Acura" was. They changed their naming strategy to focus on the brand name rather than the model. And thus, the "Legend" became the "RL", while the Integra became the "RSX" (which only worked because the car was so damn good")... but Acura decided such a model was beneath their luxury image and so they killed it. FAIL!!!



Mazda did the same thing, which is why the cars are known as "Mazda3's" and "Mazda6's". In reality, the 3's full name is the Mazda Mazda3.

Why do you think so many automakers are screwed up? Because they have people who have never actually sold cars for a living making marketing decisions. Perhaps if these idiots had some actual retail experience, they wouldn't have such problems.



ILX??? What a fuckin' joke.