Acura Naming Conventions

It’s all in a name! In the same year that my Legend surpassed the 500,000 mile mark, the Acura brand surpassed a milestone of its own – that of celebrating 25 years as one of the world’s premier automakers. As the company launches into its next 25 years, a new image is about to unfold – and it will begin with a new naming convention that promises to better define the Acura family of cars.

I had the privilege recently of meeting with Vicki Poponi, Assistant Vice President of Product Planning at American Honda Motor Company, Inc. I’d first met Vicki in Detroit at the North American Int’l Auto Show (NAIAS) back in January and was grateful for her to take a few minutes to answer some of my own questions about the exciting momentum at Acura and the new direction that the company is going.

There were three key things that stood out to me during my conversation with Vicki about Acura’s naming conventions and the meaning behind them.

1) If you look at the word “LUXURY,” the X is at the centre. Acura is, first and foremost, a luxury brand of automobile. Even the ILX as an entry level premium vehicle still brings with it the amenities that we’ve come to expect from Acura. In the next generation of Acura vehicles, “X” will be a common thread in the name of each model. Those who tuned into the recent New York Auto Show watched the RLX reveal – the flagship model now bringing with it that symbol of luxury within its name.

2) A recognizable naming pattern will improve model identification and awareness. Acura’s sedans will all share an “LX” suffix, while the truck lineup will have “DX,” and the NSX rounds out the family as the sporty long awaited supercar that we’re all excited for. In this way, Vicki said, each type of vehicle that Acura offers will share a unified naming convention that brings a sense of belonging. In a world full of acronyms, I agree that this consistent direction will help simplify the “alphabet soup” that we’ve become so accustomed to among luxury car manufacturers and their model names.

3) What about the ILX specifically? Was there any reason this name was chosen for the all-new 2013 entry level premium offering from Acura? YES. Selecting the perfect name for a car is a far more involved process than one would think and it can take months or even years to finalize. The meaning behind “I-L-X” starts with the letter “I”. This car truly is designed with the driver in mind, complete with features that buyers in my demographic are asking for: Smart features! A car as intelligent as its driver. Let’s not forget individualistic and independent. Clearly the “I” was the right choice as the prefix for this sedan.

So, even though the ILX is “Incredible Looking” and “Impressively Luxurious,” the truth is that the I means it’s a car for the individual, the L ties it to Acura’s already great lineup of sedans, and the X rounds out the name as the ultimate center of luXury. The ILX truly lives up to its name. Huge thanks to Vicki for sharing her insight into this unsolved mystery!

For more insight on the all-new ILX, follow my blog, the ILX Experience on Acura’s Facebook page.

[Source: Tyson Hugie's ILX Experience]

Acura NSX Concept meets a 1991 Acura NSX - Courtesy Edmunds.com, Inc.

The past and future of Acura come together in an Edmunds’ Inside Line NSX comparison.

Inside Line editors got a chance to size up their long-term 1991 Acura NSX with the new NSX Concept at Acura’s headquarters in Torrance, California. Fortunately for us, along with their measuring tape they brought a camera to satisfy our visual cravings.

Check out a few teaser shots below, then head over to insideline.com for the full article and 57-photo gallery.

[Source: Edmunds' Inside Line]

Tyson Hugie

Tyson Hugie talks with Jeff Conrad, Acura Vice President of Sales about the Acura ILX at the 2012 ILX Press Event in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Click here to see the video

Acura Canada's 2013 RDX

The great outdoors, there’s nothing like experiencing Mother Nature’s playground. Canadians know they have one of the best backyards on the planet to play in, and they like to take full advantage of its diverse offerings.

Acura Canada’s latest commercial shows that the all-new 2013 RDX could just be the perfect companion for your outdoor adventure. See the video clip below.

Click here to view the video

2013 Acura ILX Track Test Video

Acura’s newest sedan took to the track for some performance testing thanks to Edmunds’ Inside Line. The model of choice for this video packed the 2.4-litre 201 horsepower engine which is mated to a close-ratio six-speed manual transmission. Combine that with its compact frame and light weight, the ILX turns out to be a fairly quick little car with some decent 0-60 and 1/4 Mile times.

Click here to see the video and results

Marvel's The Avengers - In Theatres May 4th

Acura hosted special advanced screenings of Marvel’s The Avengers this past week in select cities across Canada and the US, and if you were a lucky Acura owner in attendance, you already know how awesome this movie is.

I was fortunate enough to receive a pair of passes to the Edmonton event tonight courtesy of West Side Acura. It was like an Acura mini-meet as owners filled the lot to see the Avengers assemble on screen. My good friend and Acura enthusiast Marty Quon even brought his car out of hibernation for the summer, arriving in his mint 2004 silverstone NSX. Attendees who weren’t rushing in for seats were able to stop and check out the 2013 ILX parked out front, and I finally got to see the production ILX for the first time since I saw the concept debut in Detroit.

Acura guests were able to redeem their tickets for free snacks and received a goodie bag containing an Acura pamphlet, Avengers poster and key chain. Before the movie started the audience was presented with a few Acura promo videos and commercials. I’ve seen the NSX Concept intro about a hundred times, but it felt like a whole new experience seeing it on the big screen.

After all the trailers, posters and hype for The Avengers these past few months, you’re probably wondering if it was worth the wait. Superheroes coming together to save the world, we’ve all seen it before. This one just has a bigger cast of characters right? While it’s true the premise does sound cliche and the film does contain a huge all-star cast, The Avengers still manages to live up, and even exceed all the hype. Somehow even with six prominent superheroes, they were able to successfully create a genuine and compelling storyline where each character was able to shine. Let’s not forget there’s still also Nick Fury, S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents Hill and Coulson, and the antagonist Loki who played an excellent villain.

Though it may make you feel like a kid again trying to decide which superhero is your favourite, you don’t need to be comic book fan to enjoy this one. There’s non-stop entertainment and fun for all ages, so don’t miss out on the biggest blockbuster of the summer. Marvel’s The Avengers hits theatres May 4th.

The NSX Concept meets its predecessor for a photoshoot teased by Acura via Twitter.

The Avengers Roadster was put together with a first generation NSX in an Edmunds’ Inside Line Gallery, here we get two matching silver NSXs using the concept car. There’s no word on what the shoot is for, but with these two vehicles, you really can’t go wrong.

Click here for an 800×600 image.

[Source: Acura_Insider]

Official release from www.acuranews.com:

American Honda Reports April Auto Sales: CR-V Sets April Record, Accord Sees 41-Percent Gain, All-New 2013 Acura RDX Fast Out of the Gate
Honda division sales up 9.2 percent, Acura sales up 18 percent

05/01/2012 – TORRANCE, Calif.

American Honda today reported April 2012 U.S. sales of 122,012 units, an increase of 10 percent based on the daily selling rate*. The Honda division posted April 2012 sales of 109,837, an increase of 9.2 percent compared to April 2011. Acura’s U.S. April sales of 12,175 were up 18 percent compared to April 2011.

- 2013 Acura RDX is fast out of the gate, with sales of the all-new SUV up more than 65 percent compared to same period last year.

- All core Acura models (TL, TSX, RDX and MDX) post double-digit increases compared to 2011, while MDX remains Acura’s best selling model.

- The all-new ILX compact luxury sedan goes on sale May 22.

“We’re delighted to see customers embrace the right-sized 2013 Acura RDX,” said Jeff Conrad, vice president of Acura sales. “It’s great to see so many new owners recognizing the remarkable combination of class-leading fuel economy, performance and luxury in our new SUV.”

*The daily selling rate (DSR) is calculated with 24 days for April 2012 and 27 days for April 2011. Year-to-date, the DSR is calculated with 101 days for 2012 and 102 days for 2011. All percentages reflect DSR.

[Source: Acura]