2011 Acura Rdx Cretified Acura on 2040-cars

Auto blog

No S660 for US, but Honda wants sporty cars

Honda, best known lately for being a mainstream player rather than the brand that brought us the CRX Si, NSX, Integra Type-R, and S2000, apparently wants to builds sporty cars for the US again. With that in mind (or not), Honda has ruled out bringing the tiny, sporty S660 roadster across the Pacific. "I wouldn't put my chips on [the S660]," American Honda Executive Vice President John Mendel told Automotive News. At nearly 11.1 feet long, the S660 slots in between the 12.8-foot Mazda MX-5 Miata and the 8.8-foot Smart ForTwo. Yet Mendel says the tiny two-seater wouldn't work here. "When the practicalities of the market come in, and the car only so big, that might not be the best car for the US market," Mendel said. "It might be better for India or China or somewhere else." Honda is considering its options here in the US, though. As AN reports, after his takeover earlier this year, new CEO Takahiro Hachigo promised more sporting models, like the new, US-bound, 300-horsepower Civic Type R. And while it's no secret that Honda has filed patent drawings for a mid-engine model, Mendel offered little to indicate that it'd become a reality. Calling the project from Honda's Silicon Valley research and design facility a "design study," Mendel wouldn't answer AN when it asked whether this new model was successor to the S2000 or a more attainable, lower-powered NSX. He did, however, say his company was getting pressure from dealers over the lack of verve in the company's lineup. "They want anything in the sports car world," Mendel told AN. "They're going, 'Gimme a sports car.' They want a retractable hardtop; they want a high-horsepower $20,000 sports car. Because that's the nature of what they do." There you are, Honda. Your dealers want it, which means your consumers are probably are asking for it, and your CEO wants it, too. Make something happen.

2016 Acura ILX First Drive [w/video]

Luxury carmakers love getting 'em when they're young. Sure, it takes older, well-heeled buyers to move high-margin flagships like S-Classes, 7 Series, and LSes, but to borrow from the late, great Ms. Houston, the children are the future – specifically, the ones buying entry-level sleds like the Audi A3 and Mercedes-Benz CLA. Since youthful buyers tend to cultivate lifelong patterns of loyalty (and thus, spending), Acura has invested effort in shoving its entry-level ILX into more upmarket territory. "The ILX was originally conceived during the recession," one Acura executive admitted during the launch of the facelifted 2016 model, conceding that the original compact sedan's priorities were biased towards economy, not plushness. Because Acura originally didn't see the $30,000-ish competitors from Audi and Mercedes coming, they didn't think twice about equipping the base, prior-gen ILX with rather uninspired styling and a meager 150-horsepower engine, the combination of which made it more of a glorified Honda Civic than a contender for European power players. What's an aspiring Japanese automaker to do in 2015's golden age of affordable luxury? If you're Acura, you scramble to release a mid-cycle upgrade to elevate the ILX's status. Upmarket Moves: Fresher Skin And A Friskier Soul With its ho-hum sheet metal, the outgoing ILX simply couldn't stand up to its more crisply styled competitors. The 2016 model comes to the rescue by adding Acura's signature "Jewel Eye" row of LED headlights, which joins a reworked grille and fascia to form a more aggressive front end that's been moved lower and wider. A redesigned rear deck incorporates new LED taillamps, while the ILX's proportions now boast a more hunkered-down stance. The look is sexier (especially thanks to those glimmering headlights), though the stodgy, Buick-like character line and rear haunches remain. Inside, a new multimedia and navigation system brings a level of modernity to the cabin, with an eight-inch upper display and seven-inch lower touchscreen gracing Premium and Tech Plus models. A multi-view rear camera is standard on all ILXs, and the Premium gets a seven-speaker sound system while the Tech Plus receives a 10-speaker ELS premium audio setup. Acura's new Navi link feature enables iPhones to display navigation functionality on the car's screen using a $99 cable kit and a $60 app, offering an affordable way to know where you're going. The kit was not available on the models we drove.

2022 Acura RDX First Drive | RDX redux gives us what we want

LOS ANGELES — AcuraÂ’s most recent totally new models — the TLX and MDX — thwacked us upside the head with authority to let us know that Acura as a luxury and performance brand is well and truly back in great form. The redesigned RDX tried to do the same back in 2019, and while it was an above-average overhaul effort, it didnÂ’t move us as strongly as the TLX and MDX have since. Now, the 2022 Acura RDX is here, and itÂ’s packing a bunch of improvements to try and both enhance the driving experience and ensure that it isnÂ’t playing second fiddle to other Acura products in tech or luxury. The one omission, and itÂ’s a big one, is the continued lack of a Type S variant. Both the TLX and MDX offer a high-performance Type S version with turbocharged V6 engines, and the RDX continues to go without such a model in 2022. ItÂ’s a shame, because the RDXÂ’s smaller size means it could serve as a quality platform for a performance crossover to compete against others like the BMW X3 M40i, Mercedes-AMG GLC 43 and Audi SQ5. ThatÂ’s not to say that Acura has neglected the driving experience for 2022. The one performance improvement comes in the form of re-tuned adaptive dampers on the Advance trim that are both stiffer in Sport mode and softer in Comfort mode. Plus, the cabin is much quieter than it was before thanks to additional sound deadening material and an enhanced Active Sound Control system. Acura says the standard car offers a 20% NVH improvement, while the Advance Package cars have even more sound deadening to deliver a 30% improvement over the 2021 model. YouÂ’ll be able to tell the updated RDX apart from the pre-refresh version by looking at the new grille pattern and thinner chrome grille surround. Look further downward, and youÂ’ll notice larger side intakes and a new fog light design. ItÂ’s harder to tell that anything is new from the back, but look closely, and youÂ’ll see a redone lower bumper and rectangular exhaust outlets on every model but the A-Spec — that hangs on to its round dual exhaust tips. A couple of new wheel designs round out the exterior updates, while the interior sees a new bronze-like finish for the aluminum trim in lower trims. Perhaps one of the most vital changes Acura made to the RDX this year is done on the equipment side, as it fixes one of the gripes weÂ’ve had with Acuras over the past couple years. You can finally equip the Advance Package onto A-Spec trim cars.