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Acura ILX headed for Civic-like early upgrades

The not-yet-ready-for-primetime 2012 Honda Civic saw it quickly returned to sender for refurbishment, now the Acura ILX is headed in the same direction in its very first year. Automotive News reports that the small, Civic-based sedan from Honda's luxury brand isn't meeting sales expectations, with an annualized rate of 22,000 to 24,000 sales instead of the 30,000 the company is after. More telling is that the ILX "is being outsold by the Buick Verano, Volkswagen CC and Audi A4," and, except for two months since it launched, it has also been outdone by the Acura TSX it is meant to replace.
Part of the cause has been the 2.0-liter, four-cylinder engine: its 150 horsepower to motivate a sedan that can weigh up to 2,970 pounds doesn't offer the kind of performance or value experience that buyers in the segment respond to. Another big issue is that the top-level 2.4-liter engine is only offered with a six-speed manual even though most buyers of the highest trim don't really want to shift their own gears. Lastly, the ILX might not put enough space between it and its frugal underpinnings - our first drive review pegged it as "the world's nicest Honda Civic."
An automatic transmission is on the way for the 2.4-liter, but it isn't clear when. And while Honda admits that the 2.0-liter is underpowered and Automotive News says it's on the way out, the company hasn't yet said how that situation will be corrected.

Volkswagen's latest ad is not subtle | Autoblog Podcast #509

On this week's podcast, Mike Austin and David Gluckman are joined by special guest James Riswick, who has been driving a lot of new cars lately. All of them are discussed, plus a few more from Mike and David, and Mike rants a bit about a new VW Atlas commercial. The episode wraps up with the traditional doling out of Spend My Money buying advice, during which David briefly goes out into left field. (He's back now, don't worry.) The rundown is below. Remember, if you have a car-related question you'd like us to answer or you want buying advice of your very own, send a message or a voice memo to podcast at autoblog dot com. (If you record audio of a question with your phone and get it to us, you could hear your very own voice on the podcast. Neat, right?) And if you have other questions or comments, please send those too. Autoblog Podcast #509 Topics and stories we mention GMC Sierra HD Mazda MX-5 Miata RF Mazda CX-5 Honda CR-V vs. Mazda CX-5 Mini Countryman Honda Clarity Fuel Cell Ford F-150 Raptor Lexus RC 200t VW Atlas "Luv Bug" commercial Used cars! Rundown Intro - 00:00 What we're driving - 02:43 Ad of the week - 41:40 Spend My Money - 49:14 Total Duration: 56:27 Get The Podcast iTunes – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes RSS – Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator MP3 – Download the MP3 directly Feedback Email – Podcast at Autoblog dot com Review the show on iTunes Marketing/Advertising Podcasts Ford GMC Honda Lexus Mazda MINI Volkswagen mazda cx-5 ford f-150 raptor gmc sierra hd volkswagen atlas mazda mx-5 rf lexus rc 200t

Honda rolls out various oddities for 2015 Tokyo Auto Salon

On January 9 the doors at the Makuhari Messe in Chiba will open for the 2015 Tokyo Auto Salon. and you know what that means, boys and girls: that's right, all sorts of strange mod jobs. Not to be confused with the Tokyo Motor Show that's Japan's main automotive expo, the Tokyo Auto Salon is the Nipponese equivalent of SEMA. Honda is among the first to announce its lineup for the show, and, well... let's just say they're not all hideous and leave it at that. The H brand has got a whole array of customized machinery in store for the tuner expo, starting with the new N-Box Slash that just went on sale in Japan as the company's latest Kei car. One version of the tall wagon on the tiny wheelbase is obviously inspired by America, or at least a Japanese impression of what American car culture is like: it's decked out in red with racing stripes, flame graphics, a highway road sign and strange checkerboard wheels. Another N-Box Slash dubbed the Cyber Code:89 concept looks like something from anime, all decked out in futuristic graphics and glowing lights. A third example is rather more tastefully done up in teal with yellow accents. Of course Honda hasn't put all its eggs in the Slash basket, turning its attention as it has to other models in the JDM lineup. There's a retro N-One concept with a low-key grey and white exterior but with a zany multicolor interior, a tasteful white N-WGN with Modulo accessories, an Odyssey Absolute 20th Anniversary edition minivan, a take on the NM4 cruiser bike that'd look right at home in Akira and – one of our favorites from the lot – a Mugen take on the Honda Legend that we know as the Acura RLX. Whether your plans will take you to Tokyo for the show or not, you can scope 'em all out in the high-res image gallery for a closer look.