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Acura organizes new business division to confront falling sedan sales

Honda and Acura North America have announced a major restructuring of operations in hopes of turning around Acura's flagging business. For 2013, sales for Acura's sedans dropped 10.4 percent, while its CUV sales grew by 21 percent. The newly formed Acura Business Planning Office will attempt to right the ship.
As part of the restructuring, Acura is promoting Erik Berkman from President of Honda R&D Americas to lead a new division called the Acura Business Planning Office. Berkman has been with Honda since 1982 and led development of the 2006 Accord. He was also the first US engineer to head North American research and development and has been head of Honda Performance Development since 2008. "Erik's appointment to the new Acura Business Planning Office is a clear indication of the high priority we place on Acura," said Honda spokesperson Jeffrey Smith to Automotive News.
American Honda Motor President and CEO Tetsuo Iwamura is also going to be working to improve the business. He has been elected chairman of American Honda's board, and has simultaneously taken the new position of Corporate Brand Officer to improve the management of the company's brands.

2021 Acura TLX to start at $38,525, hits dealers this fall

The 2021 Acura TLX will start at $38,525 (including a $1,025 destination fee) when it arrives in dealerships this fall. The flagship Type S model, which will be powered by a twin-turbocharged V6, will not arrive until spring, and while Acura has not yet finalized pricing, we're told it will start above the $50,000 mark.  The $38,525 base price of the 2021 TLX makes it $4,500 more dear than the model it replaces, but competitive with most of its luxury peers, largely thanks to its far more potent base engine. In fact, the 272-horsepower 2.0-liter turbo mill in the 2021 model in only down 18 horsepower from the V6 offered as the upgraded engine in the 2020. The new also TLX gets an updated platform that brings back its traditional double-wishbone front suspension, introduces a new turbocharged four-cylinder engine, and marks the return of the sporty Type S to the model lineup. To further make up for the rather large price increase, Acura has seen to it that the TLX is more feature-rich pretty much across the board. For example, base models now get a 10-speaker audio system with twin subwoofers and 12-way powered front seats. All models also come standard with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay integration for 2021. We'll come back to the Type-S momentarily; first, here's a breakdown of 2021 TLX pricing with destination included: 2021 TLX 2.0T — $38,525 2021 TLX 2.0T with Technology Package — $42,525 2021 TLX 2.0T with A-Spec Package —  $45,275 2021 TLX 2.0T with Advance Package — $47,325 A-Spec models are focused on sporty appearance and handling add-ons, while the Technology package is geared more toward those who want more convenience features. The Advance trim effectively blends them together and adds more premium features, such as Milano leather seating surfaces, heated seats and a heated steering wheel. Acura's Super Handling All-Wheel Drive system (SH-AWD) is available across the lineup for $2,000.  As for the 355-horsepower Type S model, Acura says it won't appear in showrooms until spring 2021, and while pricing has yet to be finalized, Acura says it will cost more than $50,000. That tracks, considering the Advance Package with SH-AWD is already a $49,325 car. Related Video: 2021 Acura TLX unveiling

Honda Civic Tourer reminds us why we love wagons

It was the early 1990s when the last Honda Civic Wagon graced our shores, looking more like a squat five-door hatchback with an extra dose of charm. Well, Honda debuted the newest Civic Wagon Tourer at the Frankfurt Motor Show today, but, as we reported last month, it's a European model that will go on sale there early next year. There's still no word of it coming to the US.
The Civic Tourer was designed by Honda's European studio, and its overall look comes across as more muscular, sporty and stylish than both the sedan and two-door coupe, with bulging fenders and revised windows. Adrian Killham, large project leader for the Civic Tourer, has commented on the styling, saying, "Recently launched cars have tended to follow a similar style. The Civic Tourer has a different balance and appeal." We appreciate the sentiment, and the Tourer's shape is a big reason why we like it.
But we also like the 22 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seats up, which grows to a gargantuan 59 cubic feet with the rear seats folded down. The big Civic will be powered by either a 1.8-liter four-cylinder petrol engine with i-VTEC or a 1.6-liter Earth Dreams i-DTEC diesel engine. Manual and automatic transmissions will be offered.