What type of car is Acura?
Acura is flagship car, the Legend, was so successful that it prompted competitors Toyota and Nissan to introduce their luxury brands, Lexus and Infiniti, respectively, in the late 1980s. When it was released in 1990, the N.S.X. was Honda’s first mid-engine exotic sports vehicle, debuting the V.T.E.C.
Who Owns Acura
Honda, Acura’s parent corporation, introduced the brand in 1986. Honda’s high-end brand in the United States was first marketed under Channel II. In modern times, Acura has achieved global recognition on par with Honda. Acura is Honda’s high-end and sporty North American brand. On March 27, 1986, sales of the premium and performance automotive brand began in the United States and Canada.
Acura
Acura is primarily the Japanese carmaker Honda’s North American luxury and performance branch. On March 27, 1986, sales of the premium and performance automotive brand began in the United States and Canada. The first market it entered was Hong Kong in 1991 (where it remained until 2009), followed by Mexico (2004), China (2006), Russia (2014), Kuwait (2015), and Ukraine (2016). (until 2018). The global financial crisis of 2007-2008 caused Honda to postpone and ultimately cancel its intention to launch the Acura brand in the Japanese domestic market (J.D.M.) in 2008.
| Powertrain | |
|---|---|
| Engine | 2.0 l I-4 |
| Power | 272 hp @ 6,500 rpm (203 kW) |
| Torque | 280 lb·ft @ 1,600 – 4,500 rpm (380 N·m) |
| Induction | Turbocharged |
| Fuel type | Premium |
| Transmission | 10-speed automatic |
| Drivetrain | AWD |
| Vehicle type | SUV |
| Category | Compact luxury SUV |
| Assembly | East Liberty, OH, US |
| Generation | 3 |
| Fuel efficiency / Autonomy | |
| City | 11.3 L/100km |
| Highway | 9.1 L/100km |
| Combined | 10.3 L/100km |
| Autonomy | 631 km |
| CO₂ emissions | 242 g/km |
A Japanese carmaker, Honda, was the first to launch a premium brand in the form of Acura. Acura was launched simultaneously as a new luxury car sales channel from J.D.M. Honda, dubbed Honda Clio. This channel joined the existing Honda Verno and Honda Primo dealership sales channels. Acura outsold more established brands like BMW and Mercedes-Benz during its first few years on the market. Despite declining sales in the middle to late '90s, the company had a renaissance in the early '00s due to radical redesigns and the launch of new models.
Six-speed Manual Transmission
Variable valve timing system for the North American market. Acura originally used a six-speed manual transmission with a Type II engine in the 1993 Legend coupé. Acura released a Type R variant of the small Integra in the late '90s that was lighter overall, with a firmer and lower suspension and a more powerful V.T.E.C. engine.
Acura debuted many new models in the early 2000s. These included the MDX, the company’s first original sport utility vehicle, and the R.S.X. and TSX, which were intended to replace the Integra coupé and sedan. During that decade, the R.S.X., CL, and T.L. were all given Type-S variants.
SH-AWD, Acura’s torque-vectoring all-wheel drive technology, made its debut in the flagship R.L. in 2005. First introduced to North America in the 2007 RDX crossover S.U.V. was Honda’s first turbocharged engine. The 2016 model year saw the introduction of the second generation N.S.X., which includes upgrades like a twin-turbocharged mid-engine, a nine-speed dual-clutch transmission, and Sport Hybrid SH-AWD.
History
Similar premium brands were launched simultaneously by Nissan’s Japanese competitor Toyota and Lexus, another Japanese automaker. It was more profitable for Japanese manufacturers to ship more costly automobiles to the U.S. market because of the voluntary export limits established by the Japanese government for the U.S. market.
After ten years of study, Honda established 60 new Acura outlets across North America by 1986. The phrase “Acura. Precision Crafted Automobiles” heralded the launch of Acura, the first Japanese luxury automaker. Its first lineup featured two distinct hatchback body styles—the five-door and three-door versions of the compact Integra and the four-door executive-class Legend. The Legend is the product of Project XX, a collaboration between Honda and the Austin Rover Group of the United Kingdom. It shared certain mechanical components with the Rover 800 series, whereas the Honda Integra was an upgraded version of the Quint hatchback.
Toyota’s Lexus
Toyota’s Lexus, originally codenamed F1, and Nissan’s Infiniti, originally codenamed Laurel, both began development in 1985 by revising their Japan-only flagship vehicles; in the late 1990s, Mazda planned but never launched its own Amati luxury division in response to the success of these models, particularly the Legend. The Legend was introduced worldwide in 1986 to compete with the Toyota Crown and the Nissan Cedric and Gloria.
However, after seeing how well those two models sold, Toyota and Nissan and other manufacturers like Lincoln began producing their executive-sized cars in response to the Legend and its successor, the Vigor. Toyota unveiled the Lexus ES, Nissan unveiled the Infiniti J30, and Ford’s new sedan, built on the Taurus’s underpinnings, was given the moniker Lincoln Continental.
1987, Acura’s first full sales year, the company sold 109,000 vehicles, 55,000 of which were the flagship Legend sedan. The remaining sales were all of the smaller Integra. In 1990, Acura outsold Mercedes-Benz (78,000), BMW (64,000), and Lexus (64,000) combined. This included 54,000 sales of the Legend.
Summary
Since Honda Motor Business is Acura’s parent company, the latter also manufactures Acura vehicles. To better understand the evolution of Acura, we have produced the following chronology. Honda started working on a high-end car concept in 1981. Honda officials felt that the prudent step would be to develop a separate brand to function as the luxury arm of Honda, appealing to drivers searching for a premium experience.
Acura brand
The Acura brand debuted in 1984. Just two years later, there were over 60 Acura locations. Over the past five years, Acura has sold over 50,000 automobiles, allowing the company to create 150 new dealerships. After the initial success of Japan’s first luxury vehicle division, other Japanese automakers, including Toyota with Lexus and Nissan with INFINITI, created their premium brands. Acura has developed into its own separate company from Honda at this point.
Marketing Acura brand
According to Honda, the Acura logo, which debuted in 1990 for the 1991 model year, is a calliper, a tool used for measuring in the design process. However, the symbol may also be read as a crooked “H” (for Honda) or a stylized “A,” thus the several interpretations (for Acura). In the original logo, which was used without Soichiro Honda’s knowledge or consent, the “H” was not formed by the little horizontal bar that now appears between the two vertical pillars. Soichiro Honda ordered the destruction of the existing stock of 5,000 badges, which included removing the insignia off 309 vehicles that had already been manufactured (US-spec Integra, Legend, and N.S.X. models).
SH-AWD and A-Spec
Up-to-date versions come in various trim levels, such as the Technology, Advance, Type-S, SH-AWD, and A-Spec. Technology and Advanced versions often come with the newest hi-tech features such as keyless start and a blind spot information system. Compared to base models, the Type-S and SH-AWD have much more horsepower thanks to their focus on performance. Some models, like the T.L., also mix trim levels.
Acura launched a partnership with Marvel Entertainment in 2010 with the release of the film Iron Man 2, which featured a Z.D.X. after the concluding credits. Acura and Marvel’s fictitious S.H.I.E.L.D. organization jointly unveiled a marketing campaign on April 20, 2011. The MDX, Z.D.X., R.L., and T.L., among other Acura automobiles, soon made cameo appearances in Thor and Captain America: The First Avenger. In the 2012 film The Avengers, Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr. ) traded his Audi R8 for a custom-built Acura sports car. It was speculated that the vehicle seen on set was a prototype for the next-generation N.S.X. however, on January 9, 2012, the Acura N.S.X. Concept debuted at the North American International Auto Show with a very different design.
Racing
Acura has been participating in American auto racing almost from the company’s founding, mostly in the S.C.C.A. and I.M.S.A. G.T. Championship series. In 1991, Acura and Comptech Racing collaborated to employ the Acura N.S.X.'s V6 engine in Comptech’s Camel Lights Spice prototype. In its inaugural season, Acura won the Lights title and a class victory at the 24 Hours of Daytona. In 1992 and 1993, Acura and Comptech repeated as Lights champions. They also won their class at Daytona and the 1993 12 Hours of Sebring.
In 1996, Acura joined Realtime Racing in the S.C.C.A. World Challenged with the N.S.X. and won the season’s final two races. However, a change in the I.M.S.A. rules would eventually lead to the extinction of the Camel Lights. Thus Acura switched to touring car racing.
Championship 1997
Acura entered the lower divisions in 1997 with Acura Integras and quickly won championships in both classes. In 1998, Realtime once again won the touring championship with Integra. In 1999, they came near a few points of winning the title before losing it in the last race.
Despite Realtime’s decision to end the N.S.X. program in 1998, the N.S.X.s were again competing at the highest levels by 2001. Despite the N.S.X. team’s best efforts, mechanical issues prevented them from winning the team’s championship, and the touring class Integras again emerged victorious. In 2002, Acura finally retired the ageing Integra and debuted the new Acura R.S.X. at the season’s end, where it promptly racked up several podium results.
Simultaneously, Acura pulled the N.S.X. from competition in the premier GT category. In 2004, the new Acura TSX would join the R.S.X.s. Realtime is still racing the R.S.X. and TSX in the S.C.C.A. Speed World Challenge. Acura also competes in the K.O.N.I. Challenge Series for touring cars, sanctioned by the Grand American Road Racing Association.
Acura is a division of Honda. Aiming toward the high-end automobile market was a decision Honda made in 1981. Honda officials decided to spin out a new brand instead of developing new models under the Honda umbrella since the Honda name has become connected with low prices.
Frequently Asked Question - FAQs
Following are the most commonly asked questions about Acura:
1 - Who is Acura owned by?
Acura was introduced in 1986 by the parent company Honda. Honda’s high-end brand in the United States was first marketed under Channel II. In modern times, Acura has achieved global recognition on par with Honda. Now is the perfect opportunity to test out the performance and luxury of a brand-new Acura.
2 - Is Acura just a Honda?
Acura is a sub-brand of Honda with its own identity and reputation. Acura was utilized to enter the luxury automotive market, but Honda’s history demonstrates that the company provides a wide range of affordable daily vehicles.
3 - Are Acura reliable cars?
The top 10 luxury automobile brands were represented by three manufacturers on the Consumer Reports 2022 list. The top slot went to Lexus, while INFINITI got fourth and Acura landed in the top ten.
4 - How does Lexus compare against Acura in terms of dependability?
Acura and Lexus (and Honda and Toyota, respectively) have stellar track records regarding safety and long-term dependability. Still, Lexus comes out on top in consumer evaluations and expert analyses.
5 - Do Acuras hold their value?
Some Acura models are more likely to retain their value than others. A 2017 Acura, on average, retains 75% of its initial price after five years on the market. If you’re looking for a car that won’t depreciate quickly, consider the Acura T.L.X. Drivers have shown a consistent interest in purchasing the T.L.X., maintaining the vehicle’s value.
6 - Is Acura a luxury brand?
Perhaps you’re wondering, “Have Acuras considered luxury vehicles?” To what extent does Acura fit the premium category? Acura is a premium brand because of its high-end features, meticulous design, and well-known reliability.
7 - What is Acura known for?
Acura is the finest automobile manufacturer because its vehicles are recognized for their high quality, reliability, and performance. Acura is a highly respected Japanese carmaker whose products are often regarded as among the best in their class. Tokyo is home to the company’s main office in Japan. The Latin origin of the word Acura makes it sound both elegant and powerful.
8 - Is Acura a high-end Honda?
Acura is Honda’s high-end division and is commonly regarded as a luxury brand. Their cars are built with high-quality components, have cutting-edge engineering, an elegant look and feel, and deliver impressive results. Therefore, Acura is a brand you could encounter if you’re shopping for a luxury vehicle or S.U.V.
9 - Why is Acura not reliable?
With a dependability value of 42, Honda was classified as the number two most dependable vehicle by the website Reliability Index. Honda vehicles are dependable since they are inexpensive to maintain. However, Acura vehicles need frequent, pricey maintenance like every other premium brand. This means you can trust them less often.
10 - Are Acura expensive to fix?
Although Acura is a luxury automaker, its automobiles don’t reflect that in their pricing. They also require little in the way of upkeep costs. On YourMechanic list of the 30 most and least costly automobile makes to repair, Acura comes in at number 11.
Conclusion
Acura is a division of Honda Motor Company. Acura plays an integral role in Honda’s history. Here is a brief rundown of Acura’s background. In 1981, Honda officials decided to launch a new brand for a high-end car that had been in the works at Honda but had not yet been introduced to the public. They desired a new automotive sector that would appeal to affluent Kyle motorists. Beginning with just one dealership in 1984, by 1986, there were 60 Acura outlets across the United States. Over 50,000 Acura automobiles were sold in the first three years of the brand’s introduction, and over 150 Acura dealerships were opened during that time.
The Acura brand has been successful for many years. That’s why Nissan and Toyota each have their high-end luxury brands. Acura is thriving now because of pioneering cars like the Acura N.S.X., the first aluminium-bodied automobile. Acura is revered as an industry pioneer for its groundbreaking contributions to premium vehicle design and technological advancement. By the end of that year, Acura had 150 dealerships and had sold 50,000 vehicles. Many automakers, inspired by Acura’s success, have introduced their high-end models, but Acura remains at the forefront of the industry. The Acura N.S.X., for instance, was the first production car to use aluminium construction. Acura is always releasing new concept models to bring the premium market in Sherwood Park and St. Albert down to a more accessible price point without compromising on quality.
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