Acura is a luxury vehicle brand manufactured by Honda Motor Company. It belongs in the luxury line of vehicles manufactured by Honda. Acura has penetrated the markets of United States, Canada, and Hongkong since March 1986 and was introduced in Mexico and China during the years 2004 and 2006 respectively. It was the first luxury Japanese car promoted outside Japan.
It was in 1986 when Honda launched Acura automobile division in North America featuring two Acura model cars namely: the Legend and the Integra. Acura Legend is a V6-powered sedan. Acura Integra has 2 varieties the 5-door and the 3-door hatchback. These car models infiltrated the vehicle market with a tremendous success, which influenced the presentation of Honda NSX known as Acura NSX in North America and Hongkong , a mid-engine V6 powered, rear wheel drive sports car that go for a run with equally renowned sports car Porsche andFerrari.
During the middle up to the late part of the year 1990, there was a remarkable drop in the sales of Acura, which was believed to be due to the boring and dull designs of the vehicles. It was also during this time when Acura substitute alphanumeric classification instead of the Acura and Integra label. Replacing the Acura Legend is the name 1996 3.5 RL and Acura Integra was substituted by Acura 1.6EL, which was marketed as a rebadged Honda Civic in Canada while it was continuously sold in the U.S. as Acura Integra until 2001.
Acura Car Models Launched in the Year 2000
1. The 1999 Acura 3.2 TL is a luxurious and classy sedan that can contend with the high-class features of Infiniti I30, Lexus ES, and BMW 3-series, which are categorized as classy luxury vehicles. This sedan was described by critics as perfect image of a classy sports car; along with its inexpensive price compared to other competitors, made it a favorite among car consumers.
2. The Acura MDX is a well-known three-row crossover Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV) substituting the SLX, resembling a rebadged Isuzu Trooper. The MDX is the answer to qualities that the SUV going market is craving for; referred as the best among seven other SUVs by Car and Driver, an American automotive aficionado’s magazine. The MDX was intended to hold seven passengers; however the third row seats are really smaller than the seats in the middle row. It is equipped with a five-speed automatic transmission in a 4-wheel drive system when there is an inevitable slippage detected but during normal operation it runs on front wheel drive system.
The 2002 model of MDX comes with a navigation and DVD entertainment system. The 2004 model is featured with dual tail pipes, new design of head and tail lights, new wheels, and side curtain airbags. It also comes with matte finish chrome trimmings instead of the polished shiny finish that is the trademark of earlier models. The 2006 MDX comes with just a few revisions particularly in the vehicle’s chrome and faux wood interior trim of the car.
The 2008 Acura MDX has a wider body and longer wheelbases compared to the earlier MDX. The slight downside is still with the seats in the third row being too small to accommodate adults. The good thing is with regards to the body of MDX which was engineered to absorb energy during collision; made possible by Honda’s Advanced Compatibility Engineering.
3. 3.2 TL is also one of the car models launched by Acura during this period together with 3.2 CL, and NSX.
4. The Acura RSX is formerly known as Integra hatchback; one of the cars in Acura’s line-up during the year 2000.
Other Car Models in the Acura Line-Up
1. 2004-model TL, a mid-size sports sedan was introduced highlighting a 200 hp V6 that comes with a 6-speed manual transmission. It has been the forerunner in the vehicle market with sales amounting to 70,943 American units during the year 2005. The well-defined Italianate styling of the new TL seemed to be a hit among car consumers, which made this car model one of the most sought-after Acura vehicle.
2. The TSX is a compact sports sedan and is the solitary 4-cylinder sedan among all car models of Acura. This sedan is a European-market Honda Accord loaded up with outstanding features and considered as the more affordable and economical choice to the BMW 3-series. The TSX is a car of choice during 2004-2006 ranking on Car and Driver’s Ten Best list.
2006 model Acura TSX comes with a 2.4L in-line 4-cylinder engine.
3. In 2005, a new RL model was introduced; Acura presented it with a 300 hp V6, enhanced design, stylishness, and form and most importantly, Super Handling All-Wheel Drive (SH-AWD); which can transmit and forward all of the RL’s power to only one wheel in a turn. It comes with an all-wheel drive system, five-speed automatic transmission influenced and tailored in a racing car fashion. Additional features include DVD Audio, XM-Nav Traffic capable of monitoring real-time traffic by means of XM satellite radio. One of the most beneficial and useful feature of Acura RL is the Collision Mitigation Braking System that alerts drivers of objects blocking the way up to 330’ ahead.
4. The year 2006 was marked as the introduction of RDX, which is a small SUV in the Acura line-up. RDX is equipped with a turbocharged 240-hp 4-cylinder engine. It also comes with theSuper Handling All-Wheel Drive system transmission. There are 2 versions of RDX: the Premium and the Technology Package. The Premium version contains the standard features of RDX while the Technology Package includes a GPS navigation system, Bluetooth phone integration and other technologically advanced features. It can accommodate five passengers and comes with a 10-speaker Acura/ELS audio system with DTS and Dolby surround sound, leather seats, moon roofing, automatic climate control and other powerful features. It is the second Acura vehicle manufactured with Advanced Compatibility Engineering body structure. It is equipped with six air bags. Head restraints are integrated in the front seats and free-tensioners and force-limiters are valuable features of the seatbelts.
All cars in the Acura line-up are engineered and designed for functionality and class styling which makes Acura vehicles one of the most renowned and highly sought-after vehicles by many car consumers.
