2013 Acura ILX Concept Review
Selasa, 24 April 2012
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2013 Acura ILX Concept Review - Acura is still readying the ILX, which will fill the entry-level slot in the luxury brand’s lineup. (It is for now a concept, but per Acura/Honda practice, this is very close to the vehicle that will go on sale this spring.) As we mentioned last month when we first reported on the car, virtually every premium brand is busy preparing smaller models that appeal on efficiency and affordability as much as they do luxury.
And so it’s not particularly shocking that this premium compact will be available with a gasoline-electric hybrid powertrain, likely closely related to the setup found under the hood of the current Honda Civic hybrid. That will make it the first hybrid vehicle to wear an Acura badge. A 2.4-liter inline-four and six-speed-manual combo is slated for duty in the "high-performance ILX," a powertrain that sounds suspiciously like that found in the current Civic Si. Expect most ILX buyers to stick with the basic engine and transmission, a 2.0-liter four-cylinder mated to a conventional automatic transmission.
Spot the Difference
If you’re wondering why this Acura borrows so much of its underhood tech from the Honda Civic, it’s because it shares basic underpinnings with that bestselling compact. But Acura is quick to point out that the two cars share few hard points, and a walk-around of the ILX concept shows the subtle efforts its (re)designers made to hide its humble econo-car roots. Some were successful, others not so much.
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The profile view reveals a trunklid that kicks up higher and carries more visual weight, taillights that are more rectangular and wrap farther around the corner from tail to side panel, and a steeper cut line where sheetmetal meets the plastic rear bumper.
The door handles on the ILX concept have been creased and shaped into a form that looks vaguely inspired by medieval weaponry, and the character line that intersects the front and rear door-handle depressions on the Honda kicks up above the rear door handle on the Acura. The lower crease that runs between the wheel wells is more pronounced, and the lower sills are more aggressive. From the front, you don't have to squint too hard to make out the Civic bloodlines, but the Acura face is present and accounted for. There’s also a sharper break between the hood and fender, deeper set headlamps, and no lower grille. The concept rides on 19-inch wheels. Details on the cabin are scarce at this point, but keyless entry and start, and Acura’s various technology packages are said to be on offer.
Back Home Again in Indiana
When production for the actual Acura ILX spools up in earnest, each and every one will be manufactured at Honda's Greensburg, Indiana, plant. This latest round of entry-level luxury models has us wondering how much of a premium people are willing to pay for what are essentially gussied-up versions of lesser models; a sticker of "well below $30,000" has been promised. Acura hasn't released any details on what if any of the car’s dirty bits have been upgraded from Civic duty, which may be an important part of the value puzzle here. But with so many compacts from “regular” brands available with scads of uplevel features—among them the Ford Focus, new Dodge Dart, and Hyundai Elantra—Acura and its luxury brethren will have to think long and hard about the prices of their new babies if they hope to move them in meaningful amounts. View Photo Gallery
