Honda’s Acura luxury division may not be on the same level as BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Lexus, but the Japanese is quietly having a strong 2010. Moreover, changes are on the way for the ‘tweener premium brand, which could translate to continued success in the coming years.
Although not a contender for the title of the top selling luxury marque, Acura’s sales are up 24 percent this year, besting the growth at BMW, Mercedes and Lexus. However, Acura still isn’t considered a ‘Tier 1’ luxury brand in the United States, but that could change over the next few years.
Acura was forced to cancel its plans to ascend to the top of the luxury auto market when the financial crisis took hold in 2008, canning plans for a rear-wheel drive platform and a new V8 engine. Acura admits it is now struggling to discover “who we are and who we want to be”, but is working to make the brand more than just a Honda-plus.
Acura’s first major area of improvement will be on vehicle styling. According to the 2010 J.D. Power Avoider Study, about half of all buyers that walked away from an Acura dealer cited poor exterior design as their reason for not buying. Not far behind in the second place spot was interior design.
“Styling is hurting them,” said Kerri Wise, Power’s director of research. “It’s their biggest hurdle.”
Acura must also do a better job of differentiating its vehicles. Acura’s flagship RL sedan is only slightly larger than its mid-sized TL sedan, and the TL offers five more horsepower. There is also some product overlap between the smaller TSX V6 and the TL.
But help is on the way, with a redesigned TL expected during the first half of 2011 and a new RL set to debut sometime in 2012. A compact model – along the lines of the former RSX – is also said to be in the pipelines, but don’t expect a Civic rehash like the Canadian market Acura CSX.
References
1.’Acura finds sales…’ view
