Although Acura started its quest to become a Tier 1 luxury brand a few years back, the global economic downturn has all but stalled that ambitious plan. The global economic meltdown first forced Acura to cancel its rear-wheel drive, V8 plans, followed by the news that the company’s NSX supercar plans were suspended indefinitely. With money looking tight for the foreseeable future, Acura will likely make a move down the luxury scale.
According to Automotive News, Acura is currently mulling a new model to compete in the growing compact luxury segment. The new model would compete with the likes of the BMW 1-Series, Volvo C30 and Audi A3, and would be specifically designed to cater to a younger clientele. Acura’s last entrant into the segment – the $21,000-$23,000 RSX – was killed off after the 2006 model year.
If given the green light, the new Acura model would be based on the next-generation Honda Civic. The next Civic is expected to bow for the 2011 model year, with the Acura variant likely to debut a year later.
Acura currently sells a Civic-based model, the Acura CSX (thanks readers for the correction!), in Canada.
Acura is also considering rejoining the luxury coupe segment. The Japanese automaker discontinued the CL coupe in 2003, but the two-door model could be poised for a return in the coming years. Like the previous generations of the CL, any future models would likely be based on the TL sedan.
