Although Honda has been honing its Acura brand’s image by expanding its lineup and creating a new family face, the automaker’s CEO says fuel-efficient hybrid vehicles are coming to its luxury unit.
“I’m pleased to say that we will be adding hybrids to the Acura brand,” Honda President and CEO Takanobu Ito said earlier this week at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit.
Although Ito did not go into much detail, it’s expected that the hybrid powertrains will initially be added to existing Acura products before the company steals a page from Lexus and creates its own hybrid-specific luxury model. Speculation and rumors suggest that Acura’s TSX, TL and MDX would be the first to receive hybrid technology.
Last year, Honda said that it was canning plans to import diesel engines to North America in favor of hybrids, but Ito’s comments were the first to confirm an Acura hybrid.
